XenosChristian Fellowship is a non-traditional, non-denominational, institutional cell church system. They focus on small groups, called home churches, containing 15 to 60 members. Unlike traditional churches, Xenos is centered on home church activities rather than traditional Sunday morning services. Xenos does have weekly multi-house church gatherings called central teachings. As of February 2009, Xenos has approximately 5,000-members and 300 home churches.
Symbolism of name
The church's name comes from the Greek word, Xenos meaning "stranger" or "alien". The primary use of the name Xenos in the New Testament denotes sojourners in a foreign land, a biblical description of Christians whose ultimate home is in heaven. A secondary usage of the word xenos denotes "one who provides hospitality."
History
Xenos originated as an "underground" Christian newspaper called "The Fish" first published in the 1970s around Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio. The newspaper sparked the formation of bible study groups around the university.Bible Studies were conducted for several years at the "Fish House," a large residence where a group of mostly OSU students lived near the corner of 16th and Indianola Avenues near the OSU campus. In fact, the group was known as "Fish House Fellowship" years before the 1982 name change to Xenos. During this time, the leaders, Dennis McCallum and Gary Delashmutt, supported themselves as house painters, with some occasional help from fellowship members, under the name "Christian Brothers Painting." As the church grew, it was permitted to use at least two local churches for its central meetings, and eventually rented out large warehouse spaces located near Sinclair road. Coincident with this growth, McCallum and Delashmutt quit house painting and were supported by church donations and pledges. Up to 1991, home churches were allowed to "do own thing". Some members refused to accept the church hierarchy, and its interpretation of the Bible. Around 1,400 members left the church in this three-year church conflict. In February of 2020, it was announced that another name change would occur: Xenos would be known henceforth as Dwell. The remaining leaders added accountability mechanisms and structures to standardize church doctrine and regulate house churches. House church leaders are required to meet what the church feels as biblical qualifications, the character qualifications given in I Timothy 3. Leaders are also trained in classroom settings and given examinations. In 1991 Xenos launched Urban Concern, a Christian inner-city charity recognized by President George H. Bush in his "Thousand Points of Light" awards. Together with Columbus city government and business leaders, Xenos continues to expand Urban Concern and contributes the majority of its financial and volunteer resources. In 2007 Xenos constructed a Christian school and community center in the inner city. Xenos also provides two free clinics for the underprivileged in the Columbus area.
Xenos Summer Institute
The Xenos Summer Institute was founded in 1996 as the Crossroads Project. It was originally a 9-day apologetics conference, but has since transformed into a 3-day conference regarding a broader scope of interests. Each year, one of the guest speakers hosts a course in conjunction with the conference that can be taken for college credit through Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. In 2013, there were 3,300 attendees at the conference.
Schools and sister churches
Xenos runs three private schools in the Columbus area: Xenos, Calumet, and Harambee. The Harambee campus recently added a middle school, with future plans to expand into high school, while the Xenos campus was announced to be closing, due to low enrollment. Sister churches, also named Xenos, have been built in Cincinnati, Dayton and Northeast Ohio.
Church accountability
Xenos' accountability system has led to members being removed from the church for not following what the church believes to be the teachings of the bible. Members who have been removed, have expressed that they feel isolated from the Xenos community and shunned from within. Moreover, some Xenos members have felt while part of the church they have been pressured to cut ties from "non-christian" friends and family members. While many of the teachings of the Xenos church reflect a traditional interpretation of Christianity, some of the church's practices have been described by the public and prior members as being cult-like.
