About SGF

Spiritual Growth Fellowship

"Bringing together people of all faiths in trust and friendship, to worship and communicate, without fear or prejudice"

About SGF

"The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love, compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, forgiveness."

Dali Lama

Most of the world's major religious have a belief in one God and have very similar principles and tenets.

We believe that the differences may have a logical explanation. Could it be that God, in his or her infinite wisdom, thought that the message that he wanted to give to the earth would be better received if the initial messenger (Prophet) was compatible in appearance and language to those who were to receive the message?

So a Caucasian was sent to speak to some segments of the peoples, an Asian to others, and so on. Each messenger was to deliver to the people the " Word of God." The Word of God, was delivered to the people, as interpreted by the messenger who delivered it.

And the messengers, being human, interpreted that message, each in a slightly different way.

Early in our life as school children, most of us did the experiment where the teacher started a message at one end of the room and by the time the message got to the other end of the room the message had been altered.

We think that the same thing may have happened in the delivery of the "Word of God." You can see this type of interpretation even within individual religions. Christian scholars have noted the inconsistencies in the New Testament books of Jesus disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Yet they are all accepted as the "Word of God." Scholars know that there are Christian gospels which were written that were not included in the Bible. In other words, choices were made by men as to what would and would not be part of the faith. And there are 50 versions of the Bible in English alone.

And, in each religion through the ages, humans responsible for handing down the message, and maintaining the tenants of the faith, have had some hand in altering the message to suit the perceived notions of church leaders of what was "good for the church," and it's people.

Differences between the religions rather than their core similarities were emphasized. Sadly this may have been to protect the "power base" and money involved as much as anything else. Leaders insider the religions as well as outsiders (kings/emperors etc.) with power set the religions against each other in disputes and even wars to further their own agendas.

There are teachings in many religions that support the viewpoint that the different religions share common purpose and may have originally been one:

"God is like a mirror. The mirror never changes but every person that looks in it sees a different face." - Jewish teaching

"To those in whom love dwells, all the world is one family "- Hindu teaching

"Religions are different roads converging to the same point. What does it matter that we take different roads as long as we reach the same goals? In reality there are as many different religions as there are individuals, that is how it should be. " Mahatma Gandhi

In accordance with these teachings we support each individual's right to worship in their own religion.

Ministers in the SGF generally have come to us from other denominations, where they were first ordained. Then they received ordination from the Spiritual Growth Fellowship. Subsequently, some have received ordination from other "like minded" interfaith denominations.

We believe in ordination. Our founder is ordained, and was Archbishop of a Catholic order with Apostolic Succession, a doctrine which asserts that the chosen successors (properly ordained bishops) of the Twelve Apostles , from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were conferred upon them by the Apostles, who in turn received their spiritual authority from Jesus Christ. We know that many religions recognize that "ordination" is not necessary to "minister," or teach about beliefs.

"God has called all people to preach and teach." John 15:16

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

It is written in the Christian Bible that it is God that calls a person to the ministry , not the State nor Federal Government nor Organized Religion. We prefer that our ministers be ordained, but honor ordinations of all faiths, and recognize that we can learn from those not ordained as well.

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