About GCBCI

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.

What We believe

We believe the Bible, comprised of the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired, infallible, inerrant in the original writings, God-breathed, and the complete and final authoritative Word of God for faith and practice (Matt. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:21).

There is only one God, the creator, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:3,4; 32:39; Ps. 86:9-13; Isa. 37:16, 20; 43:10-13; 44:6-8; Mark 12:29; 1 Cor. 8:4; Eph. 4:6). The Father is God (John 1:14; 3:16; 6:27, 40; 1 Cor. 8:6; 15:24; Eph.5:20; Php. 2:11; Col. 3:17; 2 Thess. 2:16; Tit.1:4; 1 John 3:1; 4:9, 10; 5:11, 12) Jesus Christ is God. Jesus was manifest in the flesh, died on the cross of Calvary for my sins, buried in a borrowed grave, resurrected from the grave three days later for my justification, ascended back to Heaven and soon to return for His Church in power and glory. Jesus became man without ceasing to be God (Isa. 9:6; Matt. 1:23; John 1:1, 14; 8:58; 10:30, 33; 20:28; Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Phil. 2:6, 7; Col. 2:9; 15:3-5; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8-10; 2 Peter 1:1; Rev. 1:8). The Holy Spirit is God. He descended from the Father and the Son to indwell believers when Christ ascended and enables believers to live a holy life (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 33:6; Mark 1:10-11; Acts 5:3; 1 Cor. 6:19).

We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate, the expressed image of the Father, who, without ceasing to be God, became man in order that He might demonstrate who God is and provide the means of salvation for humanity (Matt. 1:21; John 1:18; Col. 1:15).

We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary; that He is truly fully God and truly fully man; that He lived a perfect, sinless life; that all His teachings are true (Isa. 14; Matt. 1:23).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for all humanity as a substitutionary sacrifice (Isa. 53:5-6; 1 John 2:2).

We believe that His death is sufficient to provide salvation for all who receive Him as Savior; that our justification is grounded in the shedding of His blood; and that it is attested by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Rom. 5:9; Eph. 1:7; Matt. 28:6; 1 Peter 1:3).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven in His glorified body and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25).

We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit, the agent by whom Christ baptizes all believers into His body, the seal by whom the Father guarantees the salvation of believers unto the day of redemption, who regenerates sinners and indwells believers (Acts 5:3-4; Titus 3:5; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit is ultimately sovereign in the distribution of spiritual gifts, the Divine Teacher who illumines believers' hearts and minds as they study the Word of God (1 Cor. 2:9-12; 12:4-11; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 2:20; 4:7-12).

Man was created in the image of God and the sin of the first Adam marred that image, creating an eternal divide between God and man resulting in every person being born in sin (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:16-17; 3:1-6; Rom. 1:26-28; 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-5,12).

We are saved by grace the gift of God through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and not by our own efforts or works (Matt.16:17; Mark 16:16; Luke 7:50; John 1:12-13; 3:14-18, 36; 5:24; 6:27-29, 35,37,44,65; 13:39; 15:7-9; 16:31; Acts 14:27; 16:14; Rom. 3:22-26; 4:5,16; 10:9-10, 14,17; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:14, 22; Eph. 1:19; 2:5-10; Phil. 1:29; Col. 2:12; 2 Thess. 1:9; James 1:16-18; 1 John 5:1, 10-12). The means of this salvation is through faith alone and the basis is grace (Rom. 3:22, 25; Gal. 2:16; 1 Peter 1:5). Faith does not merit salvation; it is the means by which one accepts the gift of God. This salvation does not have its source in man, its source is God's grace (Rom. 1:20; 3:20, 27, 28; 4:1-5; 11:6; Eph. 2:5-10; 1 Cor. 1:29, 31; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 2:14; 3:5, 8). Christ died in our place and bore our sins in His own body (Romans 5:8-9; 1 Pet. 2:24). Due to the greatness, sufficiency, and perfection of Christ's sacrifice, all those who have truly received Christ as Savior are eternally secure, kept by God's power, secured and sealed in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24).

