Eternal Grace

Eternal Grace is a new church movement originating in Southern California, founded by church planter Richard Rossi [http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Mar01%20/Art_displacedpastor.html] . The movement started as an underground house church movement in Hollywood [http://www.charismamag.com/display.php?id=13085] and Long Beach, although it has now grown to include affiliates that meet in public buildings as well. [http://www.realimpact.com/articles/Richard-Rossis-Eternal-Grace-Movement.htm]

The Hollywood churches originally met in private homes to protect celebrity anonymity [http://www.realimpact.com/articles/Eternal-Graces-Richard-Rossi-Hosts.htm] . Rossi himself is an actor and has been called the "Pastor to the Stars" by ABC Entertainment News. The Long Beach churches met in homes because of Rossi's controversial outreach to homosexuals and AIDS patients who did not feel welcome to attend public church services.

The churches are known for charismatic ministry in spiritual gifts such as healing, and base their philosophy on the Book of Acts in the New Testament [http://www.house2house.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=26] . Components of the movement include a belief and practice that every believer is called to heal the sick as Christ did, and participatory gatherings in which every member can share rather than a sermon given by one primary pastoral speaker, based on the biblical verse 1 Corinthians 14:26.

Exact statistics on Eternal Grace are difficult to ascertain, because Richard Rossi believes it is braggadocio and a sin, citing the story of God telling King David not to number the people. The denomination has been profiled in "House2House" magazine, a leading periodical on the house church movement [http://www.house2house.tv/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=163] .

References

External links

* [http://www.eternalgracechurch.com/ Eternal Grace, The Official Church site]