More Than Trends
For the past several years we have heard much talk among members of the church, especially preachers, about various trends in the church. Trends in the wrong direction. I suppose that there are many things that are being practiced by churches of Christ today that are trends in the wrong direction but there are a number of practices that are MORE THAN TRENDS! I may not be able to recognize a trend every time but I am sure that any student of the Bible, who loves the truth, can recognize some of the practices in the church today that are more than a step in the wrong direction. The faithful preacher of the gospel is always ready to fight against these departures and for the right as it is set forth in the New Testament.
One practice that is common to many churches today, that is more than a trend, is that of organizing a church with officers that are not mentioned in the New Testament. These so-called appointed "leaders" assume the same authority that New Testament elders are to have and yet they deny that they are elders. In some places they are called "leaders." In others they are called "trustees." And don't think for a moment that these "leaders" or trustees" just take care of the temporal needs of the church but they assume the authority of spiritual leaders and become such as are recognized as the men who "run the church." They take the authority to select all the teachers of the classes, select the preacher, and fire him when they desire. If anyone challenges their right to such action he is immediately branded as a "trouble-maker" and he takes no part in the public services of the church. Any organization other than elders and deacons is anti-scriptural and unscriptural and it is high time that we recognized some of the practices in the church, as to church organization, as MORE THAN TRENDS.
Another practice that is completely unscriptural is that of one congregation selecting the elders and deacons for another. Now, don't say that this has never happened for I have personally witnessed it many times in the past fourteen years. I have yet to see a place where it has been engaged in that it has not caused trouble. Preachers, it is completely unscriptural! Why won't you raise your voice against it? In the past few months I have had preachers argue for such practice. But, where is the New Testament example for such? How long will it be before we completely lose sight of congregational autonomy as taught in the New Testament?
The common practice of many churches to go out and build a building and start a church, then to "oversee" that work until it gets on its feet contains many exercises that destroys local congregational autonomy. One that is engaged in all over the country is that of taking the contribution of the "mission" and then the "mother church" taking care of all expenses. I know of many places where this has been practiced for many years. Then the congregation that the "mother church" started cannot make a single decision for herself. She must consult the "mother church." Of course this is just advisory? But let the "mission" do something that they don't like and see how far they will go. Brethren, the New Testament' teaches that each congregation is a separate body, completely so! Every congregation can and must operate scripturally unorganized if there are none within her qualified to be elders. Elders of other congregations cannot "oversee" her! This is how the apostasy began and it looks like another is in the making. Let's quit these unscriptural practices and plead for a return to the New Testament in all things.
Why don't we quit talking about those things that are trends in the church and eliminate some of the things that are MORE THAN TRENDS by simply teaching what the New Testament says?