March 26, 2008
Church Model
Some educators want to leave their mark on public education by implementing innovative new models for the school system. I think this same creative bug has bitten many of our ministers. Pastors and church staff can spend hours working up new church models. The suspicious corner of my mind says, ‘Ah-ha, someone wants to be the author of the next Willow Creek or Saddleback’. Actually, I think those of us in the pew have good ideas also, so here’s my church model. I’d like to see salaried elders (full benefits) shepherd the flock. Since many of today’s preachers want to specialize only in preaching, I think we could contract with preachers and pay them by the sermon (no benefits). There are many qualified speakers [including retired and associate pastors] who’d like to pick up a weekend paycheck for giving a message on a one time basis - with no other obligations or ministry strings attached. The congregation could enjoy a variety of preachers and still have continuity with their elders. Membership however, would need to become attentive and scripturally knowledgeable. Similar to the Bereans who searched the Scripture daily to see if what Preacher Paul was saying was true (Acts 17:11). Inadequate preachers/speakers who failed to rightly divide the word of truth would simple not get a return invitation. Realistically I know my church model wouldn’t be taken seriously, but I do think it has merit.
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Gail;
-----Good idea. I go further though. Paul said that the elders who rule well are worthy of pay. Evidently, he knew of a line distinguishing those that ruled well from those who did not. The line would be something more worthy of debate than how the offering should be spent and the building be used. In fact, beyond guarding the fundamental boundaries of doctrine and conduct, the only other clearly expressed authority given to the elders is the channeling of contributed goods and services to the areas of valid need. The rest of their involvement in Christian life and fellowship is toward exhortation and example. It is when the leaders held up the funds in the channel long enough for the minions to perceive them to be the church’s funds that the fellowship of the brethren became an organization by the leaders.
-----“Decently and in order” is certainly a part of the conduct within the elders’ authority. But collection, ownership, and expending of the offering is not the only way for the fellowship to practice its generosity decently and in order. Think of the fellowship with no legal organization whatsoever. No property ownership. No church buildings. Church would no longer be the place you go to. It would be the way you are around those who are the Lord’s. It would be meeting around the community with different people in different places, tying the community together. Those who were Christian in name only would no longer find the extra effort necessary to maintain fellowship as desirable. They would fall by the wayside and the church could step up a rung on the ladder of spiritual attention. Don’t think for a moment that the Christians would leave them alone by the wayside. Christianity would become a matter of practice, not a matter of attendance. And giving would be a matter of assistance rather than an act of ritual teetering upon idolatry.
-----Then the line between those who rule well enough to be paid and those who do not would become automatically defined. Those who pour themselves into the body would be happily assisted with their living expenses, because the value of their efforts for the body would be too great to have the time wasted on some business job. There would not really be any hiring and firing, just serving and compensating. And surely, the Spirit would need to be moving in such a situation, which sounds to me a whole lot like Jesus being the head of the church.
-----Oh well. It ain’t perfect, but it is working like it is. At least the way things are now gives us something to poke a little fun at.
Love,
Steve Corey
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