Covenant Life Church
Encyclopedia
Covenant Life Church is a 3000+ member "reformed charismatic
" church in Gaithersburg, Maryland
. The church was established in 1977 by a group of Christians including Larry Tomczak
and C.J. Mahaney. It is currently led by Joshua Harris
, the best-selling author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye
and Boy Meets Girl. It is the flagship church of Sovereign Grace Ministries
.
Covenant Life Church has its roots in the city-wide charismatic prayer meeting Take and Give (TAG) which ran from 1970 to 1979. It was founded by ten people who met in a house. TAG's instigator was Washington resident Lydia Little, who had experienced the Jesus People revival in California and wanted to see similar renewal brought to local young people. The most spectacular growth of TAG occurred after Larry Tomczak
moved to the area and attendance steadily skyrocketed to over 2,000. Nearly of all the original members of CLC were at one point members of TAG. The church itself was established in 1980 with around 350 former TAG members.
Covenant Life was initially led by Larry Tomczak
and CJ Mahaney. Mahaney later assumed sole leadership. In September 2004, after several years of preparation, Mahaney stepped down in favor of Harris, the former Executive Pastor of CLC and founder of the New Attitude singles conference, recently renamed Next (http://www.thisisnext.org/).
Tomczak eventually left the group and has subsequently suggested that the increasingly Calvinistic
theology was a major factor in this parting of the ways.
Covenant Life's other pastors include
Greg Somerville,
Kenneth Maresco,
Mark Mitchell,
Gary Ricucci, Jeff Purswell, Don DeVries, Braden Greer and Eric Simmons.
The church currently meets on Muncaster Mill Road in Gaithersburg. They hold two Sunday morning services, one at 9:00am and the other at 11:30am.
Covenant Life also runs a K-12 day school
and a home school
program. Almost 300 students currently attend the day school, which is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Over 500 students are enrolled in the home school program.
in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
.
In 2006, Covenant Life Church planted Sovereign Grace Church of Frederick in Frederick, Maryland
.
In 2008, Covenant Life Church planted Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg in Gaithersburg, Maryland
. Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg
is the second Spanish speaking Sovereign Grace Ministries church in the USA. Pastored by José Mercado.
Covenant Life Church is also the name of a church in Addis Ababa
, Ethiopia
, pastored by Mo Adugna and Wondwossen Getahun. Covenant Life Church in Addis Ababa
is also affiliated with Sovereign Grace Ministries
.
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
" church in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
. The church was established in 1977 by a group of Christians including Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak is a pastor and preacher based in the USA. He is the co-founder of the group now known as Sovereign Grace Ministries and of several prominent churches.-Conversion and PDI:...
and C.J. Mahaney. It is currently led by Joshua Harris
Joshua Harris
Joshua Eugene Harris is an American pastor and author, perhaps most widely known as the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye , in which he explains what he believes to be the biblical approach to dating and relationships.He is currently senior pastor of Covenant Life Church, the founding church of...
, the best-selling author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye
I Kissed Dating Goodbye
I Kissed Dating Goodbye is a best-selling 1997 book by Joshua Harris. The book focuses on Harris' disenchantment with the contemporary secular dating scene, and offers ideas for improvement, alternative dating/courting practices, and a view that singleness need not be a burden nor characterized by...
and Boy Meets Girl. It is the flagship church of Sovereign Grace Ministries
Sovereign Grace Ministries
Sovereign Grace Ministries is a group of Reformed, neocharismatic, Evangelical, restorationist, Christian churches primarily located in North America. It has been described as an apostolic network...
.
Covenant Life Church has its roots in the city-wide charismatic prayer meeting Take and Give (TAG) which ran from 1970 to 1979. It was founded by ten people who met in a house. TAG's instigator was Washington resident Lydia Little, who had experienced the Jesus People revival in California and wanted to see similar renewal brought to local young people. The most spectacular growth of TAG occurred after Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak is a pastor and preacher based in the USA. He is the co-founder of the group now known as Sovereign Grace Ministries and of several prominent churches.-Conversion and PDI:...
moved to the area and attendance steadily skyrocketed to over 2,000. Nearly of all the original members of CLC were at one point members of TAG. The church itself was established in 1980 with around 350 former TAG members.
Covenant Life was initially led by Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak is a pastor and preacher based in the USA. He is the co-founder of the group now known as Sovereign Grace Ministries and of several prominent churches.-Conversion and PDI:...
and CJ Mahaney. Mahaney later assumed sole leadership. In September 2004, after several years of preparation, Mahaney stepped down in favor of Harris, the former Executive Pastor of CLC and founder of the New Attitude singles conference, recently renamed Next (http://www.thisisnext.org/).
Tomczak eventually left the group and has subsequently suggested that the increasingly Calvinistic
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
theology was a major factor in this parting of the ways.
Covenant Life's other pastors include
Greg Somerville,
Kenneth Maresco,
Mark Mitchell,
Gary Ricucci, Jeff Purswell, Don DeVries, Braden Greer and Eric Simmons.
The church currently meets on Muncaster Mill Road in Gaithersburg. They hold two Sunday morning services, one at 9:00am and the other at 11:30am.
Covenant Life also runs a K-12 day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and a home school
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
program. Almost 300 students currently attend the day school, which is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Over 500 students are enrolled in the home school program.
Church Plants
In 1984, Covenant Life Church planted Covenant Fellowship ChurchCovenant Fellowship Church
Covenant Fellowship Church is a 1500+ member non-denominational "reformed charismatic" church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. The senior pastor is Jared Mellinger, who has led the church since 2008. The previous senior pastor was Dave Harvey, who led the church as senior pastor from 1990 until 2008...
in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Glen Mills is an unincorporated community in Concord Township and Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States about 17 miles from Philadelphia. Glen Mills is known for its gardens and its golf course. Major offices including Deloitte with a headcount of about 100 people...
.
In 2006, Covenant Life Church planted Sovereign Grace Church of Frederick in Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
.
In 2008, Covenant Life Church planted Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
. Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg
Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg
Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg is the second Sovereign Grace Ministries Spanish-speaking church in the USA. The church was established in 2008. The church is led by Jose Mercado, a Puerto Rican that graduated from the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College in May 2007. The church was...
is the second Spanish speaking Sovereign Grace Ministries church in the USA. Pastored by José Mercado.
Covenant Life Church is also the name of a church in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, pastored by Mo Adugna and Wondwossen Getahun. Covenant Life Church in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
is also affiliated with Sovereign Grace Ministries
Sovereign Grace Ministries
Sovereign Grace Ministries is a group of Reformed, neocharismatic, Evangelical, restorationist, Christian churches primarily located in North America. It has been described as an apostolic network...
.