Updated: 1/2/20
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Christ gave himself for the church so that he might make her holy, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present her to himself as glorious, without stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without fault (Ephesians 5:25–27).
There is a sense in which the church is to be understood as the kingdom of God in all of its glory: the civilization of God in history. But there is another sense in which it is a covenantal institution that is bound by an oath before God and men. I am speaking of the church in this sense in this chapter.
The focus of Paul’s declaration is clearly corporate. Christ died for the church, which is called His bride. He also died for individuals who are members of the church. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. That is, perhaps someone would dare to die for a good person. But God proves his own love toward us, because while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8). So, He died for individuals and collectives. The supreme collective, covenantally speaking, is the institutional church. This is because it extends into eternity. The family does not. There will be no marriage. “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage. Instead, they are like angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). The state does not. There will be no sin. So, there will be no negative sanctions.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, that came down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a great voice from the throne saying, "Look! The dwelling place of God is with human beings, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and he will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, or grieving, or crying, or pain. The former things have passed away (Revelation 21:1–4).
As the bride of Christ, the church is the center of God’s concern. He does not disinherit the church. On the contrary, the church is God’s heir in history. It is central to Christ’s kingdom.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, who is the firstfruits, and then those who belong to Christ will be made alive at his coming. Then will be the end, when Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. This is when he will abolish all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death (I Corinthians 15:22–26).
The church has replaced Israel as God’s bride. Paul called the church “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). As the replacement of Israel, whom God divorced for unfaithfulness in A.D. 70, the church will be progressively dressed in finery. The Old Testament passage on this is Ezekiel 16. Here, God describes Israel as an abandoned infant whom He picked up and nurtured. Then the metaphor shifts from infant to bride.
I dressed you in embroidered clothes and placed leather sandals on your feet. I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. Next I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your hands, and a chain around your neck. I put a nose ring in your nostrils and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver, and you were dressed in fine linen, silk, and embroidered clothes; you ate fine flour, honey, and oil, and you were very beautiful, and you became a queen. Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect in the majesty that I had given to you—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration (vv. 10–14).
The imagery is that of great wealth, not impoverishment. God does not robe the church in rags. Everything about the church suggests wealth. This is important for Christians to understand. The church begins small and poor, just as Israel did. But it will not stay small and poor. Neither will its members. Christians are supposed to have great optimism about the long-term economic success of the church as the kingdom of God, which includes the institutional church. They are not to view God’s favor in history as manifested in poverty. Jesus was clear about this. His church is not to live on scraps.
Then Jesus went away from there and withdrew toward the regions of the cities of Tyre and Sidon. Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region. She shouted out and said, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But Jesus answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is shouting after us.” But Jesus answered and said, “I was not sent to anyone except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and bowed down before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered and said, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, but even the little dogs eat some of the crumbs that fall from their masters' tables.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “Woman, great is your faith; let it be done for you just as you wish.” At that hour her daughter was healed (Matthew 15:21–28).
The context of this passage was not a theological debate over spiritual scraps. The context was physical health. Nevertheless, the woman understood the basic theology of the kingdom of God. She knew who was under the table: not Jesus and His disciples. Sadly, there has been a great temptation from the days of the early church for theologians to make the argument that the church is under the table of covenant-breakers, and will remain so throughout history. This is a reversal of what Jesus taught and the woman publicly acknowledged, and which she publicly acknowledged inside the borders of her nation. This is the only time recorded in the New Testament that Jesus journeyed outside of Israel. Furthermore, this is the only incident recorded from that journey. It should be clear that Jesus went out of His way geographically in order to make this point. The same incident is recorded in Mark 7:24–30.
Modern economic growth began in Great Britain and English-speaking North America (Canada and the newly formed United States) sometime around 1800. Never before had per capita economic growth above 2% per year lasted for two centuries. Economic historians debate about what caused this transformation, but no one argues that it began anywhere else or in any other time period. It was the same culture. It was an explicitly Protestant culture. The rest of Western Europe imitated the technological and institutional lead of these nations. Within a century, the West had been completely transformed. During the next century, most of the rest of the world was economically transformed. There is now a worldwide civilization. It is marked by the smartphone, introduced by the Apple Computer Company in 2007. No technology in history had ever spread as rapidly and as widely: one decade.
