Dramatic lack of attention?
Several weeks ago, the observation was made by Robert:
I have been noticing something. I have looked around at a couple of other sites like this one. There seems to be a lot of people but very few established houses to meet at. Does this mean the house church movement is suffering from a lack of leaders or is it something else?
This is an important point which we should continue looking into. It may be an Achilles heel which affects the credibility of the entire community. I will be showing here that the scriptures - old and new - do not play down the concept of genuine leadership.
In the quotation in the photo above, from a noted "organic church" writer, I would reply and suggest that the leadership was indeed present and addressed along with everyone else who received the letters. And also to suggest that if the Holy Spirit had inspired letters written to individual leaders, this would have opened the door to fraud. In fact we know that forgeries were a problem during this era.
2Thess 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
For now, let me remind myself that the priesthood of believers did not begin in the New Testament. The saints in the book of Exodus are also referred to as a Kingdom of Priests - during an era in which recognized and appointed priests were on daily duty. Therefore leadership should not interfere with everyone's individual status as a priest. Just as it did not in the past.
Ex. 19:6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
There is no doubt in today's world that many in Christian leadership essentially take over the entire church - its ministry and finances. This is wrong and the effects have been devastating.
But can it be maintained that there is a "dramatic lack of attention" when the earliest churches were considered incomplete without a recognized leadership structure? When the longest lists in the New Testament are given to describe and to vet church leaders? And the specific requirements which they must fulfill are given in multiple scriptures and in unusual detail?
The above quotation is therefore an argument from silence and carries little weight in view of the big picture. People see through it with ease and then disregard everything else we are saying...
Titus 1:5-9 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.
An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
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Many good points here, I have still been pondering this issue as our own fellowship is in transition. “What is my role?”
For me, I feel that at least in part the answer drives us to the basic core of what we are. Knowing what I do about history I can see the pernicious hand of the enemy slowly transitioning us into a form other than what the Father wanted. I’m not going to bother going deeply into this sense so many others on this platform have already done a good job exposing various parts of it.
So I bring this up only for context.
We need a basic rediscovery of what we are, not what we are told we should be. Case in point in a typical brick-and-mortar congregation, everyone's eyes are on the pastor. They are watching the show, and despite how they dress up their motives, they have come for the entertainment. Yes, this is the case in mega churches and to a lesser degree smaller ones… but it is still there.
So with that in our mind, we try to re-create the same dog and pony show when we plant a new congregation in a house. Have we escaped the problem? No, we have not. The reality is, our total focus needs to change.
Modern congregations are created in the image of a corporation, not a community. In this model everything and everyone attends to serve the center, to keep the monster breathing and well-fed. Yes, I am being very blunt here as to my true thoughts.
But this is not the way I believe it was intended. The Apostolic calling as I believe Paul put it was to “We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ. For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power which works mightily within me.” Colossians 1:28-29. This and other scriptures paint a different picture, at least to me.
If we have been adopted into a royal household, then the purpose of leadership is to raise up all the heir-apparent’s in adulthood so that they may take their place. And if we are to be raised up like Paul says one chapter later “…in Christ you have been brought to fullness…” 2:10 then is not the mission of leaders to make us not only complete in Christ, but also leaders? Because, are not the children of earthly kings expected to have duties to perform when they are of age?
And if we are all to be leaders in fullness, then perhaps Paul's letter might make more sense if he was addressing it to all of us on the same level.
We have been taught to see a divide in Christian culture between the leaders and everyone else. I think this is a false concept, a lie from the pit of ****. If you can not consider a word of correction from even the newest Christian then your view is rooted in “Priest vs Laity” thinking and not a community of saints.
Leaders have a role. We plant, we water, and as God makes the people grow. In doing this we struggle to raise people up into adults, present them to Christ and then get out of the way. I have often called this the John the Baptist model, “That I may diminish so that Christ may grow!”
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Thanks everyone for the comments. In my opinion, this concept of leaderless communities is mostly a reaction to abuse and the easiest concept to disprove.
"As I said, there are multiple reasons/facets why some people say that leaders in churches 'aren't that important' or aren't needed, and just one of those reasons is that they fear taking on the responsibility of being a leader, taking initiative, and abandoning their own reputation to be of no reputation: more of Him, less of me."
Jesus challenged James and John whose mother wanted them to sit in places of honor with Him. He asked if they would be willing to be baptized in the fire with Him. Your point about fear of responsibility ties in with that. On the other hand, we have those who assume positions without following Christ into His humiliation, and people who are willing to follow them for the wrong reasons.
It would be so beneficial with we all could embrace a healthy understanding of leadership. We all are called to serve, but it does happen that some are called to serve as leaders and to the humility that is required of them.
One thing I have observed in house church gatherings for over 16 years. Some people who insist on leaderless meetings are in fact dominating personalities themselves. They find ways to control the activities without admitting that they are in fact leading. Intimidation and claiming "the Spirit says," are some of the tools used.
That is why Paul always appointed a recognized body of leaders in every congregation, so that people would not be confused by those not approved. While I agree that leadership can be overemphasized, respect for the mature should not be neglected.
