A Fear that Ruins a Church

Yes, just like the last post on this subject, the topic came out of a conversation I had with a pastor friend of mine a few weeks ago and from that conversation I jotted down a few blog ideas. This is the 4th.

So if you are visiting this blog for the first time or are here because you followed a link to it from www.farmingtonbc.org please know that FBC is a wonderful church and has great people in it and this post is not a reflection in anyway on them.

That said… here we go….

Fear.

The 4 letter word that is on the hearts and minds of Pastors and members of many churches

And for good reason

Most of us have seen a Pastor tear up a church by his actions and others of us have seen congregations chew up a Pastor and spit him (and his family) out.  The hurts that come with these situations run deep with-in all of us,  producing feelings of fear and mistrust.

The Pastor fears what the congregation might do to him so he doesn’t trust them.

The Congregation fears what the Pastor might do to them and “their church” so they don’t trust him.

Both superimposing their previous experiences in church on the other.

This brings up questions and struggles concerning leadership, vision, and direction. Questions and battles over who is in charge and who isn’t.  Political sides are taken and bureaucratic systems are formed(that kill ministry effectiveness) pushing God right out of the picture onto the door step of His church. (Rev. 3:20)

Thinking that Satan has entered the church through music preferences or “Committee Chairs” they miss the fact that by their very focus on “who is in charge” he has been there for a while, using the same strategy he used way back in the Garden of Eden.

Who is going to get their way?  Who should get their way? These questions are wrapped in a great deal of fear that it  might not be them. (Pastor or Congregant)

This ruins a church.

So what is the solution?

Well it’s easy…

The church should be structured as God wants it structured and He has made what the leadership structure of a church should be very clear… in His Word.

So here are some questions to ponder…

Does the Bible teach that the church is a democracy?
Does it teach that it is a dictatorship?
Does the Bible teach that Pastors are to follow the direction of the congregation?
Does the Bible have a specific role for Deacons that is different than Elders and Pastors?
What does the Bible teach the congregation should be doing?
What does the Bible teach about the role of a Deacon?
What does the Bible teach about the roles of Elders and Pastors?
What does the Bible teach about accountability within church leadership and accountability among members?

What does the Scripture say about all of this?

It’s not what you think it says, it’s… this is what it says…. with the chapter and the verse recorded right beside the answer

Once you have this information only one question will remain…

Are you willing to follow the way God has the church structured in the Bible…

or are you just going to continue to do it your way because it’s “your church”?

If we choose to follow the Word of God on this subject and submit to it, the “who’s in charge” mentality will fade away…

and our fear will too.