About GCBCI | Greater Calvary Bible Church International

Who we are

Greater Calvary Bible Church International was organized on September 26, 1984, under the leadership of the organizing pastor, the Most Reverend Dr. Sterling Lands II, and incorporated May 14, 1985.

Founded on the basic biblical principles of Salvation, Education, and Liberation, we are a Christ-centered, family-focused, full gospel, abundant life church family. We believe that people must be saved. Saved people must be taught the truth of God's Word and made free through the application of that truth.

Vision Statement

We envision Christ-centered families walking together in and with Christ daily.

Mission Statement

To prepare and encourage families to be Christ-centered and to walk in and with Christ daily.

Strategic Objectives

1. Hear, believe, and obey the Word of God.
2. Stewardship.
3. Strengthen the Rites of Passage Process.
4. Evangelistic Outreach.
5. Restructure and strengthen expansion churches and ministries.

II.What we believe

Our beliefs

Revelation and Eternal Truth

We believe and uphold the eternal truths revealed by Yahuah (God) through His Son Yahusha Ha'Maschiach (Jesus Christ) and through His written Word. These truths define the values that shape our identity and guide the expression of our faith and work, and produce transformed behavior, not merely informed minds.

Doctrine and the Word of Yahuah

We affirm that sound doctrine, grounded in the careful study and faithful teaching of the revealed Word of God, is the foundation of our belief system and spiritual maturity. 2 Timothy 4:3

Holy Scripture

We believe the Holy Scriptures, as originally given by God, are divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy, and the final and supreme authority in all matters of faith, life, doctrine, and conduct.

The One True God

We believe in one God, the Creator of all things, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Ruach Ha'Qodesh (Holy Spirit), equal in essence, power, and glory.

Yahusha Ha'Maschiach (Jesus Christ)

We believe in Yahusha Ha'Maschiach, God manifested in the flesh, affirming His virgin birth, His sinless human life, His divine authority and miracles, His atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the Father, His present mediatorial and intercessory work, and His personal return in power and glory.

Salvation

We believe that the salvation of lost and sinful humanity is accomplished solely through the shed blood of Yahusha Ha'Maschiach, received by grace through faith. Salvation involves regeneration by the Ruach Ha'Qodesh and the necessity of spiritual rebirth.

The Ruach Ha'Qodesh (Holy Spirit)

We believe in the indwelling work of the Ruach Ha'Qodesh, who enables believers to live holy and obedient lives, bear faithful witness, and serve effectively in the work of Yahusha Ha'Maschiach.

The Church

We believe in the unity of the Spirit among all true believers, who together constitute the Church, the Body of Christ, called to fulfill an evangelistic mission and uphold the highest ethical standards.

Resurrection and Eternal Destiny

We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost — those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, those who are lost unto the resurrection of judgment and condemnation.

Stewardship

We believe in the dedication of gifts, skills, talents, time, and treasure to God, recognizing stewardship as a covenantal responsibility entrusted to every believer.

The Family

We believe in the sanctity of the family, established by God, and the necessity of Christ-centered family values as the foundation for spiritual formation, social stability, and generational faithfulness.

Prayer

We believe in the efficacy of prayer, both in times of crisis and in seasons of peace, as an essential expression of dependence upon and communion with Yahuah.

Marriage

We believe in the sanctity of marriage, as ordained by God in the Holy Scriptures, defined as a covenantal union between one biological man from birth and one biological woman from birth.

The Sanctity of Life

We believe in the sanctity of human life, created by God and sacred from conception, bearing His image and deserving protection and dignity.

III.Senior Pastor

Metropolitan Archbishop Dr. Sterling Lands II

Senior Pastor

Pastor Sterling Lands II was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a graduate of the Southern University School of Engineering, with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

While living in University City, Missouri, Lands was president of the St. Louis chapter of the Center for Non-violent Social Change and was coordinator and president of the Association for the Nonviolent Social Change in America (ANSCA) from 1980–1984.

Pastor Lands pastored the Second Baptist Church, Frankford, Missouri, which merged with the 117-year-old Maryland Street Baptist Church, Louisiana, Missouri in 1981–1984. In 1984 he and his family moved to Austin, Texas, where he soon founded the Greater Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in September of 1984. He later founded the Family Life Bible Church in Desoto, Texas in December 2005.

Pastor Lands continued his movement for justice, quality education, and equity for African-Americans. He founded the Eastside Social Action Coalition in 2000, and served as chair of the Community Action Task Force, a subcommittee of the Baptist Ministers' Union, 2000–2006. He led non-violent marches in protest of racial discrimination and for equal rights for African-Americans residing in Austin, Texas.

As a member of the citizens panel for the police monitor's office, he coordinated a forum for community leaders and the Austin Police Chief addressing concerns of racial discrimination and shootings of unarmed people of color by the department.

Archbishop Lands is the International Presiding Prelate and Patriarch of Family Life International Fellowship, Inc., and the Presiding Prelate of the St. John Archdiocese. He is the organizing overseer and leader of what is now Greater Calvary Bible Church International, Austin, Texas.

He serves as COO of the Evangelical Episcopal Communion; Co-Founder and President/CEO of the International Conference of Bishops Inc.; Co-Chair of the Pastors Across Texas Coalition; and CEO of the Family Life International Bible Institute. He supports bishops and pastors across the USA, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, South Africa, Pakistan, India, Haiti, and the United Kingdom — committed to strengthening the family as a Kingdom priority.

What is a Metropolitan Archbishop?

A metropolitan archbishop is a bishop who presides over an ecclesiastical province, which consists of his own archdiocese and several neighboring dioceses. — Wikipedia

IV.Lead Pastors