Pastor's Family

Pastor Al was born in Brownsville, Texas and was born again in 1988. He started attending Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas in 1985. He got involved in the Children's Church, Street Ministry and as an Usher. While traveling for his company, he was assigned to a project in Waterford, Connecticut. He was led by the Lord to a Foursquare Church in Groton, Connecticut and helped in various positions; Street Witnessing, Children's Church, Usher to Head Usher, Council Member and assisting Pastor. He has been ministering in the Prison Ministry for over 13 years. He has been led by the Lord to reach the nations and has now traveled all around the world. He is now training men and women of God locally in Connecticut, and nationally in other states, including Texas and Florida. Pastor Al and Sister Crystal have four children, two boys and two girls faithful to the ministry, Joshua, James, Sarah and Naomi. Pastor Al loves the Lord with all his heart and has a vision to "Reach the World for Jesus in the Last Days." Matthew 28:19-20

Sister Crystal has been involved in many ministries throughout her life. She was born in Key West Florida and was raised in Ledyard, Connecticut. She was raised in a Christian home as a Baptist and received the Lord at the age of 11 at Green Street Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. She received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in her 20s. She has been a part of pioneering four churches in the New London area. She is Worship Leader and is called alongside her husband to pastor the people God has entrusted to them.

Staff

The staff here at Merciful Redemption Church work hard to ensure that God's glory is shining through their ministries. They are dedicated, God fearing saints who are committed to excellence in the body of Christ, and wanting to see an amazing move of God's Holy Spirit.


Sister Deirdre Sebastian is in accounting.
Joseph Gonzalez is assisting the Head Usher.
Amelie Nye does housekeeping, works on the Bulletin and is involved in the card ministry.
Gladys Nata is part of Housekeeping.
Devin Monroe works as a Sunday School Teacher and Assistant Minister.
Glen Johnson is a Men's Life Group leader.
Diane Simu is being Treasurer and in Adminstration.
Lydia Reyes is working with Project Hope for Haiti.
Laquetta Pierce Smith is a greeter.
Stephen Kirk is an Assistant Team Leader for the Stoning Institute.

Mission Statement
To reach the world for Jesus in the last days (Matt. 28:19-20)




Vision Statement

  1. To train the people of God to do God's work in the local area and around the world as the Great Commission calls us to do. (Eph. 4:11-12)

  2. To create an environment in the ministry where people could learn to hear from God for themselves.

  3. To have a team ministry leadership made up of the five-fold ministry and congregation.

Core Values

  1. Evangelism- Evangelize around the world
  2. Mini-Churches- Multiply
  3. Relationships-Fellowship with each other
  4. Training- Teaching the people
  5. Missions- Passion for the World
  6. Cutting edge ministries- use the most current methods to share the gospel, TV, Internet, Radio, ect.
  7. Team Ministry- where everyone uses their gifts
Defining our purpose
To reach the world for Jesus in the last days (Matt. 28:19-20)

Our Belief Statement

The fundamental teachings of this congregation are reflected in the following clear statements of faith:
  1. We believe in the plenary-verbal inspiration of the accepted canon of Scriptures as originally given. The Scriptures are infallible, inerrant, and the sole and final authority for all matters of faith and conduct.
    (II Timothy 3:16; I Corinthians 2-13)
  2. We believe in the Eternal Godhead who has revealed Himself as One God existing in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, distinguishable but indivisible.
    (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14)

  3. We believe in the creation, test and fall of man as recorded in Genesis, his total spiritual depravity and inability to attain to Divine righteousness.
    (Romans 5:12, 18)

  4. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of men, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Virgin Mary, very God and very Man.
    (Luke 1:26-35; John 1:14-18; Isaiah 7:14;9:6)

  5. We believe Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day, and personally appeared unto His disciples.
    (I Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 4:25)

  6. We believe in the bodily ascension of Jesus to heaven, His exaltation, and personal, literal and bodily coming again the second time for His Church.
    (John 14:2,3; and I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

