RIVER OF LIFE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH, established in 2001, is located in Colonial Beach, Virginia, which is right on the Potomac River and is the birthplace of George Washington, James Monroe and Robert E. Lee. Bishop Scottie E. Jackson is the pastor.
River of Life Pentecostal Church allows and encourages the freedom and liberty of the Holy Spirit in its services as we believe the Gifts of the Spirit are still active in the Body of Christ today wherever people are open. Hence, our slogan, "Where the River Flows". We have charismatic-style praise and worship, balanced preaching and teaching of the Word, and one-on-one ministry around the altar in every service.
Bishop Scottie E. Jackson has been pastoring for the past twenty years, but has been in full-time ministry for more than 35 years. Born and raised in Four Oaks, North Carolina, he attended a Pentecostal camp meeting and was filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues at age 21. Soon afterward he accepted God's call upon his life and entered full-time ministry.
He received training in missionary evangelism under the late Reverend Wallace H. Heflin, Jr. of Calvary Pentecostal Tabernacle ministries. He traveled the world from 1981 through 1999 preaching the gospel as Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." He ministered in many nations including Haiti, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Nepal, India, Jamaica, Trinidad, Cuba and Russia.
In 1989 he married another missionary evangelist, Darlene Brabrand and they now have two adult children. Although they are now pastoring they continue to take short-term mission trips to evangelize as well as to train others who desire to preach the gospel around the world.
Bishop Jackson has earned a Bacherlor's degree in Biblical Studies, a Master's degree in Divinity and a Doctorate in Theology.
In 2005 he became the Bishop of Pentecostal Faith Assemblies, Inc. which is a fellowship of Pentecostal/Full Gospel churches, ministers and ministries dedicated to fulfilling the great commission of the Lord Jesus Christ--making disciples of all nations. PFAI has ministers in the Philippines, Kenya, Uganda, as well as the USA. PFAI also has a Bible College which Bishop Jackson founded in 2012 and over which he presides as Chancellor.
Statement of Faith
1. The Scriptures Inspired
The Bible is the revealed Word of God to man: The New Testament is our sole rule for discipline and government. (II Timothy 3:15-17, II Peter 1:21)
2. The One True God
The Triune Godhead consists of one true God, the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Ghost, the third person of the Godhead. (John 10:36, 14:26, 20:21-22)
3. Lord Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal returning in power and glory. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18 & 23, Luke 1:34-35)
4. Satan
We believe that Satan was originally created a perfect being. He rebelled against God. Asa result he became depraved, the devil and adversary of God and His people, the leader of a host of angels who fell with him. Satan has been judged and defeated at the cross and awaits his ultimate doom at the conclusion of the Millennial Reign which takes place after the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:2, I Thessalonians 3:5, I Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:9, 20:1-3 & 7-10)
5. The Fall of Man
Man was created good an upright; for God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness!" However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:6, Romans 5:12-19)
6. The Salvation of Man
Man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
a. Conditions to Salvation - Salvation is received through repentance
toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing
of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, being justified by
grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the
hope of eternal life. (Luke 24:47, John 3:3, Romans 10:13-15,
Ephesians 2:8, Titus 2:11, 3:5-7)
b. The Evidences of Salvation - The inward evidence of salvation is the
direct witness of the Spirit. (Roman 8:16) The outward evidence to all
men is a life of righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24,
Titus 2:12)
7. Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil and of dedication unto God. (Romans 12:1-2, I Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 13:12) The Scriptures teach a life of "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)
8. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
All believers are entitled to, should ardently expect and earnestly seek, the Promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance. (Acts 2:4, 10:46, 19:6) This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service and the ability to use the Gifts of the Spirit for the work of the ministry. (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4, I Corinthians 12:1-31) With the
baptism in the Holy Ghost come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39, Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:42-43), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost (Mark 16:20).
9. The Ordinances of the Church
a. Baptism in Water - The ordinance of baptism by immersion in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is commanded in the
Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord
are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they died with
Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in new-
ness of life. (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 10:47-48, Romans 6:4)
b. Holy Communion - The Lord's Supper consisting of the elements -
bread and fruit of the vine - is the symbol expressing our sharing the
divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:4); a memorial of His
suffering and death (I Corinthians 11:26); a prophecy of His Second
Coming (I Corinthians 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers "until He
comes."
c. Foot Washing - The ordinance of washing the saints' feet is
scripturally sound, and its practice in the local assembly is left up to
the individual church and pastor. (John 3:4-17)
d. Child Dedication - Since water baptism is an outward expression of
an inward work of grace, we do not practice infant baptism. However,
we do encourage presenting children to the Lord in child dedication
and blessing until they are old enough to make their own choice
and decision. (Luke 2:27, Mark 10:13-16)
10. The Church and Its Mission
a. The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the
Spirit, with divine appointment for the fulfillment of her great
commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the
General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn which are written in
heaven. (Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:22, Hebrews 2:23)
b. Since God's purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that
which is lost, to be worshipped by man, and to build a body of
believers in the image of His Son, the priority reason-for-being of the
River of Life Pentecostal Church as part of the Church is:
(1) To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world. (Acts 1:8,
Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16)
(2) To be a corporate body in which man may worship god. (I
Corinthians 2:13)
(3) To be a channel of God's purpose to build a body of saints being
perfected in the image of His Son. (Ephesians 4:11-16, I Corinthians
12:28, 14:12)
c. The River of Life Pentecostal Church exisits expressly to give
continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament
apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be
baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience:
(1) enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with
accompanying supernatural signs. (Mark 16:15-20, Acts 4:29-31,
Hebrews 2:3-4)
(2) adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God. (I
Corinthians 2:10-16, 12:13-14)
(3) enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in
expression of fruit and gifts and minstries as in New Testament times
for the edifying of the Body of Christ. (Galatians 5:22- 26, I Corinthians
12:28, 14:12, Ephesians 4:11-12, Colossians 1:29)
11. The Ministry
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church in:
(a) Evangelization of the world (Mark 16:15-20)
(b) Worship of God (John 4:23-24); (3) Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:11-16).
12. Divine Healing
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers. (Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-16, James 5:14-16)
13. The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17, Romans 8:23, Titus 2:13, I Corinthians 15:51-52)
14. The Millennial Reign of Christ
The Word of God promises the catching away of the prepared and waiting saints followed by the great Tribulations, and then the return of our Lord with His saints and holy angels in power and great glory to reign on earth a thousand years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel (Ezekiel 37:21-22, Zephaniah 3:19-20, Romans 11:26-27) and the establishment of universal peace (Isaiah 11:6-9, Psalm 72:3-8, Micah 4:3-4)
15. The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, and the beast and false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43-48, Revelation 19:20, 20:11-15, 21:8)
16. The New Heaven and the New Earth
"We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." (II Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1)
17. Tithes and Offerings
The needs of the New Testament Church, its varied ministries along with its God-ordained leadership are to be met by the tithes and offerings of the believers. (Matthew 23:23, I Corinthians 16:1, II Corinthians 9:6-7)
