The Surprising Truth About Early Christian Assemblies

Based on research completed for his doctoral dissertation, Tom shares the surprising biblical truth about the early church and modern “worship” services. Discover his research through videos, podcasts, and literature on this page.

The Assembly: How We Got Worship Wrong

Dr. Tom Wadsworth's groundbreaking 7-part series on the Christian assembly has sparked widespread discussion and interest within the Christian community, both online and offline. This series, originally presented in its detailed form, has been widely appreciated for its in-depth exploration of first-century church practices and their implications for modern gatherings. As a result of its impactful content, Dr. Wadsworth's work has garnered over 10,000 subscribers and accumulated more than 500,000 views.

Watch the Video Series

  • Dr. Tom Wadsworth headshot and the text "one-anothering in the ekklesia"

    One Anothering in the Ekklesia, a new presentation by Dr. Tom Wadsworth

    This 50-minute presentation from Dr. Tom Wadsworth identifies some rarely emphasized aspects of first-century Christian assemblies, offering some enlightening insights into the Greek word for "church" (ekklesia) and the prevalence of "one-anothering" in the assembly.

    Watch the presentation
  • Dr. Tom Wadsworth on a slide with a red arrow pointing down with the words "The Coming Church Attendance Crisis" across the top

    The Coming Church Attendance Crisis

    For over 40 years, Dr. Tom Wadsworth has collected church attendance statistics from every church throughout his city. His study, which collected actual head counts of people in pews, is rarely found in America and provides a stark picture of real church decline and a shocking prognosis of the future.

    Watch the church attendance study
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Download Dr. Wadsworth’s Dissertation

Discover Tom’s original doctoral dissertation exploring the biblical truth of early church assemblies.

Podcast Appearances

Dr. Tom Wadsworth has been invited to appear on several podcasts, furthering discussions and deepening engagement around his work on the Christian assembly. These podcast appearances have provided him with the opportunity to share his insights and engage with a broader audience, sparking meaningful conversations and challenging traditional views.

  • Dr. Wadsworth being interviewed by Tim Pell in front of a bookcase with the text "Reaction to the New Church Revolution"

    Reaction: A Personal Interview with Tom Wadsworth about the new Church Revolution

    In this revealing post-speech interview, Tim Pell interviews Wadsworth about positive and negative responses to his groundbreaking videos, how he responds to opposition, and why his videos have sparked a worldwide audience in such a short time.

    Watch this interview
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Literature

  • Ancient pillared building with the text "the Origin of the Christian Assembly" and "by Tom Wadsworth, PhD"

    The Origin of the Christian Assembly

    (Paper written for scholars in the academic community and anyone might find it useful.)

    This paper evaluates the common theories that the Christian meeting came from the synagogue, the temple, or from Graeco-Roman meeting traditions.

    Download Literature
  • Image of "Προσκυνέω Does Not Mean 'Worship'"

    Προσκυνέω Does Not Mean "Worship”

    (Paper read at the Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, November 2023)

    Using extensive evidence in the Septuagint and New Testament, this paper challenges the common notion that προσκυνέω should be translated as “worship,” contending instead that it should be translated as “to prostrate oneself.”

    Download Literature
  • Gothic cross and text that says "The Shift: How the Early Church Evolved from House Meetings to Temple Worship"

    The Shift: How the Early Church Evolved from House Meetings to Temple Worship

    (Paper read at the Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, November 2021)

    This paper explains how the early church, after the first century, began to view the Lord’s Supper as a sacrifice. From that core shift, Dr. Wadsworth chronicles how the church gradually adopted altars, priests, and temples, which resulted in the church viewing its assemblies as “worship.”

    Download Literature
  • Black background with cross that says "Divine Christology"

    Divine Christology: Where It Stands, Where It Should Go

    (Paper read at the Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, November 2017)

    Dr. Wadsworth traces the latest developments in the study of “Divine Christology,” identifying key issues and offering recommendations on new issues to be researched.

    Download Literature

 Answers to Questions

Browse the categories below to find frequently asked questions about Dr. Tom Wadsworth's research on the Christian assembly, along with links to his comprehensive answers and insights.

  • Read Dr. Wadsworth’s response to the questions below:

    1. You say that the New Testament does not use “worship” language to refer to the Christian assembly. What about Acts 13:2? It says, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”

    2. Vine’s, Strong’s, and other lexicons include “worship” as a definition of προσκυνέω. Why do you think these lexicons are wrong?

    3. “Worship” is mentioned frequently in the book of Revelation. How does the worship portrayed in Revelation inform our meetings?

  • Read Dr. Wadsworth’s response to the questions below:

    1. I think that there is a bias somewhere in your research. What’s your church background?

    2. In which theological camp do you belong? Are you Calvinist? Trinitarian? Premillennial? Cessationist? Inerrantist? Egalitarian?

    3. You’re just like so many others who are trying to convince people that we’ve gotten Christianity wrong and that everyone should join your movement.

  • Read Dr. Wadsworth’s response to the question below:

    I watched your entire series of videos and found them very refreshing. But are we required to do church exactly like they did in the first century? Are the New Testament verses prescriptive or descriptive?

  • Read Dr. Wadsworth’s response to the question below:

    1. I have been searching for a local house church … or for a body of believers that operates in the way you describe. Any suggestions?

    2. Does your research logically lead to the home church movement?

    3. How do I find a house church in my area?

    4. Frank Viola also pushes house churches. Are you saying the same thing that Frank Viola said in the book, Pagan Christianity?

  • Read Dr. Wadsworth’s response to the question below:

    1. You’re wrong. The early Christians worshipped. Their worship was directly based on Jewish synagogue worship, which is well documented historically.

    2. You say that the early Christians met in homes. But didn’t the early Christians meet daily in the temple? What about Peter and John going to the temple in Acts 3?

  • Read Dr. Wadsworth’s response to this reaction:

    I disagree with your conclusions. If we want to see how Christians in the first century worshipped, the Didache gives us an answer that is completely contrary to your video.

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