My path to house church

Throughout the nineteen eighties, I was an elder and teacher in a small congregation of about 60 people in Central Ohio in the US. We had some ups and downs over the years but by 1990 we had become part of an interesting network of churches and ministers from all over the US, and had contacts in Canada, Mexico and Australia and South Africa. At least once every October we would hold conferences where people from many areas would come to hear preaching and teaching by the men and women in this circle of fellowship.

In this period we had a visiting pastor from Sidney, Australia who suggested we hold a minister's conference for several days before the weekend meetings that we had always planned. In our case, the conference was not limited to ministers. Anyone could come, but those who did come were there because they desired a deeper understanding of God.

The sessions would last from about 10AM to 4PM. After a key-note speaker we would break up into small groups to discuss the message. This particular group of meetings and at this particular time was a revelation to me. It wasn't what we had previously thought in the sense of a revelation of understanding from the Scriptures. It was a revelation of how wrong I was about Christian ministry.

My assumptions were that we as pastors and preachers were actually building up the members of the body of Christ with our knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, with our insights and cliches we picked up from one another, with our oratory skills. What I found out in these small groups was that many were simply confused by them. These individuals were just too polite, or might have been too embarrassed to admit this.

This was a real shock to me. It seemed, however that my wife and I were the only ones in leadership that were affected in this way. I kept hearing Jesus saying to Peter, "feed my sheep. Feed my lambs." Then I also remembered Paul's instruction to the elders at Ephesis, to "shepherd the church God, which He has purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28). Again, Peter, knowing that he would not always be available, passed the responsibility he received from Jesus down to other leaders as well. (1 Peter 5:1-5)

At this time I need to explain my perspective on the purpose of God which drives me. It is very plain to me that Christ is building a church that is destined to break down the gates of hell. His practical means for that is drawn out for us in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. An important part in that plan is revealed in chapter four from verses 11-16. The purpose of the apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers is to equip the saints, the born-again believers in Christ, to do the work of the ministry! And yet for the most part we are led to believe that ministers are a separate class of people from the rest of us!

No, all of us are called to follow Christ. He came not to be ministered unto, or to be served. He came to serve others. Now we know from Paul's writing and Peter's writings as well, that our gifts are different, but all from God. Those of us as preachers and teachers in our circle were all aware of this, and yet our habits and methods did not reflect these beliefs. Not only did we hold the center stage in the gatherings, we created a gap between us and those we were supposed to be equipping and building up. The problem is that this system is so well established that everyone just accepts it.

In those small group meetings I learned so much about where others, including myself were in our spiritual development. I could not go back, but I did not know where to go from there. The church family I was a part of for over a decade did not understand me. It was very uncomfortable for all of us.

My wife and I had always enjoyed small group bible studies and prayer meetings. We were always eager to fellowship with others who loved the Lord. Yet we never saw how this essential form of the church was pushed into the background from where it started 2 thousand years ago. Then we discovered the house church movement. The internet community was just forming at the time, and we discovered through email lists and web sites that it was breaking forth all around the world. It was an exciting time.

Thirty years later we are still learning. I still believe that Christ is building His church. God is using many groups and ministries in ways that I do not understand. Maybe I don't even need to understand it all. I do have to be faithful to follow Him where ever He is leading me. I strongly believe that He desires to gather us together in His Name and in a simpler form. We can lay aside every weight from traditional and cultural forms that have held us back. We can stand fast in the freedom in which Christ has set us free! We are free to love and serve one another for His glory as the Body of Christ Himself!