NOTE: If you have not already read the “About AFSOC” page, then please start there.

The above-linked page lays out some of the philosophy for why AFSOC exists. This page goes into some of the basic “nuts & bolts” of how AFSOC will operate on a routine basis. Scripture references will be included as needed.

1. The name of God versus the title of God

Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, God the Father (Yehowah/Jehovah) and God the Son (Yeshua/Jesus) are very specific about commanding the use of their holy Names. (see, most notably, 2nd Chronicles 7:14) And yet, many modern Christians do not use their actual names. Instead, they routinely use only their titles. (In the case of both, in modern American English, those titles are pronounced “the Lord”. In typeface, the name of Yehowah is written as “the LORD”.) Imagine if you were a doctor, and everyone called you only “doctor” and never used your actual name. That would feel quite impersonal. And yet, many modern Christians claim that they have “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ”. Well, if you are calling Him only “the Lord”, then how personal is that?

Therefore, AFSOC will endeavor to use the “proper names” of Yehowah and Yeshua whenever possible. Specifically, when reading the Old Testament aloud, whenever “the LORD” is seen in print, it will be pronounced aloud as “Yehowah“. And, when reading the New Testament aloud, whenever “Jesus” is seen in print, it will be pronounced as “Yeshua“. This is not mere linguistic hair-splitting, nor is it per se an element of the Hebrew Roots movement (which has sometimes been taken to extremes). Interestingly, the word “God” comes from a Persian word. Again, it is not His name; it is another title. Using the “proper names” is about being respectful toward God and the holiness of His Name. It is the first step in establishing “reverent awe” in our worship style.

Perhaps the above seems “radical” to you. Perhaps you are reluctant to accept it because you “have never heard that before”. But, that does not make it wrong. Consider the way that Isaiah 3:1 is written.

Why would it be written two different ways, consecutively, unless there were two different meanings? So, let’s look at it in Hebrew. The first version (“Lord”) is His title. We know it transliterated in English as “Adonai”. (The text shows the word “ha” in front, specifying “the” Lord — as in “the one and only”.) The second version (“LORD”) is his actual name, Yehowah. It is rendered in the chart as “Yahweh”. But, if you have ever been in a room full of people speaking Hebrew, then you would know that “Yahweh” just doesn’t sound right, while “Yehowah” fits right in. (Besides — say the names “Yehowah” and “Yeshua” consecutively, and then you will hear that they simply “sound right” together, as a Father would name His Son to sound related.)

Now, remember again that Yehowah commands us to say His name, and then you will understand why this doctrine is so important — even if other churches “don’t do it this way”.

2. The Word of God

The primary Scripture of AFSOC will be the “New King James Version” (NKJV) of the Holy Bible. This translation strikes a rich balance between modern American English and the original languages, yet without the “watered down” text of other translations, such as the “New International Version” (which omits a large number of verses that are found in other translations), nor the “stuffy” text of the King James Version. (Sadly, there are actually Christian denominations that teach that a person “cannot be truly saved” unless they use only the King James Version. That is another man-made “litmus test” — which seems designed to keep people out of Heaven, rather than help them get into Heaven.)

Rather than have any complex “liturgical calendar” or one of the myriad “Bible-reading plans” that are available, AFSOC will simply use the One-Year Bible (in NKJV) as both. Whatever passages are on a given date for worship gathering, that is where the Scripture references will be found. This will keep things simple and orderly, while also “fresh”. All members will be encouraged to read the One-Year Bible on a daily basis as “spiritual food”.

3. Worshipping God

The word “Orthodox” comes from a compound Greek word that means “correct worship”. (There are other variations on that translation, but they all convey the same essential concept.) The idea behind seeking correct worship can be summed up in this passage — Ecclesiastes 5:1-2. There is “a right way and a wrong way” to worship God, and doing it the wrong way is “the sacrifice of fools”.

As you can see from the above Scripture, the very reason that we are commanded to gather together in worship of God is to “hear”. Sadly, a lot of modern Americans think that means to hear loud music blasted through speakers. It doesn’t. It means to hear the Word of God (the Holy Bible). Then, in response to the wisdom that we hear, we are to sing praises. It does not say “only listen to the choir” and it does not say “stand there and be a mere spectator”.

And, when we sing, we are to sing “with understanding”. How do we get understanding? From hearing the Word of God preached and from studying it ourselves. We do not sing about our “feelings”. We do not sing merely because it rhymes or fits the “chord progression” (whatever that is…). No!! We sing praises to God because He is worthy. And, we can only know how worthy He is by knowing His Word.

