What do we mean by independent? Quite simply, we are not a part of any denominational structure, or governed by any church other than our own. Each church operates as a self-governing body, similar to a democracy. There are churches across the country that we fellowship with and many of them have invested in our work financially so that we can reach this great city with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the decisions they make in their own independent churches do not affect the decisions that we make here in Santa Barbara.