1. Theology
God owns everything. Obviously, He owns the church. This is another way of saying that He has legal claims on the church as a corporate entity, but He also has legal claims on the members of the church. Very early in church history, followers of Christ were called Christians (Acts 11:26). His name is on them. His name is on the church is a corporate entity. It is explicitly the Christian church.
The church extends into eternity. The family does not. The state does not. The church possesses greater continuity than any other institution. Revelation 21:1 speaks of the new heaven and new earth. It describes eternity. The church’s future is sure. It is therefore providential in a way that no other institution is or ever will be.
The supreme purpose of the individual in history is this: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33). What is the supreme purpose of the institutional church? The Great Commission. “Jesus came to them and spoke to them and said, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them into the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey all the things that I have commanded you. See, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18–20). This task was not given to any other institution. It is unique to the church.
A disciple is under discipline. I shall discuss this at greater length in Section D. Here, I say only that the covenantal mark of a Christian is being under the discipline of a local church. A God-assigned task of each disciple is to persuade others to submit to Christ’s discipline. This task is called evangelism: sharing the good news of Christ’s deliverance. Churches should train members in the techniques of sharing this message with others. The element of discipleship is intrinsic to the church. It means being under someone’s authority. 2. Implementation
The primary responsibility for training members to become effective disciples is the church’s responsibility. Families are responsible for teaching individual responsibility regarding the dominion covenant in general. Families teach the basics of the faith, as the Old Testament’s example of Passover indicates (Exodus 12:26–27). But, with respect to recruiting outsiders into the local church by bringing them the message of salvation, the church must specialize. Its leaders must present to members the case for the Great Commission. Then they must structure the local church’s weekly activities in terms of its program of evangelism. The techniques vary from culture to culture, but the strategy stays the same through the generations. It rests on verbal communications. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Initially, a church may be little more than a Bible study conducted by the head of a family. It may be small and interactive. But as churches grow and mature, they adopt the model of pastors and laymen. The pastor preaches. Members invite friends to attend church.
There is a weekly meeting. “Let us not stop meeting together, as some have done. Instead, encourage one another more and more, and all the more as you see the day coming closer” (Hebrews 10:25). This historically has involved singing. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that leads to reckless behavior. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always giving thanks for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father, submitting yourselves to one another in reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:18–21). This was the disciples’ practice, begun no later than the Last Supper. “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30). There are baptisms at the weekly meeting: sacraments. There is the corporate practice of Holy Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper. “For when you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat. When you eat, each one eats his own food before the others have their meal. One is hungry, and another becomes drunk. Do you not have houses to eat and to drink in? Do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!” (I Corinthians 11:20–22).
This is why regular attendance is important for the individual’s development of Christian maturity. It is a public proclamation of one’s membership in the bride of Christ. It identifies a person as part of a larger covenantal community. This testifies to the person’s rejection of spiritual and institutional autonomy.
1. Theology
God delegates ownership. Ownership always involves responsibilities. Church members have responsibilities. So do church officers. When God calls a person into His church. He calls that person to a life of service. There is no escape from this system of mutual service. It is covenantal. “Above all things, have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one of you has received a gift, use it to serve one another, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms” (I Peter 4:8–10).
Modern churches usually own buildings. Churches are visibly represented by buildings. The buildings usually have architecture that identifies them as churches. Church buildings serve the needs of members. Members serve the needs of buildings. Real estate expenses are high in most urban areas. Members must have sufficient income in order to fund the construction of a church building and then maintain it.
Ownership extends beyond physical property. The institutional church is in charge of the sacraments. A local church establishes criteria for membership. It baptizes new converts to the faith. This baptism establishes legal claims. Churches decide who gets access to which sacraments at which a judge. The sacraments are judicial marks of the church covenant. They identify church members. They identify who has legal access to specific sacraments. The church has a hierarchical government to make this decision and to enforce it. It has the right of excommunication. This is a judicial act. Once again, point four of the covenant, which has to do with judicial standing, is closely related to point two, which is related to hierarchy. Point two is always a matter of hierarchy. It is always a matter of judicial representation: “in the name of.” In economics, it is also a matter of economic stewardship: “on behalf of.”
The church acts in the name of God. Within the church, the person with authorization from the congregation to preach the word authoritatively acts as God’s spokesman. This is an ordained office: point four. Point two and point four are always linked. They are specifically linked by law: point three of the covenant.
