The Problem With The 'Church'

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am on the case of the sorry excuses that we call  'church' once again! I am talking about the 'church' leaders in this case.     First I have an article here for you to read. Then I will give my 2 cents worth on the matter.      This comes from  Dr. Norman L. Park (Murfeesboro, Tennessee) and can be read in its entirety at Central Truth Ministries! THE HIERARCHICAL MODEL    The defense of the prevailing model may be stated as follows: responsibility can be only hierarchical. The world about us teaches us that control must be vested in the few as the only alternative to anarchy. Power and decision-making must belong to the few and authority exercised from the top down so that all can be done “in decency and order.” Hence the “eldership” must rule, like the corporate board runs the corporation and manages the employees, who correspond to the ordinary church members. For reasons of specialization, the value of which capitalism has demonstrated, the office of “minister” has been developed and put at the apex of the pyramid. Through him as their proxy, the elders discharge their teaching function. As Campbell once wrote, he has “shut up everybody’s mouth” except his own, and his he will not open unless he is paid for it. Pay is also found for the song leader and the church secretary, but not for the librarian, the keeper of the nursery, those who prepare the communion service, or the Sunday school teachers, though logically they also should be regarded as employees in the productive enterprise.    The minister does most of the planning, originates most of the proposals, writes the letters, plays a key role in funding and in expanding the plant (he is almost always the one with the shovel when a cornerstone is laid), and substitutes for the elders in hospitality, overseeing, and counseling. He wields extensive blacklisting power against other churches and other preachers. However, he is hired exclusively by the elders and serves at their pleasure. These men control the church property, and the treasury is exclusively at their disposal. Their decisions are not to be questioned, but meekly accepted, and are not subject to review or reversal by the church. As a self-perpetuating body, they also choose the deacons and set the program of the church. Though members may he permitted to propose, theirs is the exclusive duty to dispose. As authoritarian guardians of the church, they determine who may participate, who may be tolerated if kept silent, and who is to be excommunicated. They are the final judge of truth, which may vary from “eldership” to “eldership,” but within a given congregation, it is a settled matter. For practical reasons a member may be permitted to hold a contrary truth provided he does not vocalize his belief.   MORE     From my own experiences, I have seen that more often than not, that many of the churches in this country are run more like 'for profit' corporations rather than a house of worship!     I have been asked to not come back to a few churches in my time because I would question the pastors teaching for a particular Sunday.     A pastor does not like someone who may know the Word of God better than he does. The last thing that most (not all) pastors want to be is questioned on anything that they say is coming from out of the bible.    I blame alot of this attitude on those of you who sit in the pews on Sundays and Wednesdays and listen to the nice preacher and believe that everything  he has said for the past 20(?) minutes is right You never look up what he has said to make sure that he is in line with the Word of God nor do you say anything to him when you do find that the teacher is wrong in his use of scripture.     The congregation (you) has gotten lazy (you) and complacent (you). Many of you are as blind sheep following a blind man over the edge of the cliff ahead and you do not even know it!    If your preacher, pastor,ect. does not make you uncomfortable and a little angry with his sermon, then that individual is not doing his job.    Here is a small sample of the leadership problem in the church today.    "The evils flowing from the policing and control of authoritarian “elderships” are evident on every hand. One church member has been denied any participation in any church activity of a Tennessee church for 17 years because he does not believe that elders have the authority to rule the church. One writer for Integrity received a cease-and-desist order under threat of excommunication. One group meeting during the week in Borger for worship and edification were told that they had to stop unless the program was approved in advance and an elder present at the meeting. In Murfreesboro impromptu singing was stopped by the order that nobody could start a song except the official song-leader. In another church folk songs were banned by the order that only songs in the songbook could be sung. In still another church girls were told that they could not vocalize prayers in prayer circles in private homes. Only officially approved literature may be displayed in the library or reading shelf. Sunday school teachers may be advised not to call on certain members for class participation. Voluntaryism may be totally squelched and spontaneity banned, though both seemed to be major features of first century worship."   CTM     Question authority, even the churches! You do a great disservice to yourself and the others around you if you do not open your mouth when it is necessary to do so! Even most important, you do a great disservice to God!                         Michael d.