Brotherhood
Of The Cross And Star, UK
Worship & Doctrines in BCS
The act of worship is a way of life in BCS and is not limited to a particular place, time, or day. This is in recognition that God is universal and ever present in our lives. As Leader Olumba Olumba Obu puts it, "God is closer to you than the teeth to the tongue".
‘But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship The Father in spirit and in truth: for The Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.’
John 4:23-24
Formal worship in BCS consists of Divine services and meetings conducted in BCS Bethels. Bethel means ‘house of God’ and refers back to the place in the Old Testament where Jacob first set up an altar to God. There are three Bethels or Pentecostal Centres in the United Kingdom: two in London and one in Manchester. Members also worship in their homes. Prayers offered in BCS begin and end with; ‘in the name and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ’. BCS members knock their heads three times on the ground, a gesture of total surrender to God, and a common practice amongst the Jews of the Old and New Testaments.
‘And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped’ - Exodus 34:8
The wearing of white soutanes for worship is a striking feature of BCS. White represents the purity of heart that all BCS members should strive to attain. In the book of Revelation, John the Divine sees a multitude dressed in white robes standing before the throne of The Lamb (Rev 7:9). This scenario is played out at the World Headquarters of BCS in Calabar, Nigeria, and at every Bethel around the world.
In BCS, members take off their shoes when entering the Bethel or any space dedicated for worship. The practice of going barefoot is a form of reverence to The Creator and has its origins in Moses’ encounter with ‘I Am That I Am’ on Mount Horeb.
‘And He said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is Holy ground.’ - Exodus 3: 5
BCS Bethels conduct daily services including the following:
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Morning prayer at 5 am
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Evening prayer at 7 pm
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‘Watch and Pray’ on Wednesdays (in commemoration of the Last Supper and Christ’s betrayal)
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Fasting on Thursdays (in commemoration of the crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ)
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Divine Service on Sundays at 10 am
In addition, there are always meetings of various fellowships taking place throughout the weeks, months, and year. BCS has three Pentecostal Assemblies each year held in April, August, and December. Each Pentecostal Assembly signifies a key period in the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ: His birth, His death and resurrection, and His baptism. In all three assemblies, all the various fellowships and bodies hold their meetings with The Father and it is a time of spiritual renewal with daily fasting and services.