Economically, the individual church member owes a tithe to the church. So does a family. This is because Christ held the office of high priest after the order of Melchizedek. “But Melchizedek, whose descent was not traced from them, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him, the one who had the promises” (Hebrews 7:6). This right to the tithe is not based on the Mosaic priesthood, which was collected by the Levites as their inheritance, since they inherited no rural land (Numbers 18:21). It is based on Melchizedek’s priesthood.
For when the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed. For the one about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. Now clearly, it is from Judah that our Lord was born, a tribe that Moses never mentioned concerning priests. What we say is clearer yet if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek. It was not based on the law of fleshly descent that he became a priest, but instead was based on the power of an everlasting life. For scripture witnesses about him: “You are a priest forever after the manner of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:12–17).Not to pay the tithe to steal from God.
From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says Yahweh of hosts. “But you say, ‘How will we return?’ Would a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I do not open to you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you, until there is no more room for it all. I will speak against those who destroy your crops, so that they do not destroy the harvest of your land. Your vines in the fields will not lose their fruit,” says Yahweh of hosts. “All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says Yahweh of hosts (Malachi 3:7–12).
There are sanctions attached to the tithe: positive and negative. These are corporate. They are not simply individual or family-based. “All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight.”
Giving above the tithe is optional. This is taught in the story of Ananias and Sapphira, who sold a piece of land, withheld a portion of the money, but told the church leaders that what they had donated was the complete sales price. For this, God struck them both dead. Peter delivered this judgment against Ananias:
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own, and after it was sold, was it not in your control? How is it that you thought of this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.” Hearing these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last, and great fear came upon all who heard it (Acts 5:3–5).
A pastor occupies a position of authority. He is therefore entitled to payment from the congregation. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work with the word and in teaching. For the scripture says, ‘You shall not put a muzzle on an ox while it treads the grain’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages’” (I Timothy 5:17–18).
There is a division of labor within a congregation larger than a few families. Deacons are appointed or elected to administer that portion of the congregation’s money that is designated for the poor. They operate under the authority of the elders. This relieves the elders from this responsibility (Acts 6:1–5).
All of this has to do with budgeting: time and money. The elders must decide how the tithes and donations must be spent. This is the stewardship function. The members have placed this responsibility in the hands of the elders. This is why screening for the office of elder involves this criterion: no greed for money. “He must not be addicted to wine, not a brawler, but instead, gentle, peaceful. He must not be a lover of money” (I Timothy 3:3). The same applies to a candidate for deacon. “Deacons, likewise, should be dignified, not double-talkers. They should not drink too much wine or be greedy” (v. 8).
A man who wants to exercise authority in the church must qualify morally. He must also have experience leading his family. The family is the primary screening institution. Elder: “He should manage his own household well, and his children should obey him with all respect. For if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for a church of God?” (I Timothy 3:4–5). Deacon: “Deacons must be husbands of one wife. They must manage well their children and household. For those who have served well acquire for themselves a good standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (vv. 12–13). The screening process begins with performance as the head of a household.
Serving as a deacon is an ideal training ground for serving as an elder, but few denominations are structured this way. Preachers gain office their offices by effective preaching. Other denominations require years of formal schooling.
2. Implementation
If you do not tithe, you must begin to re-structure your budget. You must learn to control your expenditures. The discipline involved in doing this will help you discipline your finances in other areas of your life. You must develop a financial plan. Planning is associated with point two of the covenant. Then you must stick to your plan.
If you are eligible to serve as a deacon, this is a high calling. The same is doubly true of an elder.
An elder is an activist. He must make decisions about which programs of evangelism to pursue. He must persuade his bishop if he is under one. He must persuade voting members of the congregation in Protestant churches. He must lead by example. You may decide that you do not want to be an activist who holds church office. But you may take other responsibilities, such as teaching Sunday school or administering charitable programs under the authority of the deacons. The larger the church, the more tasks that the leaders must assign to volunteers. There is a greater division of labor in a large church. There is greater need for specialization. The most famous Sunday school teacher in the United States is Jimmy Carter. He served as President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He is still teaching in 2018. He lives in a small town in rural Georgia. Busloads of tourists come to hear him. He is 91 years old. He does this out of a sense of obligation. He and his wife also help to build homes for the poor. He hammers nails and performs other forms of manual labor. He is not doing this to gain influence. He possessed more influence four decades earlier than any man on earth. He controlled the use of America’s nuclear weapons. He is there to volunteer, hoping that others will imitate him.
