Official Creed of the One Community Church
Formerly the Dominion
Christian Centre (DCC)
Pastor Peter Rigo
141 Park Street N. Hamilton, Ontario Canada
Note regarding: Legacy Church at 408 Cumberland Ave Hamilton Ontario
There has been a steady transition in this faith group that started as Dominion Christian Centre, then rebranded as One Community, then rebranded as Poema, and now as Legacy Church at 408 Cumberland Ave Hamilton Ontario which is currently has Matt and Rachel Shuttlesworth as the head pastors. Rachel Shuttlesworth is the daughter of Peter Rigo, so beware, the nutette may not fall far from the Peter Rigo tree. Of course, scripture specially forbids and condemns women pastors:
"A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet." (1 Timothy 2:11–12)
Peter Rigo has disappeared and may have taken our advice in finally quitting preaching and gone into factory work, as we suggested below. Legacy Church is just another in a long list of charismatic churches that claim direct supernatural guidance for the Holy Spirit, but its all words and nobody ever witnesses anything supernatural, just claims.
Review of Peter Rigo’s church:
The new name "One Community Church" is an attempt to repackage and rebrand the Dominion Christian Centre in order to escape all the bad media publicity surrounding Peter Rigo. It was also a good idea, since the DCC had its charity status yanked by the Government of Canada for breaking the charity laws. Had Peter taken our advice to quit ministry and go into factory work, he would not have brought this latest black eye to Christians by following in the financial missteps of Jim Bakker.
"An evangelical church in Hamilton that used donor money to pay for gym memberships, Gucci fashion accessories and trips to Hawaii and elsewhere for its directors has been stripped of its charitable licence by the federal government." (Hamilton Spectator, Kevin Donovan, Feb 18, 2009)
"An evangelical church that used donor money to pay for gym memberships, Gucci fashion accessories and trips to Hawaii and elsewhere for its directors has been stripped of its charitable license by the federal government. The Dominion Christian Centre of Canada was set up in Hamilton by charismatic leader Peter Rigo, a former decorator who says a divine power summoned him in the year 2000 to "encourage believers to live effectively as Christians." Rigo has said Dominion is a great church praying for the revitalization of downtown Hamilton; at least one family claims it is a cult and faces criminal charges for trying to remove their daughter. After an audit of the church's books, sparked by critics of its activities, the federal charity regulator has told the Dominion group that its assets have been misused, spent for the "private benefit" of Rigo, his wife and others. The regulator found that money contributed by donors and destined for good works was instead paid to fund "numerous personal trips, payments for privately used vehicles, gym memberships, food, lodging and other unsubstantiated payments." Among the expenses that raised eyebrows, auditors say, were numerous purchases at "expensive fashion outlets such as Gucci and Dolce Gabbana." The audit, obtained by the Star, says the transgressions of Rigo, his wife, Peggy (also a pastor), and assistant pastor Dave Barhouma were many." (Toronto Star, February 22, 2009)
Theologically, the "Dominion Christian Centre" (DCC) led by so called "Pastors Peter and Peggy Rigo" is just another run of the mill Charismatic, Pentecostal, POAC or Assemblies of God style church with a few bizarre practices that have attracted the attention of the media and labeled them a cult. Peter Rigo dropped out of Zion Bible College, an Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) affiliated seminary and is a tongue speaking "prophet of God". But since all Pentecostal, "tongue speaking" type churches already believe that God openly talks to them, isn't that bizarre enough? Prophesying is when someone leads another to believe that what they say is a direct message from God. A typical example of claiming prophecy within the "slain in the spirit" crowd is what DCC member Mirella Brun del Re told her parents: "God talked to me and told me, mom, that you are going to sell the farm and move into Hamilton." Welcome to the DCC but you may be shocked, for it gets much worse than just your average Pentecostal church where God talks to you!
