Here is Part 3 of my imaginations about ways to reinvent church. This post deals with leadership in the church. I know that various congregations around the country are already practicing several of these ideas, and so there is really not much new here.
What if leadership structure, requirements, and functions were different?
What if we didn’t promote people into leadership just because they had letters after their name, or lots of donations in the tithe plate?
What if elder’s meetings were more about prayer for the people and ministries of the church than discussing the myriad and minute problems and issues of the church?
What if leaders didn’t have to “dress up” in order to show they were the leaders?
What if, when a new person visited our gathering, it wasn’t immediately obvious who the leader was? Would this be possible?
What if decisions were made, not based on what other churches or doing, not based on what the church has always done, not based on what the numerous church policies say, but instead only made after people had sought the truth of God through Scripture, the timing of God through prayer, and the leading of God through reliance on the Holy Spirit?
What if leaders were chosen, not based on who gave the most money, who was the most vocal complainer or critic, who had been at the church the longest, but on the spiritual characteristics of humility, teachability, servant hearted, and had respect for authority?
What if we didn’t have committees?
What if people didn’t need permission from the pastor or a committee to go serve and meet a need?
What if leaders were chosen from within the current fellowship, rather than being recruited or hired from outside?
What if all local churches were autonomous…meaning they were not part of a denomination?
What if all local churches were part of a denomination?
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Feel free to answer these below or provide questions of your own.
Jeremy!
It is so great to see this written down. So many of these have been reverberating through my mind for years.
Good posts. Thank you!
You mention “local church” and I have a question. I’m not trying to be smart-alecky here but could you please define “local”, and also what is the farthest distance you would drive to go to a church you really like–a free grace church?
Jr2,
I think that a “local church” is nothing more than a gathering of believers who are part of the larger, universal church. To avoid confusion, I maybe should have said ‘local gathering.” It is impossible for the universal church to all gather, so we must gather in smaller, local settings. When this happens, I think it is a “local church.” I don’t think it has to be a set number of people, or that there are set requirements about what has to happen when they gather, though I don’t think one person can be “church” by themselves.
Regarding free grace churches, I must tread lightly. I believe that eternal life is offered freely to all who believe in Jesus for it. But I have found that many “Free Grace” churches are amazingly legalistic – especially about grace! It’s ironic, really.
So I would no longer attend a church just because it makes a claim about being ‘free grace.” I now look for other things, such as love (for one another and the community) and mission (both local and global). This is because I believe that church is way more than what a group of believers believe, but what that group of believers does.
Thank you very much for your reply. I appreciate it. I probably wasn’t very clear because what I was really wondering is, if I found a church I really like but it’s 43 miles away and it’s a 50 minute drive, do you think that I would be considered to be involved in a “local” church. What I was wondering was if “local” was defined in terms of distance. The church does not call itself “free grace”, I just said that based on their articles of faith and the preaching. There are churches closer by, but either their articles of faith or their preaching is not “free grace” and so I’m frustrated about my situation. What I was really wondering is what your opinion was of driving such a distance to a church that might not be considered “local” to me. Thank you very much, may the LORD bless you and your family
Did I say, ‘reverberating’? Hmm. Isn’t that what happens in empty, cavernous spaces?
jr2,
good questions. I personally would not recommend driving such a distance to attend church. It is too hard to really get involved with the church, and if you were to begin evaneglizing your friends, neighbors, and coworkers, it would be nearly impossible to get them to attend the church with you.
Steve,
Ha ha ha! I hope you are not saying that your mind is an empty, cavernous space!!!!
Jeremy,
Thank you for your reply. That is helpful. I appreciate your answer.