PRIVATE MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT AND COVENANT
Established under Divine Law and the natural right of free association
Not a public offering. Not registered with any state or federal agency.
Facilitator: Daniel Shepherd
PREAMBLE
The Divine Law Learning Community is a private, unincorporated membership association
established upon the God-given, pre-governmental right of free people to associate privately for
lawful purposes. This right is recognized in the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution and is rooted in Natural Law and the Law of God, which precedes and supersedes
all man-made statute.
This association is not a public entity. It does not offer services to the general public. It does not
solicit members from the public at large. It operates exclusively in the private domain, governed
by covenant, not by the statutory codes of Babylon's system. Its activities, communications,
teachings, and exchanges among members are private in nature and outside the regulatory
jurisdiction of state and federal agencies that govern public commerce.
The foundational declaration of this community is drawn from Psalm 24:1 — "The earth is the
Lord's, and everything in it." All resources, teachings, and services flowing through this
association are held and offered in acknowledgment that God is the sovereign Owner of all
things, and that each member of this community is a steward, not an owner, of what has been
entrusted to them.
By entering into this covenant, the undersigned member voluntarily and knowingly steps out of
the public commercial domain and into a private Kingdom jurisdiction governed by shared faith,
Divine Law, and mutual covenant.
STATEMENT OF FAITH AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The Divine Law Learning Community is founded upon the following shared beliefs. Membership
in this association constitutes agreement with these principles. No one is compelled to agree.
Membership is entirely voluntary.
1. The Sovereignty of God Over All Things
We believe that God is the Creator and sovereign Owner of all creation. Every resource, talent,
relationship, and calling that we steward flows from His hand and belongs ultimately to Him.
We hold our lives, our assets, our missions, and our legacies in trust for His purposes, not as
independent owners but as faithful stewards.
2. The Authority of Divine Law
We believe that Divine Law is the highest legal order in existence — the eternal, righteous
character and will of God expressed as the foundational rule for all creation. We submit to
Divine Law as the primary governing authority over our lives, our work, our families, and our
communities. Where man-made law aligns with Divine Law, we honor it. Where it conflicts, we
acknowledge our higher allegiance.
3. The Two Kingdoms
We believe that two kingdoms are presently operating in the world. The Kingdom of God
operates on authority through alignment — it requires covenant, stewardship, and submission to
God's governance. Babylon's system operates on control through dependency — it requires
registration, permission, and tribute in exchange for the illusion of security. We are people of
the Kingdom of God, and we choose to build our lives and our work within its jurisdiction to the
greatest extent lawfully possible.
4. The Role of the Steward
We believe that we are not owners but stewards. The mandate given in Genesis 2:15 — to work
and keep what God has entrusted — is our operational identity. We hold title to nothing in the
ultimate sense. We govern what God has placed under our care for a season, with full
accountability to Him for how it is used and how it is passed to the generation that follows.
5. The Lordship of Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord — not merely a moral teacher, but the King of kings and the
living authority over all creation. Matthew 6:24 declares that no one can serve two masters. Our
allegiance is to Him. Our structures, our agreements, our commerce, and our community are
ordered under His authority.
6. The Law of Love
We believe that the highest standard of conduct within this community is the Law of Love as
declared by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39: to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and to
love our neighbors as ourselves. We commit to holding one another in this standard — higher
than legal compliance, rooted in righteousness, expressed in integrity.
PRIVATE MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT
By signing this agreement, the undersigned member (hereinafter "Member") voluntarily enters
into covenant with The Divine Law Learning Community (hereinafter "the Association") and its
Facilitator, Daniel Shepherd, and agrees to the following terms:
Article I — Nature of the Association
1. The Association is a private, unincorporated membership association. It is not a corporation,
a nonprofit, a limited liability company, or any other state-chartered entity. It is established by
private covenant among its members and derives its authority from the natural right of free
association and the common law right to contract.
2. The Association is not registered with, licensed by, or subject to the oversight of any state or
federal regulatory agency. Its activities are private in nature. The teachings, resources, and
exchanges occurring within the Association are not public commerce.
3. The Member's contribution to the Association in exchange for access to its teachings and
resources is a private exchange among members of a faith-based private community. It is not a
consumer transaction in the public marketplace. It is not subject to consumer protection
statutes governing public commerce.
4. The Association operates as an integrated auxiliary of the Divine Law Ministry, an
ecclesiastical organization operating under section 508 c 1 A of the Internal Revenue Code.
Article II — Member Rights and Responsibilities
1. The Member has the right to access all teaching content, resources, and tools made available
within the Association during the term of their membership, as specified at the time of
enrollment.
2. The Member acknowledges that the teachings and resources provided within the Association
are for educational and spiritual formation purposes. They are not legal advice, financial advice,
or tax counsel. The Member is responsible for seeking qualified Kingdom-aligned counsel for
any legal or financial decisions arising from their engagement with this material.