1. Theology
God prohibits theft. The church must be protected from invaders, just as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had to be protected. Jesus warned: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but are truly ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). For the church, the primary form of theft is theft of the church’s confession of faith. When churches depart from the Bible as the authoritative word of God, this indicates that the thieves have entered the sanctuary. They are beginning to change the content of the faith. This process of theft extends to every aspect of the church: liturgy, discipline, authority, and evangelism in general. False shepherds begin to lead the sheep astray. These false shepherds are paid by the tithes and offerings of the members. The theft process is surreptitious. Most members do not notice. Most members are not alert to theological subtleties. Those who are tend to transfer their membership to other churches when they recognize that the theology of the pastor has begun to change. This leaves the most vulnerable members at the mercy of the thieves. Ultimately, this theft places the eternal salvation of the members at risk. They may abandon the confession of faith that leads to salvation. Even if they don’t, newcomers will, and many of the children will. Then the children depart from the faith. They leave the church. They return to the world. This undermines Christian inheritance. The wealth of the just is laid up for the wicked. This is a reversal of the biblical pattern.
The primary forms of physical property owned by churches today are church buildings. They are places of worship. They are also meeting places for activities other than worship. We speak of “going to church.” We usually mean a building set aside for worship. Most Christians know that the church is an assembly of the faithful bound by a covenant oath and a separate judicial system.
The church is a covenantal institution. Its God-given task is not to accumulate property. Under the Mosaic law, there was a tabernacle, which became the temple in Jerusalem. No other buildings are mentioned. The synagogue system may have developed in David’s day. There is this reference: “They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated where you live, knocking it to the ground. They said in their hearts, ‘We will destroy them all.’ They burned up all of your meeting places in the land” (Psalm 74:8). But there are no other comparable references in the Old Testament. Scholars think that synagogues were being built in the second century before Christ. These buildings were meeting places. When the Jews came together for worship, they had buildings. This was a decentralized form of public worship. These buildings had to be financed. We do not know how the members raised sufficient funds to buy land and build meeting houses.
The New Testament does not mention separate church buildings that were used exclusively for worship. Members met in homes of members (Acts 12:12). These were homes large enough to hold a congregation. The congregations must have been small. Not many members could afford large homes. Not until the mid-200's are there references to separate buildings owned by churches. Thus, there is no biblical theology of property ownership by congregations. We can draw conclusions from passages money management by church officers, mainly Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira) and Acts 6 (the creation of the diaconate). Officers owed oath-bound allegiance to God. Members accepted this leadership. This was economic stewardship.
In addition to buildings of worship, the wealth of a church prior to the introduction of movable metal type in Western Europe in the mid-1400's was manifested in manuscripts of biblical books. These were expensive to copy. They had to be protected from the Roman authorities prior to the Emperor Constantine, who came into power around 324 A.D. The manuscripts were portable and easily concealed. 2. Implementation
The cost of real estate is a major barrier to the creation of new congregations. Land is expensive in urban areas. Building construction costs are high, although new computerized techniques offer hope that this expense will fall. But if it does, it is likely that prices of suitable land will be increase. People are bidding for this land. They estimate what they can afford in terms of total expense: land and construction.
A business can stay open for business six days a week or even seven. It can afford to purchase real estate, since its income will support the expense. A church may have as few as one or two worship services a week, a midweek prayer meeting, and Sunday school meetings. The facility generates no income during the week unless it runs a profitable day care or rents space to one. Members must donate money to make the real estate purchase and then maintain the facility. Small churches cannot afford to bid against businesses. The auction process favors businesses.
If there is ever a large-scale revival in an urban area, churches will have to offer several worship services on Sunday. Congregations will not be able to afford to build churches fast enough to house services. Alternatively, churches could establish Internet-based satellite churches in people’s homes. This is a modified house church model. Digital communications make these house churches technologically possible. No one has to pay to construct a building for meetings.
1. Theology
God evaluates performance. Church members must become entrepreneurs. They must forecast the results of policies set by the church. They must count the cost (Luke 14:28–30). Church elders must do the same. This is the task of entrepreneurs. They deal with uncertainty. At some point, God will assesses the performance of a particular congregation or denomination. If he rates its performance as substandard, He will either abandon it or else He will raise up men to reform it. The supreme passage in the New Testament that deals with God’s judgment of specific churches is Revelation 1–3. Peter wrote: “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey God's gospel?” (I Peter 4:17). The judges are the elders. They act in the name of God. They bring sanctions, both positive and negative. Point two of the covenant, hierarchy, is always connected to point four.
