Cough Mark Driscoll Cough. The reasons you mention are why operating outside of a denomination terrifies me. I absolutely need to be held accountable. I disagree with my denomination constantly but it provides necessary checks, balances and resources.
I hear you brother, Pastor, Elder. Arrogance is a big part for sure. It’s not only that those who operate like that don’t like accountability it is part of a twisted nature that never really repented deep down inside They are the privileged ones the ones who can do know wrong. Church history is awesome and filled with incredible men and women. Some are heroes of the faith and some are villains. Thanks for keeping us thinking. I’m part of a church plant. Reformed in doctrine. It’s exciting but a little nerve racking too. As an old guy growing up a pagan then becoming mainstream with the Alliance in Canada, things have changed but Jesus never. Glory to His name. AW Tozer helped me cut my teeth back in the day. Now I’m listening to podcasts like the Pugcast and stuff from Canon plus.
I started to get involved in a house church. Went for ~2 months. Led by a very kind and caring pastor. But to your point, I realized that the whole group was built around this one guy. If he died, the group would instantly disband.
This is a great essay. From personal experience, I'd say that this arrogance isn't just limited to independent churches but also independent worship/reading. In the Acts, we witness what is essentially a secret between the God and the Apostles. It starts with, "God led me here," then "Maybe I'm reading this for a reason" and leads to "I'm the chosen evangelist of God." It fuels vanity where humility ought to have taken precedence. And no one is around to correct us except the Internet, which focuses on numbers more than reliability.
Cough Mark Driscoll Cough. The reasons you mention are why operating outside of a denomination terrifies me. I absolutely need to be held accountable. I disagree with my denomination constantly but it provides necessary checks, balances and resources.
I hear you brother, Pastor, Elder. Arrogance is a big part for sure. It’s not only that those who operate like that don’t like accountability it is part of a twisted nature that never really repented deep down inside They are the privileged ones the ones who can do know wrong. Church history is awesome and filled with incredible men and women. Some are heroes of the faith and some are villains. Thanks for keeping us thinking. I’m part of a church plant. Reformed in doctrine. It’s exciting but a little nerve racking too. As an old guy growing up a pagan then becoming mainstream with the Alliance in Canada, things have changed but Jesus never. Glory to His name. AW Tozer helped me cut my teeth back in the day. Now I’m listening to podcasts like the Pugcast and stuff from Canon plus.
I appreciate these thoughts.
I started to get involved in a house church. Went for ~2 months. Led by a very kind and caring pastor. But to your point, I realized that the whole group was built around this one guy. If he died, the group would instantly disband.
This is a great essay. From personal experience, I'd say that this arrogance isn't just limited to independent churches but also independent worship/reading. In the Acts, we witness what is essentially a secret between the God and the Apostles. It starts with, "God led me here," then "Maybe I'm reading this for a reason" and leads to "I'm the chosen evangelist of God." It fuels vanity where humility ought to have taken precedence. And no one is around to correct us except the Internet, which focuses on numbers more than reliability.