The vast majority of the AFSOC style of worship will come directly from verses in the Holy Bible. Christians are called to be “set apart” from the world; to “come out from among them”. (see 2nd Corinthians 6:17) Therefore, church worship should not sound like “the world”. Orthodox Christian chant sounds like nothing else on Earth. This is especially true of the “plain chant” style that is used by the Carpatho-Rusyn people. It is rich and beautiful, and yet it is simple. (There is a tendency even in some Orthodox jurisdictions to engage in “performance”-level talent [see first video, below], which leaves the average parishioner “behind in the dust”.) The goal of corporate worship should be corporate worship — i.e.: the entire body of believers worshipping God together. The “plain chant” style achieves a good balance between musical beauty and common-folk accessibility. No one should be “left behind”.

An actual “liturgy” is being developed for AFSOC. It will be patterned after the centuries-old Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom (the “golden mouth”), and yet it will be significantly different. Even in the early centuries of the Orthodox Church, a few other versions of the Divine Liturgy were used. Eventually, though, all jurisdictions settled on the version written by St. John Chrysostom. Just like the Holy Bible, the rich worship of the Divine Liturgy is “both timeless and timely”. And, on the “timely” side, the plan is to include a little bit of modern, Scripture-based music in the new Liturgy. (I have some ideas, but it would be good to get input from someone with music-label producer experience to help me navigate the copyright jungle.)

4. Approaching God

Private prayer is important in the life of every Christian believer. Sadly, some churches neglect corporate prayer. A major element of the Divine Liturgy is corporate prayer, and so AFSOC congregants can pool the power of their prayers. Both private and corporate prayer are necessary in a healthy spiritual life. Including corporate prayer in the Liturgy keeps things on track.

5. Representing God

This one is a “touchy” topic. That said, both the Holy Bible and church history support the legitimacy of speaking in tongues and prophecy. Therefore, AFSOC supports these outpourings of the Holy Spirit — along with all of the others noted in Scripture. These two outpourings, however, are different in that they involve people speaking on behalf of God.

A discussion of “speaking in tongues” needs to begin with an understanding of two Greek words, which help define what it is and what it isn’t.

• Xenoglossia: speaking in a specific language that is unknown to the speaker, and yet known to the hearer.
• Glossolallia: speaking in strange syllables that are unknown to both speaker and hearer.

An example of xenoglossia would be if someone that has never studied a foreign language suddenly began speaking Farsi without any training, while there was a native Farsi speaker in the room that could interpret and verify what was said. (This is an example of Biblical “speaking in tongues”.) An example of glossolallia would be if someone attended a “school of prophecy” weekend seminar, where they were told to merely start babbling “blah, blah, blah” until other syllables began coming out of their mouth. (Not only is that un-Biblical, but it opens the door of spiritual pride for a demon to enter that person and begin uttering false prophecies!!)

Sadly, the state of the modern American church is such that many “Christians” practice glossolallia and are even labeled “prophets” in their local congregations because of their ability to utter strange syllables! Jesus warned that, immediately before His return, there would be a “wicked and lost generation” that goes around “seeking signs”. I believe that this is an example of exactly that.

Whenever one calls himself a “prophet”, it should be done with “fear and trembling”, because the penalty for false prophecy is death. Therefore, it is recommended that anyone with a prophetic word should, when possible, first present it to the pastor via the “chain of command” before going public with it. As the life of this congregation evolves, and a core group of trusted elders forms, then this policy might change a bit. But, during the formation and launch of this congregation, that is the policy.

The entire 14th chapter of 1st Corinthians is dedicated to the topics of prophecy and speaking in tongues. The final verses (39-40) sum it up. “So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.” As the Scripture plainly says, so is the doctrine of AFSOC on these topics. Doing things in an “orderly manner”, while being filled with the Holy Spirit, is the cornerstone of our existence. The two are not mutually exclusive, as some try to purport. This concept is reflected in our logo — with the dove of the Holy Spirit and the flame of the Holy Spirit shown on either side of an “onion dome” that represents formal church authority.

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[This concludes the initial statement of Doctrine, dated Fri, 16 Aug 2024. and last udated on Thu, 05 Sep 2024. As the life of this church grows, other elements of Doctrine may be added below.] Tom Kovach, founder.

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