A good friend sent me a link to this post.
I was just going to reply to him with my thoughts, but I figured I might as well put my thoughts out there for anybody who cares to read them, so here goes:
Interesting stuff. I think she does a really great job of identifying some of the issues surrounding churches that rely on the personalities of their pastors to rule the church. This type of autocracy is certainly against the idea of shepherding, but I don't know that her solution is in line with scripture either.
It seems that a total leveling of the playing field in a "cooperative model" also denies the theme of shepherding. I don't know any of you well enough to know your roots, but mine are in the country. I spent weeks each summer on my grandparents' farm. One lesson I learned: farm animals are stupid. They do have "their own ideas of what, where, and when they want to eat," but I don't know that this is something that is encouraged by scripture. The oft-quoted and oft-abused 23rd Psalm alludes to this. "He makes me lie down in green pastures. / He leads me beside still waters. (emphasis added)" These verbs don't necessarily imply cooperation on the part of the sheep.
I would put forth a middle road between autocracy and complete cooperation - a model that I believe to be Biblical (although not dogmatically so). I think the roles of elders and deacons put forth in the later part of the New Testament provide a standard for leadership that is neither completely democratic nor dictatorial. Instead they are a group of people who are responsible for the physical and spiritual provision for and guidance of the local church congregation. These leaders are then responsible to each other and the congregation at large. I personally prefer a system in which they are also accountable to some larger body of congregation leaders within a denomination or cooperative of churches.
When implemented well, such a system allows for individual empowerment of congregation members because there is much more direct connection to those in leadership. These leaders should be chosen based on their humility and service to the church. They exist not to rule from the top, but to serve from the bottom. This leads to a natural connection with the congregation and surrounding community that makes them uniquely equipped to shape the vision of the church.
I know my views are probably uniquely biased by the last year I have spent in the PCA, but being raised in a congregational style of church government prior to that, I have seen a bit on both sides of the aisle. Let me know what you think and how your experience and interpretation of scripture have shaped your view of church government.
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3 comments:
God does raise people up to be leaders in the Body. A Church without some leadership among the membership isn't scriptural.
The problem is our corporate mentality towards leadership. Leadership in the kingdom is not a perpetual position. Leadership in the Kingdom is working yourself out of a job. Hopefully you lead people to the point where they don't look to you as much as they look to Christ alone. That is maturity.
As a father, while I may always have some leadership and counsel in my son's life, one day I hope he will be independent enough to poop on his own, to make wise decisions about what to wear, what to eat, how to do school work, what type of job to do and fulfill his calling as a man of God. This takes less of my leadership and more of his independence, even to the point where he one day cares for me in my old age.
Leaders in the Body are also leaders because of who they already are, not because of what we expect them to do. It's not a job, it is a responsibility born of relationship and recognized by the Church through the Spirit. In other words, leadership in the Kingdom is not based on degrees and resumes but on function of gift and calling that leaders already possess.
I know this is kinda long, but I felt the need to share. I could say much more on the subject, but I'll stop there!
Peace.
Britt,
Thanks for the comment. I think the analogy of your son brings to light some great points about the empowerment that good leadership seeks to create. One difference however, is all sons are called to leave their parents and form new family units. I don't think the same case can be made for all Christians rising to the point where they are above earthly church leadership. In fact, humble subordination to this leadership (I am not talking about being apathetic doormats) is something praised in scripture.
I also really appreciate your point about leadership being a product of gifting rather than of climbing some ecclesiastic corporate ladder. We are not looking to "degrees and resumes;" however, we pursue that in which we are gifted. This may lead to degrees and resumes, and these should certainly not disqualify us for leadership as they do in some congregations today.
Thanks again for reading and taking the time to comment. I think these discussions greatly benefit the Kingdom.
It should be noted that the best corporate managers both have a general shepherding role and a strong leadership development emphasis. Their job is also to work themselves out of a job. That's the only way they'll get promoted (at least in a functional workplace). I propose that the characteristics of a good leader are universal and include spiritual characteristics (some at the top of the list). #1 on the list is being fully committed and submitted to God.
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