Turnbull on the Apostolic Vision


T.N. Turnbull, one of the early leaders of the Apostolic Church, explains what being Apostolic is all about:
The Apostolic Church is a body of believers who joyfully dare to stand for first-century Christianity, its faith, its practices and its government. The Holy Spirit at the beginning of this century planted a deep desire and particular longing in the hearts of many of God's people for the church of God as revealed in the Scriptures (both in the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline epistles) to be in operation today, and in answer to this desire and craving God has been establishing a body of people who are willing to embrace every aspect of Biblical truth and who have found restored among them the five gifts of the Ascended Lord, together with the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.
As an Apostlic Church, we believe that God has committed to us a body of truth as is found in the Scriptures and as is now detailed in the Tenets of our Church. Briefly, the purpose of our fellowship is to make known world-wide the forgiveness of sins through the atoning death of Christ; the baptism in water by immersion; the baptism with the Holy Spirit with signs following; the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit; the five gifts of our Ascended Lord; and the vision called in the New Testament, "the Church, which is His Body." There are many other truths which we believe, preach and teach, as recorded in our Tenets.
In our Church services, we often refer to the "Apostolic Vision," for we believe that God has given us a clear vision of His plans and purposes for His Church in these, the latter days.  By the "Apostolic Vision" we mean, not the conception of a denomination, but the spiritual vision which filled the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ, the taking of the Apostolic truths by the Church to every land, and the establishing of the New Testament teachings, doctrines, and practices in every country of the world, whatever their race or colour. The Apostolic Church believes in expansion and development ... but it also believes that such expansion and development should be according to the pattern revealed in the New Testament. The "Apostolic Vision" is therefore the extension of the Church throughout all nations today, a Church which is in every respect a continuation of the New Testament Church, doctrinally, factually, inspirationally and governmentally.
Turnbull, What God Hath Wrought, 11-12