Covenant Life Church
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Covenant Life Church is a 3000+ member "reformed charismatic" church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The church was established in 1980 by a group of Christians including Larry Tomczak and C.J. Mahaney. It is currently led by Josh Harris, the best-selling author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl. Covenant Life is a part of the family of churches called Sovereign Grace Ministries, led by C.J. Mahaney.
Covenant Life Church has its roots in the city-wide charismatic prayer meeting Take and Give (TAG) which ran from 1970 to 1979. It was founded by ten people who met in a house. TAG's instigator was Washington resident Lydia Little, who had experienced the Jesus People revival in California and wanted to see similar renewal brought to local young people.[1][2]. The most spectacular growth of TAG occurred after Larry Tomczak moved to the area and attendance steadily skyrocketed to over 2,000. Nearly of all the original members of CLC were at one point members of TAG. The church itself was established in 1980 with around 350 former TAG members.[3] .
Covenant Life was initially led by Larry Tomczak and CJ Mahaney. Mahaney later assumed sole leadership. In September 2004, after several years of preparation, the role of senior pastor was handed over to Josh Harris, the former Executive Pastor of CLC and founder of the New Attitude youth conference.
Tomczak eventually left the group and has subsequently suggested that the increasingly Calvinistic theology was a major factor in this parting of the ways [4][5].
Covenant Life's other pastors include Greg Somerville, Kenneth Maresco, Mark Mitchell, Gary Ricucci, Jeff Purswell, Braden Greer and Eric Simmons.
The church currently meets on Muncaster Mill Road in Gaithersburg MD. They hold two Sunday morning services, one at 9:00am and the other at 11:30am.
Covenant Life also runs a K-12 day school and a home school program. Almost 300 students currently attend the day school, which is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Over 500 students are enrolled in the home school program.
[edit] Church Plants
In 1984, Covenant Life Church planted Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania.
In 2006, Covenant Life Church planted Sovereign Grace Church of Frederick in Frederick, Maryland.
Covenant Life Church is also the name of a church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, pastored by Mo Adugna and Wondwossen Getahun. Covenant Life Church in Addis Ababa is also affiliated with Sovereign Grace Ministries.
C.J. Mahaney's wife, Carolyn Mahaney, has played a vital role in the women's ministry at Covenant Life Church. She is currently the leader of the Titus 2 Women's Ministry. Carolyn has been the author of many books, including Feminine Appeal.