The Dominion Christian Centre has attracted attention because the parents of one of the young female members (Mirella Brun del Re), was kidnapped by her parents and given audience with a cult deprogrammer. The parents (Lucie and Renato Brun del Re) were charged with kidnapping. While we commend their love and honourable intentions, they clearly got bad advice, since "cult deprogrammers" like Mary Alice Chrnalogar, who was flown to Canada to unconvert their daughter, are another form of "Junk Psychology" that doesn't work. (Of course Mary Alice Chrnalogar doesn't even have any formal education in the area of her specialty.) Yes mothers routinely kidnap their children from a custodial dad and almost always get away with it in family court, but parents kidnapping their adult child in criminal court is another matter. Good intentions do not correct illegal actions. While is sounds professional that Mary Alice Chrnalogar allegedly refused to work with the Brun del Re family if Mirella was held against her will, the fact that Mirella was kidnapped must have been known to her as she practiced her "voodoo" on Mirella. Legal liability is why Mary Alice Chrnalogar warned that Mirella must be there on her own free will, lack of ethics is why she continued with the deprogramming after Mirella was in fact kidnapped. God bless Lucie and Renato Brun del Re for loving their daughter that much!
The definition of a pentecostal/charismatic is: "a Baptist that starts to speaking in tongues and thinks God talks to them openly and directly". Thus the DCC in its core is just another charismatic franchise in a specialized niche market of widely diverse "slain in the spirit" crowd. Churchgoers within the larger tongue speaking church community migrate every few months from church to church wherever they think the excitement is... the latest spiritual circus, or as they would say: "Where God is moving powerfully with His Spirit". The crowds have come and moved on at the DCC and the future for them is indeed grim.
Past circuses in Hamilton involved another "Spirit filled church" to which the crowds flocked in huge numbers include "Crossfire" where "God blessed the pastor to negotiate a one year lease for $1" in a large unused Tivoli theatre house. It all collapsed when the pastor had an affair with a female member whom he later married. Perhaps the most notable circus was when an east Hamilton church claimed that fillings in teeth were turning to gold and gold dust fell in the sanctuary. It was later proven to be a fraud which caused the miracle seeking crowds to hunt down the next "moving of God's Spirit."
Although we do not feel the DCC is a cult or a physical danger to its members, some of the things done by Peter Rigo are clearly repulsive to anyone who would name Christ as their personal saviour. Jim Jones, who got his members to drink poison cool-aid, made himself the final standard of authority over the Bible. Jones was on record that he expected his followers to listen to him even if it was different from the Bible. Peter Rigo on the other hand, is a Bible believing fundamentalist who emphasizes that the Bible is God's unchangeable inspired word that must be followed above all men. In fact the DCC, like all "tongue speaking" churches are bound by creed (see below) and basically ignore the Bible, since they operate the basis of what daily message "God spoke to the pastor". Although he points his members to scripture for guidance and truth, and expects his few remaining pew dwellers to "be doers of the word and not merely hearers" (Jas 1:22), his interpretation of scripture is seriously flawed in a number of critical points. He practices tongues (gibberish), when tongues actually ceased in the first century. He rejects water baptism for the remission of sins. He also teaches the false doctrine of Calvinism. But teaching these false doctrines is common today and would not be sufficient to label the DCC a cult.
All preachers engage in a bit of theatre from time to time to communicate the point of their sermons, but Peter Rigo is clearly at the extreme end of the bell curve. What struck us with offence and repulsion, is the foul language Peter Rigo uses from the pulpit. Peter Rigo uses every four letter word frequently in his sermons. His former co-pastor is a witness to Peter Rigo once throwing a chair across the sanctuary in a fit of rage.
Peter Rigo, putting words in the mouths of other preachers who try to attract new members to their churches, actually said from the pulpit in a sermon: "Our girls give better bl*w j*bs than your girls do." and "We get laid twice as quick at Christian school, as you do in real school". If he said these things knowing the TV camera's were rolling, how much more crude does he get on an average Sunday? We are at a loss which of Peter Rigo's sins are greater here. After being offended by such foul and un-Christ like language we are reminded that this is vicious, untrue slander and lies against other preachers who never say any such thing. Indeed, they would be fired for saying this in a sermon. Perhaps it was a "Freudian slip" where Peter Rigo is tipping his hand as to what is really going on inside his own heart. The fact that most of his members older than 25 have left his church leaving the young, naive and unwise, is the best proof Peter Rigo is unfit for ministry until his mother puts a bar of soap in his mouth. And where are the morals of Peter's Rigo's wife, Peggy Rigo when all this foul language is used? She takes equal responsibility in this sinful conduct through her consenting laughter.