The elders are to use the Bible as the standard of judgment. “All scripture has been inspired by God. It is profitable for doctrine, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness. This is so that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16–17). There must be self-judgment, but there is also need for external judgment by men who are well-grounded in Scripture. It is their task to apply the timeless truths of Scripture to specific conditions.
There should be more than one elder. “Where there is no wise direction, a nation falls, but victory comes by consulting many advisors” (Proverbs 11:14). The same is true of any institution. “Iron sharpens iron; in the same way, a man sharpens his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). This is true inside the church.
There are required ways for settling disputes.
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you will have gained your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two others along with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might be verified. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell the matter to the church. If he also refuses to listen to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector (Matthew 18:15–17).When one of you has a dispute with another, does he dare to go to the civil court before an unbelieving judge, rather than before the saints? Do you not know that the believers will judge the world? If then, you will judge the world, are you not able to settle matters of little importance? Do you not know that we will judge the angels? How much more, then, can we judge matters of this life? If then you have to make judgments that pertain to daily life, why do you lay such cases as these before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Is there no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between brothers? But as it stands, one believer goes to court against another believer, and that case is placed before a judge who is an unbeliever! (I Corinthians 6:1–6).
Screening must be based on ethics, but also on practical conduct.
This saying is trustworthy: If someone desires to be an overseer, he desires a good work. Therefore the overseer must be without reproach. He must be a husband of one wife. He must be moderate, sensible, orderly, and hospitable. He must be able to teach. He must not be addicted to wine, not a brawler, but instead, gentle, peaceful. He must not be a lover of money. He should manage his own household well, and his children should obey him with all respect. For if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for a church of God? (I Timothy 3:1–5)
This means that church members should know about the pastoral candidate’s behavior. He must not be a troublemaker. He should be an experienced manager of his household.
2. Implementation
You may be thinking about taking on more responsibility in your congregation. This is a worthy goal. You must prepare yourself for this task. This takes a great deal of study. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no reason to be ashamed, who accurately teaches the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). Exercising church authority is a major undertaking. It may not pay any salary. The benefits are indirect.
You should consider areas of service in the church that will build your reputation as an honest, reliable person. There are always tasks that need to be done. Most people do not seek leadership positions. They do not like the responsibility that necessarily accompanies leadership. This opens up lower-level positions.
Serving as a deacon is good training for the eldership. Here, you will see how much money comes in and also how it is spent. This will provide an overview of the church’s commitment to charity, as well as the elders’ wisdom. If there are problems in the church, they will be reflected in the budget. So will the strengths.
If you are confident about your family’s finances, service in the church will let you test your ability to handle responsibility. The family screens men’s performance outside the family. Wives have some understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their husbands. Prospective leaders should discuss this personal leadership strategy with their wives. Wives must be ready to take on new responsibilities. They will be subjected to greater scrutiny by other members. Some wives prefer to avoid this. If you want to teach, attend Sunday school classes taught by the best teachers in your church. Observe how they do this. Assess what works and why. It also would be wise to join Toastmasters International. This low-cost membership organization teaches people how to speak well in public.
Before attempting any major changes, you must have some sense of the understanding of local church members. If you plan to become an activist, be aware of the limits on change within your church. People do not like being pushed to make changes in their thinking. New ideas always involve uncertainty. They involve a break with the past. Jesus said to count the cost before making major decisions.
“For which of you who desires to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost to calculate if he has what he needs to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take advice about whether he is able with ten thousand men to fight the other king who comes against him with twenty thousand men? If not, while the other army is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for conditions of peace” (Luke 14:28–32).
The more you demonstrate concern for young people in the church or the poor in the community, the more plausible your recommended innovations will be. Most people respond favorably to selfless sacrifice on behalf of the weak.
1. Theology
God mandates growth. This applies to the operations of institutional churches. This is not primarily a matter of physical property. It has to do with the preaching of the gospel and the expansion of the church in general. It means, most of all, building the kingdom of God in history. This is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20).
