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We call ourselves a society simply because the word denotes a proper association of people with similar interests, purposes, or passions. Those of our church and those who faithfully support this ministry have one abiding purpose: That God’s Name be great among the nations through the redemption of men and the building up of Christ’s bride.

HeartCry

The HeartCry Missionary Society has recently moved its offices to Christiansburg, Virginia for the purposes of planting a church in the area. As the congregation matures it will take the primary role of holding both its elders and its various ministries accountable in doctrine, ethics, and faithfulness to their stated purpose.1 Since the church plant is in it earliest stages and the congregation is yet unable to fully oversee the administration and ministry of HeartCry, we have purposed to employ a number of supporting churches to assist in both the counsel and oversight of HeartCry. For as long as this measure is necessary, a pastor from one of these churches will represent each of them on HeartCry’s Board of Directors.

The means by which the these churches will endeavor to hold HeartCry accountable are:
  1. HeartCry will maintain an open door policy with the churches in any and every aspect of its administration and ministry.
  2. HeartCry recognizes that the churches have the right and responsibility to request any information or investigate any matter that would be relevant to the goal of accountability – doctrine, practice, ethics, finances, etc.
  3. HeartCry will be proactive in providing a quarterly financial report to the churches.
  4. HeartCry will be proactive in notifying the churches of any major changes in policy, doctrine or of any major decisions affecting the ministry: expansion into new fields of labor, appointment of new missionaries, major projects, etc.
  5. HeartCry recognizes that the churches have the right and responsibility to publicize any concern with its doctrine or ethics and to withdraw fellowship if the matter should remain unresolved. 

Board of Directors

As a 501(c)3 or non-profit organization, the HeartCry Missionary Society has a Board of Directors to aid in directing and monitoring our activities.

The board members are:
  • Ken Askew – Russellville, Alabama
  • Dr. Nathan Berry – Fairmont, West Virginia
  • David Michael Kozler – Canton, Michigan
  • Pastor Michael Morrow – Marion, Kentucky
  • Paul Washer – Radford, Virginia

Church Plant

As stated above, the HeartCry Missionary Society has recently moved its offices to Christiansburg, Virginia for the purposes of planting a church in the New River Valley area of Southwest Virginia. The primary reasons for this church plant are:
  1. The staff members at HeartCry not only sense a call to send and support church planters, but to plant churches themselves.
  2. The desire to minister to individuals long-term, practice hospitality, and preach pastorally. It is easy to lose a heart for people when one’s ministry is confined to preaching conferences and training missionaries.
  3. The desire to reject the unbiblical norms of culture and stand upon sola scriptura (scripture alone) by embracing both the inspiration and sufficiency of Scripture.
  4. The desire to plant a church that will be reproducible in the areas of the world where we work that are destitute of the financial resources of the West.
  5. The desire to plant a church that embraces the Great Commission sacrificially, making all financial decisions in light of the world’s need of the Gospel.
  6. The desire to return “family ministry” to the family, especially in regard to equipping men to assume the dual roles of leading and nurturing their wives and children.
  7. The desire to rely upon God alone through prayer alone to meet our needs.

We recognize that these desires are not exclusively ours, and that many churches and believers have progressed far beyond us in all things mentioned above. However, by God’s grace we hope to imitate them as they imitate Christ, and become, if only in a small way, the salt of the earth and a light to the world.  

1. While HeartCry does uphold the two offices of elder and deacon, we also affirm the priesthood of all believers (I Peter 2:5, 9) and congregational government: “The congregation exercises the ultimate human authority in the church, under Christ’s divine authority. Christ exercises his headship through the members, as they all seek together to discern Christ’s will for the body. Since all the members are regenerate and thus indwelt by the Spirit, all are able to receive guidance from Christ. Thus, congregationalism involves democratic participation, with every member having an equal voice and vote. In such a system, leaders such as pastors or deacons may exercise significant influence and may be entrusted with a meaure of authority for acting on behalf of the congregation on certain matters, but, in the final analysis, the highest human authority is vested in the congregation, not the leadership” (Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches, p.143).