2. To Gather Those Called
5. "To bring the faithful and valiant of the New Covenant [Assemblies of Yahweh] into the Assembly of the Firstborn, or Holy Order (Chavurat Bekorot), where they may receive all the keys of the theocratic Kingdom of Zion and arise perfectly independent in Me,
6. "No longer leaning upon the arm-of-flesh of the navi'im (prophets) -- which they must do to some extent in the outer covenant -- that they may commune with Me face to face, and know Me as I really am, and thus inherit the Kingdom of My Father"
(NC&C 263:5-6)
The New Covenant Assemblies of Yahweh (NCAY) may be said to consist of two main parts:
- 1. The Local Assemblies (Branches and Missions)
- 2. The Firstborn Colonies
A "local assembly" is the equivalent in evangelical churches to the "local church" and is a congregation of up to 144 members. Most local assemblies are to be found in towns and cities where they are mostly engaged in evangelism and discipling.
A "firstborn colony" is a community of believers living the law of total consecration or the "United Order". Firstborn Colonies are located in the countryside and interact little with the world.
Both local assemblies and firstborn colonies are governed by the Holy Order or Chavurat Bekorot whose responsibility vis-à-vis the local assemblies is the training of priesthood officers (elders, eldresses, deacons and deaconesses) and the government of the firstborn colonies. Firstborn colonies act as hosts for priesthood training. The apostles (12 men and 144 women) belong to firstborn colonies and are their governing body. Local assemblies are governed by their own pastorates.
There is therefore a close functional relationship between the local assemblies and firstborn colonies even though the former are, to all intents and purposes, autonomous.
After winning souls for Messiah and placing them in local assemblies, the next commission of NCAY is to find those believers who have been called into NCAY itself. Each person baptised into Messiah and NCAY should have some sense of their calling to NCAY before they are admitted. This "call" may consist of a specific revelation or may simply be a spiritual resonance or sense of common identity - of "being at home". Such will then join a local assembly. Only when they have received an unmistakable witness that they are called to be in NCAY for life, are members admitted to priesthood service and may then become candidates for firstborn colonies where they are trained for the Theocratic Kingdom that is to follow the Tribulation and to be leaders of the Community at large as, for example, evangelists or apostles.
The New Covenant Assemblies of Yahweh seek to be true to the whole biblical revelation by conforming itself to all the mitzvot (commandments) and chuqqim (statutes) of Yahweh. Membership is an intense and rewarding experience for those who commit themselves fully to the work, where a deep sense of community is experienced as well as an intimate relationship with Messiah. Each member must discover for himself what his call is. Thereafter they are encouraged to realise that call and deepen their relationship with Yahweh and with the other members.
Members progress in NCAY at the rate they personally wish to go and according to their individual giftedness. All are encouraged - men and women alike - to seek a priesthood ministry and to serve to the best of their ability. The goal of every Messianic Evangelical is to walk in total freedom in Messiah and with total responsibility for everyone else in the community, two sides of the same spiritual coin, so that he may come to know Yahweh as He really is, stripped of the false paganised Christian traditions. The ultimate goal is "leaderless leadership" where everyone is being led by Messiah, having the law fully written in his heart, and who is acquiring all of his teaching through revelation directly from the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) (Jer.31:31-34). Such is a long path requiring much discipline and training which the Holy Order provides.
This is the Second Commission of the New Covenant Assemblies of Yahweh.