  7. We believe in the salvation of sinners by grace, through repentance and faith in the perfect and sufficient work of the cross of Calvary by which we obtain remission of sins. (Ephesians 2:8,9; Hebrews 9:12, 22; Romans 5:11)

  8. We believe in the necessity of water baptism by immersion in the Name of the Eternal Godhead in order to fulfill the command of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:34-36; 19:1-6)

  9. We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a real experience at or subsequent to salvation, with the Scriptural evidence, namely, speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. (Acts 2:1-4; 8:14-17; 10:44-46; Galatians 3:14-15)

  10. We believe in the operation of the Gifts of the Spirit as enumerated in I Corinthians 12-14, as manifested in the Early Church.

  11. We believe in the Spirit-filled life, a life of separation from the world and perfecting of holiness in the fear God as expressing the true Christian faith.
    (Ephesians 5:18; II Corinthians 6:14; 7:1)

  12. We believe in the healing of the body by Divine power, or Divine healing in its varied aspects as practiced in the Early Church.
    (Acts4:30; Romans 8:11; I Corinthians 12:9, James 5:14)

  13. We believe in the table of the Lord, commonly called the Communion or the Lord's Supper, for believers.
    (I Corinthians 11:238-32; Matthew 26:26-28)

  14. We believe in the reality and personality of the Devil and eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire for the Devil and his angels.
    (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:14,15)

  15. We believe in eternal life for believers (John 5:24; 3:16), and eternal punishment for the unbelievers
    (Mark 9:43-48; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:10-15)

  16. We believe that there is one true universal Church, made up of genuine believers, but this one universal Church is also composed of many local Churches in given localities. These Churches are under the sovereign Headship of the Lord Jesus Christ, exercising autonomous government under Him, administering its local affairs and ministry, as well as the propagation of the Gospel.
    (Acts 15:22; with Matthew 16:18; 18:15-20)

  17. We believe that Government is ordained of God, and the powers that be are ordained as ministers of God to us for good. To resist the powers and the ordinances is to resist the ordinance of God. We are subject not only for wrath sake but for conscience sake, rendering to all their dues, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. We declare out loyalty to our Government and its leaders and will assist in every way possible consistent with our faith in the Scriptures as Christian citizens.
    (Romans 13)

  18. We believe that marriage is a covenant relationship between a man and a woman established by God in creation, and intended for their mutual joy, for help and comfort given to one another in all circumstances, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. It is the only relationship where God intended sexual intimacy, and the only relationship in which a man and woman may live together, excepting such obvious familial relationships as mother-son, father-daughter and brother-sister. This sacred union reflects the relationship of Christ and His Church. The husband is to have the leadership, exercising a selfless and sacrificial love in the care of his wife, while the wife is to recognize, respect and honor this headship. As each spouse fulfills his or her unique but complimentary role to which God has called them, the result is harmony, stability and fruitfulness in meeting God's purpose for them both individually and as a couple. When a man and woman marry, they become one flesh. We believe that God hates divorce.
    (Matthew 19:1-9; Ephesians 5:22-23; Genesis 2:24; Romans 9:2-3; Proverbs 2:16-17; Proverbs 5:15-20; Malachi 2:14-16; I Corinthians 6:9-10)

  19. We believe that God's Word clearly identifies homosexuality as sin. Whether this is a choice or a biological propensity does not alter God's view of homosexual behavior as immoral and an abomination. All people are born with inclinations to sin in various forms, whether it be selfishness, greed, lying, pride, unforgiveness, rebellion, rage, stealing, murder, sexual lust or homosexuality. We believe that Christ's death paid the penalty for all sin, forgiveness is available to all who repent, and that He will grant us the grace and strength to overcome and triumph over any sinful behavior. Homosexuals, as much as anyone else, are made in God's image and should be met with compassion and the genuine love of Christ, without compromising the Bible's absolutes to our modern permissive culture.
    (Romans 1:18-32; I Timothy 1:9-10; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 12:2; 1:13-15; Matthew 19:25-26; Philippians 4:13)