3. The Member agrees to hold all teachings, frameworks, document drafts, tools, and
community interactions within the Association in confidence. The Member will not distribute,
reproduce, or resell any materials provided by the Association without the written consent of the
Facilitator.
4. The Member agrees to engage with fellow members and with the Facilitator in a manner
consistent with the Law of Love — with honesty, integrity, and respect. Conduct that is harmful,
deceptive, or contrary to the guiding principles of this Association is grounds for the Association
to terminate the Member's participation without refund.
5. The Member agrees to take full personal responsibility for how they apply any framework,
principle, or document template encountered within the Association. The Association provides
education and guided implementation tools. The Member is responsible for their own decisions,
actions, and legal affairs.
Article III — Jurisdiction and Governing Law
1. This agreement is a private covenant. It is not a statutory contract governed by the Uniform
Commercial Code or the commercial law of any state. It is a private agreement among members
of a faith-based private association, governed by the principles of Divine Law and the common
law right to contract.
2. The Member and the Association agree that this covenant is entered into freely, voluntarily,
and with full knowledge of its private nature. The Member waives any claim that this agreement
is a public commercial transaction.
3. The Member acknowledges that by entering this private association, they are stepping out of
the public commercial domain with respect to their interactions with the Association and its
Facilitator, and into a private Kingdom jurisdiction governed by shared faith and mutual
covenant.
Article IV — Dispute Resolution
1. In the event of a dispute between the Member and the Association or its Facilitator, both
parties agree to resolve the matter privately, according to the principle set forth in Matthew
18:15-17: first, direct communication between the parties; second, if unresolved, the
involvement of one or two spiritually mature witnesses; third, if still unresolved, the matter is
brought before the broader covenant community for counsel and resolution.
2. The Member and the Association expressly agree that disputes arising from this covenant
shall not be submitted to the jurisdiction of any civil court, regulatory agency, or government
body. This agreement to private dispute resolution is entered into knowingly, voluntarily, and
with full understanding of its implications.
3. Nothing in this dispute resolution clause shall be construed to prevent either party from
seeking lawful relief in matters involving criminal conduct, fraud, or willful harm.
Article V — Contributions and Resources
1. The Member's contribution to the Association is a private gift of resources made in support
of the Association's educational and Kingdom-building mission. It is not a payment for goods or
services in the public marketplace.
2. The Association does not guarantee specific results, outcomes, or earnings from
participation in its educational program. The Member understands that the framework and
tools provided are educational in nature and that results depend on the Member's own
application, discernment, and action.
3. All contributions made to the Association are made with the understanding that they are
non-refundable except where the Association, in its sole discretion, determines that a refund is
appropriate in accordance with its stated refund policy. The Member agrees that the private
nature of this association governs any refund considerations, not consumer protection statutes
governing public commerce.
Article VI — Term and Termination
1. Membership in the Association begins upon the Member's signing of this covenant and the
receipt of the Member's contribution, and continues for the term specified at enrollment (twelve
months for Tier One membership, or lifetime for Tier Two membership).
2. Either party may terminate this covenant with written notice. The Association may
terminate membership for conduct that violates the guiding principles of the Association or the
Law of Love. The Member may withdraw from the Association at any time; withdrawal does not
entitle the Member to a refund of contributions already made.
3. Upon termination, the Member's access to the Association's materials, tools, and community
will cease. The Member's obligations of confidentiality and private dispute resolution survive the
termination of this agreement.
MEMBER DECLARATION AND COVENANT
I, the undersigned, make the following declaration freely, voluntarily, and with full
understanding of its meaning and effect:
I am a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and a steward of what God has entrusted to me. I seek to
align my life, my work, my resources, and my legacy with the Kingdom of God rather than with
the systems of Babylon.
I have read and understood the Statement of Faith and Guiding Principles of The Divine Law
Learning Community and I affirm that they reflect my own convictions and the basis on which I
am entering this association.
I am joining this community voluntarily, for the purpose of learning, implementing, and walking
out the principles of Divine Law in my own life and calling. I am not being coerced, deceived, or
pressured into this agreement.
I understand that this is a private membership association and that my interactions with the
Association and its resources are private, not public. I am stepping out of the public commercial
domain with respect to this community and into a private Kingdom jurisdiction.
I accept the terms of this covenant as binding on me and I commit to honoring them in a
manner consistent with the Law of Love and the principles of Divine Law.
I declare this before God as a witness, knowing that the most powerful agreements are not those
filed with a government clerk, but those witnessed in Heaven and honored among brothers and
sisters.
SIGNATURES
This document is private.
It is not filed with any government agency.
It is provided to members only.
It is held in confidence by all parties.
"The most powerful agreements are not those filed with a government clerk,
but those witnessed in Heaven and honored brethren."
— Divine Law: The Tale of Two Kingdoms
Ownership binds. Stewardship sets free. That is Divine Law.
Private document. Not for public distribution. Not filed with any government agency.