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Some people who insist on leaderless meetings are in fact dominating personalities themselves. They find ways to control the activities without admitting that they are in fact leading. Intimidation and claiming "the Spirit says," are some of the tools used.
Yes Dan, this is sadly true. I've seen it even in the lives of the "experts." Experts who later deny it... :)
When Jesus repeats his words - it's time for everyone to take notice. Jesus did not envision a formal caste of priestly clergymen but he did foresee the natural leadership of the older ones (elder/overseers) watching out for the others.
Notice that he did not announce that everyone was to become a self-shepherd or self-feeder or that He - Jesus - would become their only earthly shepherd. True, He is the Good Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd. We would not want to diminish these blessed realities in any way.
And please notice that this shepherding was in response to... truly loving Him. Again, he did not advise them that He would take care of all the shepherding in the church, in this life. Nor did he advise them to chill out and "just be" or "just be the church". These slogans may have an element of truth, but are starting to wear thin.
There is a time to believe and there is a time act. To act upon that belief in his strength alone, of course.
To make things more interesting and to drive this point home, clever Jesus changed the words slightly. Consider these words from this source.
Jesus gave Peter a three-fold command to “feed my sheep” in John 21:15-17. Each time Jesus said, “Feed my sheep,” it was in response to Peter’s three-fold declaration of love for Jesus. The setting was one of the last of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to His disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus prepared a breakfast of fish and bread for them, and then commissioned Peter with the task of feeding His sheep and tending His lambs.
The three commands, although often translated the same way, are subtly different. The first time Jesus says it, the Greek means literally “pasture (tend) the lambs” (v. 15). The Greek word for “pasture” is in the present tense, denoting a continual action of tending, feeding and caring for animals. Believers are referred to as sheep throughout Scripture. “For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (Psalm 95:7). Jesus is both our Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and the Door of the sheepfold (John 10:9). By describing His people as lambs, He is emphasizing their nature as immature and vulnerable and in need of tending and care.
The second time, the literal meaning is “tend My sheep” (v. 16). In this exchange, Jesus was emphasizing tending the sheep in a supervisory capacity, not only feeding but ruling over them. This expresses the full scope of pastoral oversight, both in Peter’s future and in all those who would follow him in pastoral ministry. Peter follows Jesus’ example and repeats this same Greek word poimaino in his first pastoral letter to the elders of the churches of Asia Minor: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers” (1 Peter 5:2).
The third time, the literal translation is “pasture (tend) the sheep” (v. 17). Here Jesus combines the different Greek words to make clear the job of the shepherd of the flock of God. They are to tend, care for, and provide spiritual food for God’s people, from the youngest lambs to the full-grown sheep, in continual action to nourish and care for their souls, bringing them into the fullness of spiritual maturity. The totality of the task set before Peter, and all shepherds, is made clear by Jesus’ three-fold command and the words He chooses.
You (I) - do you (I) truly love him? Then we should act and let our lights shine for his glory.
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So, in the view of some, leaderless church is not a bug - it's a feature. It's not only a feature but it's a new feature as it is now possible to examine the contents of millions of Christian books via internet searches and come up short regarding this "lack of attention about leadership".
Hey. We all desire more for and from ourselves, our health, our marriage, our job, our family, and our church. Along comes the guy who declares: You can have it all, now in this life. Just read my books. Just let Jesus personally take over and let him really be the head of his church.
This reminds me of the the wine really becoming the actual blood of God. In that it is an exaggeration of realities which are otherwise true. And yes, He is Lord of all, in control, whether we acknowledge it or not. Of course we acknowledge the spiritual presence of Christ in all places, church meetings - not excluded.
What we do not know of is the Son of God physically appearing at multiple places at the same time. Sure, he could leave the right hand of the Father and show up anywhere on earth at anytime.
If human leaders were essentially needless and given "no interest" and a "dramatic lack of attention", why, pray tell, would the inspired scriptures refer to certain persons, in their flesh, as special gifts which distinguished them from other saints? Gifts bestowed by the resurrected Saviour after he completed his ministry on earth?
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:“When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people. What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Obviously, something is wrong in the world of church leadership. Many have abused and elevated it. Professionalized it. On that, most would agree.
And we would agree with the recent contributor here who reminded us that: Jesus must increase - we all must decrease.
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As for church leaders who become turf-protecting bureaucrats, I would be the first to point this out for immediate adjustment.
But sadly, for every power-grabbing church leader, there are dozens of others who are more than willing to give up their own responsibilities and privileges. There is plenty of blame on both sides.
On the other hand and in the other extreme, there are those who insist that the whole concept of human leadership in the church is of little concern at all. Thus: "A Dramatic lack of Attention..."
Really? Well pray tell me, whey did Paul and Barnabus when they had ordained them elders in EVERY church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
If this was no big deal, why the PRAYER and FASTING? And why the prominent mention of this ongoing activity in EVERY city and church? See Acts 14:23.
Human leadership is indeed complementary with divine leadership in a home or in a church. 1 Peter 5:4: And when the chief Shepherd (divine) appears, you (human shepherds) will receive the unfading crown of glory.
