About

Our Vision

We are the Heart of God in our world.

Our Values

Holy Spirt Led

We value the person of The Holy Spirit who is sent to live in and lead us.

We are God’s children: sons & daughters who are led by HIS Spirit.

We live with God’s power in us.

Free in Christ

We are free in the Kingdom of God and free from this world, free in Salvation (Soteria is the general Greek word meaning deliverance, rescue, and restoration to a state of safety, peace,
prosperity, soundness, healing, health and well-being as well as preservation from danger of destruction. Soteria is the present possession of all in Christ) free from sin, and free to be authentic, transparent, vulnerable, expressive, worshipful.

Multiethnic

We are intentionally multiethnic in leadership, teams, friends, people we meet, the meals we share, and our music influence. We reconcile cultural barriers that separate us: what was once divided is now one.

We are learning to embrace, validate, and bear each other’s story of joys and hurts with love, care, and eternal empathy as multiethnic brothers and sisters in one family.

Hospitable

We serve people and ministries with 5-Star Hospitality. We go out of our way to help people feel accepted, welcomed, and a part.

We are demonstratively loving to all and create an environment where people feel like they better fit into a place like this.

Our Beliefs

At the Body of Christ Church, our primary endeavor is to embody the Heart of God in our world and reflect Jesus as He Is in every aspect of our lives in Christ. Because of this core focus, we are less about divisive doctrinal details and more about a way of being that we believe reflects God’s Heart in every situation and decision—to love like Jesus in an intimate, real, touching, and encountering way.

Our mission for this generation is inspiringly highlighted in our Vision and Values above.

Holy Bible

The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority for determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, the Bible is inspired, infallible, and inerrant.

God

There is one God, eternally self-existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

These three are co-equal and co-eternal.

The Father

The Father is fully God; his Fatherhood is eternal and personal. He is the Father of the Lord Jesus and of all who believe in Christ.

The Son

The Son is Jesus Christ. He was sent to the Earth by the Father. On Earth Jesus was fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, died blameless on the cross for humanity, and, thus, paid the penalty for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is equal in deity and being with God the Father and God the Son. He makes people aware of their need for Jesus Christ, performs the miracle of the new birth, and comes to live in every Christian the moment they trust in Jesus Christ.

Our History

In The Beginning

Our Birth

The Body of Christ Church (BCC) was quite literally formed out of a deep desire to praise and worship the one true living God. In 1975, a small group of African American college students at Iowa State University formed the worship group, the Gospel Soul Innovators (GSI), because they had a passion to worship God in the same manner they had in their home churches. Later that same year, the ministry expanded and began to hold church services as the Black Cultural Center Christian Worship Service (BCC). The ministry was under the sponsorship of the Black Cultural Center and Office of Minority Student Affairs at Iowa State University. They began holding biweekly meetings under the guidance of Rev. Marian Eppwright.

Our Pastor

In 1994, Pastor Toran C. Smith was selected as the new minister. Under his leadership, the church formally changed its name to the Body of Christ Christian Worship Center. The ministries continued to grow under Pastor Toran’s leadership to include Bible studies for men and women, prayer teams, a dance ministry, and a Christian rap ministry.

Our Building

As families make the BCC their home, they will find Christ-centered ministries for every member. Children from six months of age to pre- kindergarten will be blessed through their own classes during service. School-aged children, as well as middle and high school students will also meet on Sundays to further their relationships with Jesus Christ.