We believe that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the body of Christ-centered believers on mission to call the lost to Christ and make disciples (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27). We believe the two ordinances of the church are believer's water baptism by immersion as a testimony to Christ and identification with Him, and the Lord's Supper as a remembrance of Christ's death and shed blood (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:8; 1 Cor. 11:23-26). The local church is under the control and authority of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Believers are to be unified in the Spirit with an evangelistic mission, dedicated to developing Christ-centered Families, the redemptive upgrading of the community, and the highest ethics of all who claim to love the Church (Eph. 4:1-16). The Church is committed to equip, empower and enable the family to pursue godliness and use the gifts given to the Church to glorify God and to build up the Body of Christ. This process begins when the person is born again and continues throughout the rest of the Saint’s life (1 Tim. 4:7-8; Eph. 4:1-16). The Church is committed to identifying and training Christ centered leaders who are committed to the pursuit of godliness and strengthening the family as a Kingdom priority through the local Church (Deut. 6:6-7; Matt. 19:5; 28:19-20; Mark 10:6-7; Luke 22:26; Eph. 6:4; 1 Tim.4:1-8; 5:8). Believers worship in spirit and truth, enabled by the Holy Spirit (John 4:23-24; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 17:22-24). Believers joyfully give of their gifts, skills, talent, time, and money as we share with those in need and support the work of the Church in the cause of Christ (1 John 3:17-18; Ezra 2:68-69; Acts 2:44-47). We believe in the Great Commission as the primary mission of the Church (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:19-20). We believe in the Great Commandment as the primary Commandment of the Church (Matt. 22:34–40).

We believe in the blessed hope, the personal and imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to rapture His saints (Titus 2:13; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). We believe in the visible and bodily return of Christ to the earth with His saints to establish His promised millennial kingdom (Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6). We believe in the physical resurrection of both the saved and the lost, they that are saved unto life, and they that are lost unto damnation (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:5-6, 12- 13). We believe that the souls of believers are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where they await their resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17). We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until their resurrection when, with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire to suffer everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:11-15).

We are committed to the sanctity of marriage as ordained by God in the Holy Scripture, one biological man from birth and one biological woman from birth (Gen. 2:18; Ex. 20:12, 14; Deut. 5:21; Mal. 2:11, 14- 16; Matt. 5:27-32; 19:4-6; John 2:1; Rom. 1:24-32; Heb. 13:4).

We are committed to the sanctity of life from God at conception (Gen. 25:21-26; Ex. 23:7; Ps. 100:3; Isa. 44:24; Jer. 32:35; 1 Corinthians 6:19).

We believe that the family is the institution of God lying at the foundation of all human society (Gen. 2:20-25, 4:1; Ex. 20:5-6, Lev. 19:2-4; Mal. 2:10-16; Joshua 7:10,15,24-25, 2 Kings 13:23).

We believe that personal and corporate prayer is effective both in crisis and in tranquility. Prayer is critical and powerful in our work (John 14:15-31; Luke 11:1-13).

Our primary adversary is Satan (1 Pet. 5:8; Matt. 4:1, 11; 13:39; 25:41; John 8:44; Eph. 4:27; 6:11; James 4:7; 1 John 3:8-10; Rev. 12:9; 22:2, 10). Our secondary adversary is our flesh, including secular and carnal belief systems (Rom. 7:7–25; 8:5-8; Eph. 4:17; 2:18; Titus 1:15).

There is a place for everyone to use their gifts, skills, talents, time, and treasure for the cause of Jesus Christ in the Church of Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:1–8; 1 Pet. 4:10-11).

Archbishop Dr. Sterling Lands II

Sr. 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. Pastor Lands served as chair of the Community Action Task Force, a subcommittee of the Baptist Ministers' Union 2000-2006. He led non-violent marches in protests of racial discrimination and for equal rights and equitable protection to 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 which accused the Austin Police Department of racial discrimination and shootings by the department of unarmed people of color criminal.

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

Archbishop Lands serves as the COO of the Evangelical Episcopal Communion; Co-Founder and President-Chief Executive Officer of the International Conference of Bishops Inc.; Co-Chair of the Pastors Across Texas Coalition, and is the CEO of the Family Life International Bible Institute.

Archbishop Lands supports Bishops and Pastors in 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.

Lead Pastors

Bishop Dr. Kristoffer Lands
Bishop
Dr. Kristoffer Lands

Alpha Bible Church,
Lead Pastor

Bishop Richard Lands
Bishop
Richard Lands

Beta Bible Church,
Lead Pastor

Overseer Larry Lands
Overseer
Larry Lands

Theta Bible Church,
Lead Pastor

Minister Michael Easley
Minister
Michael Easley

Lambda Bible Church,
Lead Pastor

Overseer LaDonna Tavernier
Overseer
LaDonna Tavernier

Turning Point,
Lead Pastor

Bishop Maurice Youmans
Bishop
Maurice Youmans

Omega Bible Church,
Lead Pastor