Basic Church Information:
Church Website: https://www.themissionutah.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheMissionChurchUtah
Address: 10288 S. Jordan Gateway, South Jordan, UT 84095
Phone: Unknown
Email: info@themissionutah.com
Online Services: https://www.themissionutah.com/messages
Answered Questionnaire: No
Preaching Style: Verse by Verse/Expository
Tithe Preaching: Yes
Memberships: Yes
Financial Transparency: Unknown
Denomination: Calvinist
Questionnaire
1. What is your church's official position on tithing?
While I couldn’t find an official statement on tithing, I did find their Membership agreement, and in order to be a member, you must give money to the church:
“I will faithfully participate with this church in regular worship, prayer, study, fellowship, and the ordinances of baptism and communion. I will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the financial needs of this church for the expenses of ministry, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations. I will joyfully serve this church where there may be need.”
Additionally, under Christian Conduct in their Beliefs portion of the website, they mention that a Christian should be a "...faithful steward of his possessions..." This typically means the church preaches tithing.
2. Does your church have a particular set of rules or requirements that members must follow or abide by in order to retain their membership status with the church?
Yes. They have a membership agreement on their website under the Beliefs section, which you can find here: https://www.themissionutah.com/beliefs.
Some examples of requirements for members of The Mission Church are the following:
Baptism
Submission to the Church's Elders in matters of doctrine and agreement with the Statement of Faith
Church service and financial support
Submission to "...biblical regulations regarding marriage, divorce, and remarriage..."
Submission to and participation in church discipline "...as taught in Scripture."
3. Are you transparent with your church's financial information? How much does your church bring in through donations and tithing, and how is that money distributed?
We see no information regarding the church's financial transparency, and since they declined to answer our questions, we don't know.
4. Which denomination does your church align with the most, if any?
This is a Calvinist/Reformed Theology church. (https://www.themissionutah.com/beliefs; See: Convictions)
5. Is your church's pastor available for other questions or comments regarding the church, its doctrines, etc.?
I was blocked from emailing the pastor of this church and the elder I spoke to, as well as the pastor's wife, were both vehemently offended at my questions and our ministry.
6. If a member has a disagreement with the pastor or leadership on a certain doctrine, how is it handled? Does the church change its position on doctrines fairly often, if at all?
This is what their membership agreement states (emphasis mine):
“I agree with the Statement of Faith which this church believes to be an accurate summary of biblical truth. I will work toward doctrinal unity with a humble and teachable spirit. Where there is disagreement or a lack of understanding regarding doctrinal convictions, I assume the liberty to ask questions and engage in edifying discussion. I will submit to the elders who have been appointed to serve this church, using Scripture as our final authority.”
So, you can ask questions, but if you don’t agree with their doctrinal positions and/or submit to the elders of the church, you can’t even be a member of their church. Ultimately, you must submit to the elders of the church in these matters.
7. Does your church require that its members be baptized? What is your church's official position on baptism?
They do. Their membership agreement states: (emphasis mine)
“Membership at this church must be preceded by a credible profession of faith, baptism, and a personal meeting with one of our elders.”
8. Please describe what a typical service and/or meeting looks like in your church.
When you go to "Plan a Visit" on the church's website, this is the description of their services:
"At The Mission Church, you'll experience messages that walk through the Bible verse-by-verse, friendly people who love each other like family, and a warm and safe environment for your children.
Each Sunday service begins with our church singing together as families. Afterwards, we send our children to age-specific classes during the sermon."
9. How many people do you have on staff at your church, both paid and volunteer?
Their website does not tell us this. It only lists 4 members of leadership, which are pastor Ritch, Aaron S., Benjamin Jensen, and Bradley Campbell. All of these men except for Bradley are also listed as elders.
10. What is the pastor's educational history?
I could not find this information on the website anywhere.
11. How does the church discipline its members with their sin?
They do practice church discipline, as it states in their membership agreement:
“I will submit to and participate in church discipline as taught in Scripture. I will be slow to judge and eager to forgive. If I am offended in connection with a disciplinary matter, I will seek resolution within the local church.”
12. How is the pastor compensated (income, benefits, bonuses, etc.)?
We don't find this information anywhere on the church's website, but since membership does require financial support to the church, we know that is a factor.
13. What is the size of your church and any other space the church owns for meetings and church services?
On Facebook, The Mission Church has between 400-500 likes and follows. Based on what we know from previous Checks, this probably means they have somewhere between 100-200 members. The size of their building and other space that they own, however, is completely unknown to us.
Do you have information on the Mission Church in South Jordan, Utah that might be helpful to local churchgoers? Let us know below!