The church was founded by Arnold Benjamin Murray (April 20, 1929 – February 12, 2014), who served as senior pastor until his death.
[citation needed] Pastor Murray teaches a "chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse study of God's Word; the Bible".
[3] In this teaching, God exists as one rather than three distinct persons, and appears in different forms (or "modes") as YHVH, Yashua, and the Holy Spirit.
[4] A 2008 study by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report examined the church and its roots in the Christian Identity movement.
[5] Murray responded to criticism of his positions on the Trinity, racism, serpent seed, and Kenites through the Shepherd's Chapel's website.