Washington, DC International Christian Church

Definitions of “standard” from The American Heritage Dictionary:

Standard (n.) - A flag, banner, or ensign, especially: The ensign of a chief of state, nation, or city. (emphasis added)

Standard (n.) - An acknowledged measure of comparison for quantitative or qualitative value; a criterion. (emphasis added)

The Iwo Jima Memorial near Washington D.C., commemorating the raising of the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His place of rest will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out His hand a SECOND TIME to reclaim the remnant that is left of His people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. Isaiah 11:10-12 (emphasis added)In an army, banners and flags are called “standards.” Historically, one of the most important and most honored duties of a soldier is carrying the flag. These banners and flags were not merely for decoration. They represented the army’s beliefs and served a strategic purpose.
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), troops kept the unity of their lines and knew the right direction to go by following the standard-bearer. One of the enemy’s chief goals would be to capture or destroy the standard, after which the whole army would be thrown into disarray and confusion. If the standard-bearer fell, it became the responsibility of the closest soldier to him to pick up the flag and continue the advance. “Never let the colors touch the ground” was the standing order. Dropping a rifle in battle to pick up a flag doesn’t seem to make much sense at first. But when you realize the importance of keeping the standard held high, it becomes more important than carrying a weapon. Without it the troops would be scattered and confused. The flag or the standard is the rallying point.

The march on Washington D.C., 1963.

Washington, DC has long been the rallying point to raise the “banner” of freedom in view of all the American people and the world. Major historical events have occurred at the National Mall; one of the most famous being the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Rally at the Lincoln Memorial. It was here that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963. With estimates of the crowd as high as 500,000 people, it was one of the largest political demonstrations in U.S. history to date and still one of the most vividly remembered. James Baldwin wrote, “That day, for a moment, it almost seemed that we stood on a height, and could see our inheritance; perhaps we could make the kingdom real, perhaps the beloved community would not forever remain the dream one dreamed in agony.”My beautiful wife, Patrique and I both remember the joy of rallying to the freedom of God’s standard in becoming disciples of Jesus. We remember the privilege of being able to learn the truth about our eternal inheritance through Christ, and observe that God’s Kingdom was “forcefully advancing!” (Matthew 11:12) Patrique began studying the Bible in 2001 and was soon baptized into Christ. She began working tirelessly to expand and mature the Teen Ministry, while also balancing a hectic schedule as a corporate attorney. As a pre-med major at Cornell University, I studied the Bible and was baptized into Christ in 2000. A year later I began serving in the full-time ministry while also completing a Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration. Those days were like standing on a height, inspired to see what God could do through sinful men!

Andrew & Patrique in front of the Lincoln Memorial!

Sadly, we watched in shock as the worldwide continuity of our beloved fellowship began to dissolve in late 2002 from the decisions reached at the Long Beach Unity Meeting in Los Angeles. Central leadership was declared unbiblical and autonomy of congregations became the church government as most ICOC leaders agreed to return to a more mainline theology. From these changes, rebellion was sparked with the Kriete letter of early 2003. Our idealistic view of God’s Kingdom on earth was shattered. We agonized over the first-hand reports of lukewarmness, the rapid decline in membership in all the congregations across the nation, and the proclamation that the dream of evangelizing the world in our generation was declared “impossible.”

Yet at that dark hour, God was working on a new vision! In July 2005, I was appointed an Evangelist in God’s Kingdom, and in August of that year, Patrique and I were married! Patrique was hired into the full-time ministry in 2006. We began leading the Central New York Church, located in Syracuse, in May of 2006 after Chris and Theresa Broom moved to plant the Chicago International Christian Church.

