Posted by Bigfish69 on 2:01 pm | Categories: church
adapted from Churchianity Today by Chip Brogden
Leadership support ... creates the right to expect members to agree with the stated mission of the church and the pastor
Support
of the pastor and his vision cannot be mandated. Either the Holy
Spirit bears witness with what is happening or he doesn’t. Authority
based on perceived rank, status, charisma, spiritual gift, or popular
appeal is a fantasy.
The
philosophy of organised religion is to maintain the distinction between
clergy and laity. This is achieved by inserting the pastor (or priest)
as the spiritual head of the church. As a result pastors often see the
local church as an extension of their own personal ministry and calling,
causing the congregation to be made in their image.
And
yet, God’s people belong to Christ alone, no one else. Moreover, the
church is his church, not ours. All authority is given to Him, and
whatever influence we as individuals have over others is due to our
depth of knowing Christ and our willingness to love and serve one
another. Hence elders are just that: those who are older and
more experienced in the things of God, more conformed to his image and
are thus gentle, loving, kind, and able to instruct and encourage the
younger.
In
contrast, leaders of organised religion are those who have been elected
to fill leadership positions. Surely there is something wrong with a
process in which a pastor can be voted into and out of the position of
spiritual leader by a certain majority of the congregation.
Spiritual
processes and God’s holy call and selection cannot be reduced to search
committees and paper ballots. Once the disciples were filled with the
Holy Spirit, they stopped drawing straws and started praying towards a
consensus. The Spirit made it evident who He wanted.
Finally,
in most local churches, there is no mutual submission. Instead,
submission is a one-way street from bottom to top. Indeed, calling
attention to one’s supposed “authority” is a sure sign of an absence of
authority. Real authority doesn’t have to announce itself and demand
others be subject to it. God’s authority never defends its rights or
demands capitulation. Real authority is a steward, not and owner, of
what God has given.