The expansion of the number of members in a local congregation is one aspect of inheritance. But inheritance goes far beyond the increase in membership rolls. The most important heritage is the congregation’s confession of faith. This is how it distinguishes itself from other congregations. This sets it apart. Thus, Paul wrote to Timothy: “As I urged you to do when I was leaving for Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you can command certain people not to teach a different doctrine” (I Timothy 1:3). He wrote this to the church at Galatia:
I am amazed that you are turning away so quickly from him who called you by the grace of Christ. I am amazed that you are turning to a different gospel. This is not to say that there is another gospel, but there are some men who cause you trouble and want to change the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel other than the one we proclaimed to you, let him be cursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, “If someone proclaims to you a gospel other than the one you received, let him be cursed” (Galatians 1:6–9).
We read this in Jude: “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I had to write to you to exhort you to struggle earnestly for the faith that was entrusted once for all to the holy people” (v. 3). The more systematic the teaching programs are, the more important this inheritance will be. The more detailed the official creedal statement, the more difficult its to reform a church. Consider this. The form of government defines a church. Any attempt to change this will be resisted. And this: the mode of baptism is central to worship. This is tied to a specific theology.
Another factor is liturgy, which includes music. People become attached to familiar music. Any attempt to substitute a different style of music will be perceived by the congregation as a major innovation. Congregations rarely abandon familiar musical styles. Styles of worship also include the shape and material of the podium, as well as the kinds of musical instruments. Members who would not perceive alterations in theology will recognize changes in liturgy. They will generally be suspicious of such innovations. They recognize intuitively that there is a connection between confessions of faith and liturgical traditions. This connection may seem to be superficial, but it rarely is. When a pastor begins to pressure the congregation to change its liturgical style, he has probably gone through some kind of theological transformation. Leaders in the church should recognize this, and they should begin to inquire into the pastor’s motivations. If a congregation owns real estate, it leaves an inheritance to successive generations of members. The building and its location are identified with the congregation. Members become committed to a physical location. They are willing to move to a larger building, but this will involve a transfer of loyalty to the new location. 2. Implementation
In most cases, a layman or a deacon cannot persuade the elders or higher officers, such as bishops, to make major changes in a church. This layman is easily isolated by the church’s leaders. He is not in a position to mobilize a majority of members. This is why members who are dissatisfied with some aspect of a church generally transfer their membership to a church that is closer to what they want. It is easier to do this than to reform an existing church. The emotional price is lower. This is why there is continuity in most congregations most of the time.
Laymen are rarely committed to comprehensive reform of a church. The pastor has a strong voice in church affairs. Pastors do not want to jeopardize the stability of the church and the stability of their income. A pastor’s preferences usually outweigh the preferences of a layman. The pastor has the weight of tradition on his side. There may be resistance by laymen to innovations by the pastor or other elders. This reduces the number and the magnitude of theological or liturgical reforms. In these cases, laymen who donate a lot of money can sometimes successfully resist an innovation imposed from the top. But this is rare. If the pastor is part of a hierarchical denomination, and the bishops favor the innovation, laymen can delay the innovation, but they probably cannot reverse it. This means that an activist who is not an ordained minister will have only marginal success in a major reform project. If he is a pastor of a non-hierarchical independent church, and he is the church planter, or he was hired to lead a shrinking congregation ready for change, he has considerable latitude. But his innovation is unlikely to extend beyond his congregation.
The institutional church is covenantal. Membership is based on a formal public oath and by oath signs: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. There are sanctions, both positive and negative, associated with this oath and oath signs.
Paul’s first epistle to Timothy makes it clear that there is a screening system required for high church office. The system is based on leadership by the candidate in his family. There are other criteria, such as not being greedy and being temperate. But the family is the institutional screening device for both elders and deacons.
Because of the importance of elders, including bishops, in the church hierarchy, it is almost impossible for a layman to reform a local congregation. In a hierarchical church, it is even more difficult. Rulership in the church is based on a top-down system. Therefore, in order to be an effective activist, you will have to be ordained to serve as a pastor. You might be able to have influence as a deacon, but only if the local church authorizes the diaconate to launch multiple programs for helping the poor and the weak. If you are a member in a diaconate that has done this, you could have influence by posting videos and workbooks online, which would show other churches how to create similar programs.
Volunteering is the key to exercising influence before you are elected to the diaconate, or before you are elected as an elder. There are many ways of volunteering in a local congregation. Most people do not want the responsibilities associated with leadership. So, there are always opportunities for service in local congregations. People can teach Sunday schools. They can be involved in various forms of caregiving to the poor or elderly. This is an effective way of building your reputation in a congregation. Helping the poor or the weak gains respect from most members.
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