In Isaiah 11, we see a Messianic prophecy where the Lord raises a banner and extends His hand for a “second time” to the nations, proclaiming the standard from which all people would rally and come to know God. In 1979, God similarly worked through the Biblical discipling principles of the Boston Movement to restore the standard of Christianity to the world. Now, almost 30 years later, we are called to restore the standard once again. In the Sold-Out Discipling Movement, we are learning from the mistakes of the past. Patrique and I are especially grateful for the spiritual guidance and relationship of Chris and Theresa Broom in our lives, and we also appreciate our “partnership in the gospel” with Kip and Elena McKean and the brethren of the City of Angels International Christian Church. We want to imitate the faith of the Brooms and the McKeans. In Chicago, with 16 disciples from Syracuse and four from Portland joining a remnant group gathered in Chicago, in a little over one year’s time they have multiplied to 70 sold-out disciples! In the City of Angels Church in their first six months, God has blessed this mission team of 42 from Portland, to have 43 baptisms, 42 restorations and 60 placing membership with only five fall aways!

With this heart in mind, we are moving forward with the dream to start a new church of sold-out disciples in Washington, DC, our nation’s capital! Washington, DC is truly a natural hub for planting the Word of God with the goal of world evangelism in mind! President John F. Kennedy was credited with the observation, now a cliché, that D.C. combines “northern charm with southern efficiency.” Washington, DC is very diverse, with about 800,000 area residents born in other countries. In addition to the District of Columbia, the Washington, DC metropolitan area of over five million includes portions of two states, Virginia and Maryland, which have some of the best public schools in the country - a fact that reveals the need for a strong Teen Ministry. DC is also home to 19 colleges and universities, including the famous Georgetown “Hoyas” and George Washington University in the heart of the capital.
During the Thanksgiving break, Patrique and I were able to visit her family in Maryland, as well as travel down to DC in order to pray for the church planting and view the historic sites. At the Lincoln Memorial, we actually stood where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech! After praying on the steps, we went to the Roosevelt Memorial, where Patrique met a woman who was a photographer for a local newspaper. As we shared our dream to start a new church that focused on obeying the Bible and applying it to our lives, she shared, “I go to a church, but I was disappointed on how little they focused on the Bible. So now I listen to radio messages in order to supplement my need for the Bible.” We got her information and are planning to have dinner with her family the next time we are in town! People are starving due to a lack of Biblical conviction. The time to raise God’s standard is now!

One of my favorite movies is Glory, based on the letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the commander of the first black regiment in the United States Army. The final scenes of the film recreated the heroic charge of Shaw’s Massachusetts 54th regiment on Fort Wagner, the Confederate stronghold near Charleston, South Carolina. Before the dawn assault, Colonel Shaw pointed to the regiment’s standard-bearer and said to the men, “If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry it on?” Thomas Earl, the boyhood friend of Shaw and the one singled out by the drill sergeant as the weakest and worst soldier in the regiment, surprised everyone by boldly stepping forward, “I will!” he said. That night the remnants of the Massachusetts 54th advanced to the perimeter of the garrison and were pinned down under heavy fire. Colonel Shaw, who led the charge out of the foxhole against the enemy line, was dead. Who would pick up the flag and lead the advance? It wasn’t the strongest and most decorated soldiers. Nor was it the newly-bold Thomas Earl. Instead it was Private Tripp - a soldier who once had deserted his regiment - who raised the standard and led the troops on.
Similarly, in our movement, God uses imperfect men and women to accomplish His purposes. He can use the weakest person - He even uses those who were once deserters from following Jesus, as He did with the apostles! God still wants to use you if you are willing to repent. Consider this: Fort Wagner was never taken by the Union regiment, but that one battle is not the point. Word spread of the bravery of the Massachusetts 54th. The stand made by a few men led Congress to finally approve the recruitment of black troops throughout the Union. Approximately 180,000 black men volunteered. President Abraham Lincoln credited these regiments with turning the tide of the Civil War. We pray that our faith and courage to hold up the standard of Jesus will inspire many others to do the same.
God willing, at the 2008 World Missions Jubilee in Los Angeles, the Spirit will send out a team of sold-out disciples to plant the Washington, DC International Christian Church. If you are interested in joining our efforts on the Washington, DC Mission Team, please contact me at (315) 415-3213 or ansmellie@centralnychurch.org. The Lord is raising His standard. We pray many will follow. To Him be all the Glory!

Andrew Smellie