Peter Rigo thinks this is normal and acceptable conduct for a minister in a sermon and proudly displayed this conduct for National TV! Michael Jackson likewise thought it was just fine to admit on National TV that he sleeps with little boys. The general public opinion is 99.9% united against both Michael Jackson, who sleeps with little boys, but never swears, and Peter Rego, who would never think to sleep with little boys, but swears. Perhaps if Peter and Mike got together for coffee, they could teach each other, what the other lacks. Romans 12:17 says, "Respect what is right in the sight of all men."
Shunning family and friends: Giving up life in the world and giving up friends. Peter Rigo should be spanked for twisting the words of Jesus to support the idea that Christians should shun their non-Christian friends and family in order to be a Christian. In a W-FIVE TV interview, Peter Rigo said,
"The gospel separates families. Jesus said very clearly in His word: 'I did not come to bring peace and unity, I came to bring division with a sword. And whoever loves the father or the mother, their husband or wife, brother or sister more than me is not fit to serve in my kingdom."
W-FIVE reported that the church practiced and endorsed shunning of family and friends of non DCC members:
"An extreme interpretation of Christianity? Perhaps. But add to that the control, the isolation, the shunning of loved ones. And the people who attended W-FIVE's town-hall meeting came to one disturbing conclusion - they believe the D.C.C. is, without question, a cult"
We find no indication from any source that Peter Rigo denies that he practices and endorses shunning as consistent with the message of Christ. How very sad.
Peter Rigo's error indicates a dismal understanding of the Bible. Yes Jesus said the gospel will separate Christians from their non-Christian friends and family, but for the exact opposite reason Rigo teaches his congregation. Peter Rigo is not a cult leader but he is a dangerous false teacher. Here is what Jesus actually said:
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. "For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:34-37
Here is what Apostle Peter said:
"so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; " 1 Peter 4:2-4
Here is what Paul said:
"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. " Romans 12:18
"there must be no filthy talk or silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." Ephesians 5:4
From this we learn the full teaching of scripture:
- When Jesus said "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Mt 10) it does not mean you must reduce the love you have for your parents in order to be a Christian, but to use the love you have for your parents as a benchmark to love the Lord even more. The DCC teaches, "stop associating with your family" in order to be a Christian. If anything, when you become a Christian, you learn to love your family MORE than when you were a non-Christian, because the Lord Jesus has taught you how to love unconditionally.
- Jesus said the gospel will divide families because the non-Christians would hand their family members over to the authorities for death torture, imprisonment and of course shun them. Jesus never instructed his followers to shun his non-Christian family and friends. In the Bible the non-Christian parents shuns the Christian, in the DCC the Christian shuns the non-Christian parents. Mirella Brun del Re must repent of this grave sin against her parents and brother who desperately want to spend wholesome family time together without talking about religion.
- Jesus said we are the salt of the earth, we are to shine as a light to our non-Christian family and friends as an example of good. If we shun them, we are cutting off our chances of converting them by example and repelling them from Christ. The DCC has become a mini Hutterite colony or monastery where the "righteous" withdraw from the world in order to keep their "holiness" unstained from the world. Jesus commands us to live in and among the sinners, and associate with them, but be an example of goodness.
- Christians must cease from sin and sometimes this means they cannot participate in sinful things with their old friends like attend a strip clubs and get drunk. 1 Peter 4:2-4 says that it is the non-Christian who speaks evil of the Christian. In the Bible the non-Christian shuns the Christian, in the DCC the Christian shuns the non-Christian.
- Jesus never said for the Christian to shun the non-Christian, but the opposite. Jesus associated with sinners, tax gathers and adulteresses but did not participate in their sin with them.
