On South Campbell Road in Royal Oak, Michigan, a congregation that calls itself simply Christian gathers Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night to sing without instruments, to break bread in memory of Christ, and to open the Bible together. The Royal Oak Church of Christ describes its identity in one short phrase: simply Christian, nothing more. Members believe that if they follow the pattern for the church that they find in the Bible, they too can be simply Christians. Their plea is a call back to the Bible, and their hope is that others will join them in studying Scripture and doing what New Testament Christians did.
Five Acts of Worship, Done in a Particular Way
Worship at Royal Oak follows a structure drawn directly from New Testament passages. Members sing, pray, take the Lord's Supper, give an offering, and hear teaching from Scripture. The singing is acappella. The words and music are projected on a screen, and the range stretches from older hymns to newer praise and worship songs. The church teaches that God gave His people voices to use, and there is no special choir or soloists. Every person in the room is the choir every time, and visitors are warmly invited to sing along.
Prayer happens several times during the service, often lifting up specific requests. The Lord's Supper is observed every Sunday, with unleavened bread symbolizing the body of Christ and a cup symbolizing His blood. A short devotional and prayers surround the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup. Baptized believers are encouraged to examine themselves and partake, but anyone who does not feel ready is free to abstain.
Guests are not asked to give money. The collection time is reserved for members who wish to support the work of the church. After the sermon, an invitation is extended, and anyone with a need may come forward. Elders and the minister meet those who come to pray, counsel, or rejoice with them. When someone chooses to be baptized, the congregation sings while the individual changes into baptismal garments, and baptism is by immersion, an act the church teaches is connected to the forgiveness of sins and entrance into the body of Christ.
Male spiritual leadership shapes the service. Men lead the public worship and preach, consistent with what the congregation reads as a biblical pattern from the Old Testament through the New Testament. The minister is addressed simply by his first name. Peter Morphy, who preaches most Sundays, is not called Father or Pastor. No one wears special garments or is set apart from anyone else. The congregation teaches that all believers are a priesthood of believers, with Jesus as the only head.
A Robust Bible Class System for Every Age
The Royal Oak Church of Christ takes Bible study seriously enough to organize multiple classes at multiple times. Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. finds the auditorium hosting a study of Romans led by Larry Lewis and Don Jamison, while Marque Cryderman teaches a New Testament Survey in the Conference Room, Ken Jamison walks through Revelation in Room 126, and Harry Glover leads a class called Relationship Building in Room 116.
Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. add a second wave. Peter Morphy teaches the Gospel of John in the Fellowship Hall, Marque Cryderman leads a study of James in the Conference Room, and a Ladies Class studies the Armor of God in Room 126. On Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m., Peter, Larry, and Harry teach Philippians together in the Fellowship Hall. A Friday night Bible Study at 7:00 p.m. focuses on World Religions with Sheldon Parris in Room 107. The American Sign Language interpretation that supports the adult worship service also extends to one of the adult Bible classes.
Children and Youth Growing Up in the Congregation
Children's ministry aims to inspire kids to fall in love with Jesus and to partner with parents in raising lifelong disciples. At 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, Bible classes are offered for every age. At 11:00 a.m., children ages four through ten may take part in Youth Worship, a separate gathering led by men of the church with age-appropriate songs, puppets, and Bible readings translated for a child's understanding. Parents are always welcome in Youth Worship. On the first Sunday of each month, however, everyone meets together in the auditorium as one congregation.
Wednesday evenings bring BibleSing, a time when children learn Bible verses through song at 7:00 p.m., followed by Bible classes for all ages at 7:10 p.m. A nursery is available during services for children from birth through age two. The nursery is located at the rear of the auditorium, and mothers are welcome to stay. For the comfort of nursing mothers, no men are permitted in the nursery area.
The Youth and Family Ministry is led by Youth Minister Shawn Martin and works alongside parents in the spiritual training of teens. The church partners with the Challenge Youth Conference, hosts Summer Daze gatherings after worship, plans summer outings to a water park, and organizes a bike-and-picnic day. Each summer the congregation also offers a Vacation Bible School, with a recent theme of Illumination Station, free of charge and open to children ages four through sixth grade.
Deacons, Elders, and the Minister
Peter Morphy has served as minister at Royal Oak since the spring of 2007, having previously worked with churches in Knoxville, Tennessee and Mesa, Arizona. Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, he attended Great Lakes Bible College and served churches in Toronto before moving to Michigan. He married Judy in 1988, and they have three adult children. Shawn Martin serves as Youth Minister and is married to Cherie; together they have four children and currently foster three more.
Two men serve as shepherds, the term Royal Oak uses for elders. Ron Hayostek and Don Jamison oversee the growth, maturity, and direction of the congregation, devoting themselves to prayer, visitation, and spiritual counseling. The congregation teaches that members are called to respect and obey their shepherds, who keep watch over souls and will give an account.
