Church Government – A Poor Substitute

Yesterday I was talking to my mom about the hierarchical system in churches; Pastors, elders, deacons, and so on. People who think they have authority over the body of Christ. There are many scriptures that talk about the structure of the Church, but, there seems to be something so out of place in the church structures of today then in comparison to when Jesus was on earth…

Here is a great article that fully explains in depth on the biblical bases about what the Church looks like in comparison to what Father intended.


http://www.masters-table.org/studies/church%20gov.htm



This topic is a huge reason why I hate religious organizations. Someone who thinks they have the authority ‘by God’, has fully forgotten the importunate of servant hood and therefore, in my own opinion, does not have the right to conform people to bow down to man’s image. We were not meant to praise the one who preaches, but, the one who is being preached about. It seems to me that the way any typical church is structured to have men rule over other men, and have authority over those who attend are putting men before God. This hierarchical system that has taken over God’s church and has become something that I don’t believe was ever meant to become. In this article I love how he states, that we were all chosen by God:

“Notice that Jesus states in the above scripture concerning the structure like a vine that He wants us ALL to bear much fruit, so we ALL can grow, not just the minister. We also find in Matt 20:25-28 that Jesus instructed His disciples not to lord over their brethren. Let's read it…"But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."”

There is another scripture that says (and I can’t remember the exact verse), we were all called, but only few are chosen… I think that scripture is talking about ‘Christians’ in general and not about pastors or ministers or people who go by a certain label to think that they are something. It is referring to all of us… I personally can’t stand labels but I know that I fit into the category of chosen because I have made the decision to be chosen even if I am known as a no body. Those who decide and make the decision to follow Christ are the ones who are chosen. Not the ones who have the labels to think they have to prove that they are something. I remember hearing someone say that when you think you are somebody, you will soon find out that you are a no body. Talk about humbling and it is so true.

What has been more humbling is hearing about former pastors and elders from certain Christian churches stepping down and even apologizing that they were wrong in trying to be God to people in their organizations. This is a revelation that God can only get across to men, but, it has even humbled me to hear about their journey’s and how Father has led them to step down and give up the throne to its rightful owner. Not to say that all leaders are supposed to do this unless they are personally called by God to step down, but if I was in that kind of situation that would be so hard because it would seem that I would have to give up so much power. It seems to me like these hierarchical structures in churches are but power struggles between man and God, especially when the initial thought of man is that they have to defend their position in the church.