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.