Seven deacons round out the leadership team. Dave Bem oversees the teens, Phil Decker oversees Youth Worship, Jerry DeVries serves widows and seniors, Alex Litrichin handles building and grounds, Jim Mainero serves as treasurer, Ken Shepard takes care of HVAC, the parking lot, the roof, and harmony, and Greg Thomas leads benevolence. The deacons plan, organize, and implement projects that promote spiritual, emotional, and relational growth, and the church expresses a vision of involving every member in some form of ministry.
Women's Ministry, Men's Ministry, and Sew & Sews
Women's Ministry meets on the first and fourth Mondays of each month from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The afternoon includes tea, a muffin or a slice of cake, fellowship, and often a project. Within Women's Ministry, the Sew & Sews group began about ten years ago with the goal of Christian fellowship and tangible service. The group makes crocheted baby blankets, burp cloths, receiving blankets, baby sweaters, hats, garment covers for the Church of Christ Adult Care Center, hats and scarves for the Wilson Cancer Center, and layette gift bags that include a Gospel of John, baby toiletries, sleepers, and handmade items. These gifts go to local pregnancy centers, expecting mothers in the congregation, and Shults-Lewis Children's Home. The group also teaches crocheting, knitting, and sewing to others ten years old and older so the skill can pass along.
Men's Ministry gathers for breakfast, a devotional, fellowship, and the discussion of upcoming service projects. The men meet monthly for a prayer breakfast and on the third Thursday morning of each month for a working breakfast followed by a few hours of odd jobs around the building. Man Camp, held annually with a recent speaker from Maryville, Tennessee, brings men together for food, fellowship, outdoor activities, and devotionals. Group trips, such as a past whitewater rafting trip to West Virginia with a stop at a small church in Georgia, round out the men's calendar.
A Long Reach of Mission Partnerships
The Royal Oak Church of Christ supports a wide network of mission work, both close to home and across the world. Several members serve on the board of the Michigan Christian Youth Camp, and the congregation maintains Dorm 2 and runs the first week of summer camp. The church supports Herald of Truth, which provides evangelism seminars, leadership training, and mission work in Cuba and Central America, along with the MESA program for Spanish America. Bibles for China has been a long-standing effort, and the Let the Bible Speak television program broadcasts throughout the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin.
The congregation partners with Joe Wells through The Hey Joe Show, a podcast confronting issues facing teens with a biblical worldview, and with Kaio Publications, a non-profit helping teenagers and families connect God's Word to daily life. The church supports smaller Church of Christ congregations in Atlanta and Bad Axe in northern lower Michigan. Through Orphans Lifeline International, Bible class contributions currently provide support for four children: Farida and Teja in India, and Ronet and Shifa in Uganda. The church has supported Great Lakes Bible College for many years, helps fund Mauricio and Kayla Yegros at The Springs Church of Christ in Florida, and provides financial support to Shults-Lewis Child and Family Services, a residential treatment program for struggling teens.
What the Church Believes
Royal Oak teaches that there is one true God, revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all sharing the qualities of the eternal God. The congregation believes God came to earth in the person of Jesus, was miraculously conceived and born to the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, died as a substitute for sinners, rose again on the third day, and guaranteed the resurrection of those who trust Him.
The Bible is treated as God's word to humanity, written by men directed by the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches the nature of God and His purpose for human beings and will be the final standard at the judgment. Salvation comes by God's grace, not by human works, and is received on the terms God has set: full trust in God, repentance from sin, confession that Jesus is Lord, and being immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The church teaches that those born again become part of God's family, the body of Christ, and are committed to the same pattern found in Acts 2:42, the teaching of Christ, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. Members are called to love, devotion, acceptance, teaching, service, compassion, submission, forgiveness, encouragement, and humility toward one another. Worship must be in spirit and in truth, with reverence and awe, following the simple pattern of singing, prayer, the Lord's Supper, giving, and Bible teaching.
Visiting Royal Oak Church of Christ
The church sits at 115 South Campbell Road, just south of downtown Royal Oak. Sunday morning begins with Bible classes for all ages at 10:00 a.m., followed by worship at 11:00 a.m. A second worship service follows at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday mid-week Bible classes for adults, teens, and children meet at 7:00 p.m. The Tuesday morning Bible study meets at 10:30 a.m. and the Friday night Bible study at 7:00 p.m. The building is accessible to those with hearing impairments through American Sign Language interpretation during the adult worship service and one adult Bible class. A nursery is available for infants through age two during services. Online services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, beginning Sundays at 11:00 a.m., with past services and lessons posted for later viewing. Giving is available online through the church's giving page, and a printed directory is maintained through Instant Church Directory.
Living Out the Family
From the parking lot on a Sunday morning to the Wednesday night classroom to the Sew & Sews tables on a Monday afternoon, Royal Oak Church of Christ describes itself as a family committed to seeking God, serving others, and sharing Christ. The church's focus, expressed in three short phrases and a trio of Bible verses, is to be a community of imperfect servants growing spiritually, seeking a relationship with Jesus, and welcoming every family that walks through the door. The office phone rings at 248-548-1333, and messages sent to office@royaloakcoc.org reach the staff during the week. Visitors are welcome, questions are welcome, and a simple cup of tea with a slice of cake is always within reach.