- Paul said in 2 Tim 3:3 that being "irreconcilable" is a grave sin and that the Christian must take every step to be at peace with all men (including non-Christians). Again it is Mirella Brun del Re's parents who are attempting to bring peace and Mirella who is committing the sin of being "irreconcilable".
Peter Rigo endorses this shunning and the members of the Dominion Christian Centre have put this into practice as seen in the TV interviews. How sad that so many people attend these "tongue speaking" churches where the preacher is always getting a message from God that violates scripture, common sense, basic social standards of society and historic Christianity. Peter Rigo and the Dominion Christian Centre are a tool the devil uses to make non-Christians think that being a Christian is a bad thing and something to be avoided.
We suggest Peter Rigo's enroll in the following "12-step rehabilitation program":
- Put an electric doggie collar on Peter Rigo when he preaches that shocks him, not when he barks, but when he swears or uses foul language.
- Put another one on Peter's wife, Peggy Rigo that shocks her every time she laughs at his coarse jesting.
- Put a soap dish on the pulpit that Peter Rigo can use to wash his own mouth out with soap whenever he uses foul or vulgar language or uses XXX rated illustrations.
- Post a warning sign outside the church building that says: "18A Mature audiences only. No children allowed".
- Repent for violating Romans 2:24: "The name of God is blasphemed among the non-Christians because of you."
- Memorize Ephesians 5:4; Romans 12:18; 1 Peter 4:2-4.
- Learn the difference between true Biblical tongues and the modern gibberish he thinks is tongues.
- Say the following prayer to God every morning: "God I realize that just because I think I speak in tongues, it does not mean you are happy with or endorse my ministry. AMEN"
- Apologize to the Father
- Apologize to the Son
- Apologize to the Holy Spirit
- Go into factory work.
Official Creed of the One
Community Church
(Formerly Dominion Christian Centre)
- One True God God has revealed Himself as the Creator of all things and the Redeemer of mankind. He is manifested as the Triune God-Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 43:11; and Matthew 28:19).
- Scriptures Inspired The Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God. In them we find the final authority for all Christian faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:15-17).
- Deity of Jesus Christ The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who shares in the deity of God. He is also truly man, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for sin and arose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and is now at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest and Advocate. (Matthew 1:23).
- Original Sin and Fall of Man Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is therefore lost. Only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and by His resurrection can man have grounds for salvation. This salvation and spiritual life are obtained by regeneration through the work of the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1-3; Romans 3:23-26).
- Salvation by Faith Man's salvation and redemption (a free gift of grace from God) can only be obtained by exercising faith, not by works, and by the finished redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- The New Man in Christ If any man be Christ, he is a new creature (creation) in the inward man. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. We are partakers of His divine nature. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; and 2 Peter 1:4).
- Baptism of the Holy Spirit The ministry and baptism of the Holy Spirit are to glorify Jesus Christ and to indwell, guide and empower believers for life and service. This baptism brings the gifts or enablements of the Holy Spirit and their uses to the forefront of the ministry of the Body of Christ. This experience is distinct from the subsequent to the experience of the new birth and is evidenced by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterances. (Acts 2:1-4).
- Divine Healing The anointing work of Jesus Christ provides not only salvation but healing and prosperity for all believers. (Matthew 8:16&17).
- Church- The Body of Christ The true Church is the composition of all those who have been born again. Through the new birth, believers are united together as the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church. (Ephesians 1:22&23).
- Water Baptism All who believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and have been born again are commanded to be immersed in water as a declaration that they identify with the death of Christ and have been raised with Him in newness of life. (Mark 16:16 Salvation by Faith)
- Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper, or Communion, is a symbolic expression of our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as a memorial of his suffering, death, and prophecy of His second coming. (1 Corinthians 11:23-31).
- The Blessed Hope The blessed hope of the Church is the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation (catching away to Heaven) together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Romans 11:27; and Titus 2:13)
- The Final Judgment There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever's name is not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death. (Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).
