Church Structure – Part Three (of eight): A Misunderstanding of Overseer

We have been discussing church structure and the error of a class system or clergy system in the body of Christ. This error leads to several errors or weaknesses. For the rest of this series, we will be discussing several of those errors and weaknesses.

The first error or weakness we will discuss is a misunderstanding of overseer. An overseer is not a ruler but one who looks over the flock to protect her from wolves and to find places of safe “pasture.” It is not a controlling office setting policy and leading the affairs of the Church, but “looking over” the church (its members) and providing watch while the flock works (does the work of the ministry). Overseers do not rule, direct or control – they watch. It is a role of a servant seen in the background if seen at all. They are not the prominent ministers in the congregation, they are on the sidelines watching – overseeing. This is not a position at the top of a hierarchy, but a function of serving. It usually designates those in the congregation who were older and more experienced.

In my next post I will continue to share the errors and weaknesses of creating a class system within the church and discuss the misunderstanding of leadership. Let’s make this a dialog – what have you observed and learned?

 

Church Structure – Part Two (of eight): The Error of Creating a Class System in the Body of Christ

I started this discussion by relating to a conversation I am having regarding the development of a church’s governmental and leadership structure as prescribed by their By Laws. In my last post I discussed the error of replacing the headship of the church with a man rather than keeping Christ as the head. This leads us to the second error. That error is setting up a system that creates a class system within the body of Christ (laity and clergy) rather than allowing for each believer to develop/mature under the leading and lordship of Christ in community. This leads to many problems within the Church and I would like to discuss of few of those here. This has been major error which is in direct relation to the first error previously discussed (The error of replacing the headship of the church with a man rather than keeping Christ as the head).

The problem is rooted in the tendency that men (and women) want to be in power. Therefore, there must be an “us” (the clergy class) and a “them” (the laity class). How does this happen? Sometimes they set themselves up as a separate category of disciple or class of believer. Then they proclaim that if you want to grow, if you want to mature, if you want to have gifting and even our degree of anointing, then you must allow us to govern, rule over you as your overseers. There are even claims of financial success, prosperous lives and good marriages if you remain submitted to this man or system. This cuts the believer off from the head who is Christ and replaces Christ with an elite class of clergy. We see that this happened historically and it originated in the Church out of Rome as well as the perversions of pagan practices of the Constantine era.

It does not matter if the church structure minimizes the titles and offices normally labeled as clergy. If they continue to set a group apart as being superior or closer to Christ because of their anointing or position the same erroneous practice is at play. The clergy laity system ignores the biblical pattern of a body and has established a hierarchal order based upon the professional and the non-professional Christian. There is no biblical precedent for this at all. This class system causes several errors and weaknesses in the body of Christ. I will be discussing in later posts six of these errors or weaknesses:

• A misunderstanding of overseer
• A misunderstanding of leadership
• A misunderstanding of anointing
• Ignoring the priesthood of all believers.
• A departure from making disciples of Jesus Christ
• The development of a separate entity other than the church of Jesus Christ

In my next post I will continue to share the errors and weaknesses of creating a class system within the church and discuss the misunderstanding of overseer.

 

Church Structure – Part One (of eight): The Error of Replacing Christ as the Head

Recently I had (and am still having a discussion with a friend) regarding a church’s governmental structure (By Laws) and the issues that are inconsistent with what I perceive the Lord is doing in His Church today. There were two major themes that caused me great concern, and I would like to discuss them here. These two issues are closely related because one error leads to the other.

These two issues are:

1. The error of replacing the headship of the church with a man rather than keeping Christ as the head.
2. Setting up a system that creates a class system within the body of Christ (laity and clergy) rather than allowing for each believer to develop/mature under the leading and lordship of Christ in community.

In regards to the first, (the error of replacing the headship of the church with a man rather than keeping Christ as the head) this has been one of the major errors throughout the history of the Church. This has been a ploy of Satan throughout the ages from Cain and Able, to Babel, to choosing a king in Israel, to the desecration of the Temple.

Jesus came to establish the Kingdom of God and the good news was that the King has arrived and his name is Jesus. We have no need for another king, another mediator, another leader that reigns supreme. When we ignore this reality in our church life and reduce the presence of Jesus to a faith statement at best we are robbing ourselves of what Jesus came to do. When we gather in His name He is really in our midst. He is not there figuratively, He is not there as a memory from the past or hope in the future – but He is there. Why is He there? He is there to administrate His authority as King. (Matt 18:18-20).

Why don’t we expect Jesus to administrate his supreme authority when we gather, or when we lead the affairs of a local church? Why do we look to men to replace our King? Why can’t we step aside and let Jesus be king and head of His Church? There are a few possible reasons, it could be unbelief, or lack of knowledge, or just plain lust for power to be in charge. This practice is a great sin. Our churches should resist everything the raises its head to replace the headship of our Lord and King Jesus. The only other head allowed in scripture is the husband being the head of his home, (Eph 5:22-24 – and that is in the context of explain Jesus as the head). Nowhere is there a mention of a man, regardless of his gifting, replacing Christ as the head of His Church.

Are we willing to structure our churches governments, meetings, ministries and activities with Jesus as Lord and King? Are we willing to have a relationship with him that is so real that we not only acknowledge his presence – but we expect him to preside? There is a desire in the body of Christ to have more intimacy with the Lord, to get a touch from the Lord, to have a visitation from the Lord both when we gather as well as in our hearts and lives. Is it possible that the reason these experienced are sometimes fleeting or at best for short seasons is because we refuse to submit to His lordship and plan our lives, our budgets, our ministries around the ideas of the “body” rather than the head?

What will it take to change? It first starts with me – how about you?

My next entry will discuss point #2: Setting up a system that creates a class system within the body of Christ (laity and clergy) rather than allowing for each believer to develop/mature under the leading and lordship of Christ in community.