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| Pastors > Articles |
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Leadership  |
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Aug 22, 2005 |
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Church Musings: Whose Church is it, anyway?
Tod Bolsinger
A funny thing happened while I have been traveling the better part of the last
month. Not funny “ha, ha” but funny “weird”. (Actually more like the way your
stomach feels “funny” right before you get sick.) By the time I returned from
Africa, I had heard o of three different churches all pastored or attended by
friends or colleagues that were being torn apart by congregational division. Since
I had already known of another church and recently had someone send me an email
asking for input about yet another painful situation that might also lead to a
split. I realized that I was now praying for the peace and unity of five congregations
who were falling apart.
What is happening here?
The circumstances are all different and the details are hard to discern completely.
But here is what they have in common, from my (in some cases cursory) awareness
of the situations.
• None of the turmoil in any of the churches was theologically driven.
These are not cases of division because of theological or biblical disagreement.
(There are lots of rumors in at least one case about “liberal takeovers” and
such, but those are really red-herrings that are only adding gas to the fire.)
• None of the turmoil in any of the church is about social issues.
• The churches are diverse in their polity representing four different denominations
in the five churches. And the church polity structures or governing bodies seem
to have little ability to help the congregations through these troubled times.
(Indeed, in some cases it appears the governing bodies are making it worse.)
• There are committed, biblically centered Christians who are pitted against
each other on opposite sides of the split in all of the churches.
• At the center of every controversy is the pastor. In short,
these church splits, unlike so many of the past are personal. They revolve around
the personality, abilities, leadership style and vision of the pastors who lead
the church. And in every case, the most common response to the turmoil is for
the congregations to split. Over the next few days, I am going to try to look
at these churches and see if there are some lessons to be learned about leadership,
community and mission.
I won’t take sides. For those of you who know the details of a particular church,
please don’t even think about trying to make a case in this forum. I am not interested
in debating the details, but instead learning from the mistakes. For me, this
discussion isn’t about who’s right in a particular church, but what is so painfully
wrong in the whole Church.
And that probably includes me. I happen to be pastoring a church that is in a
wonderful, fruitful, joyful season of life. But I shudder to think that my own
leadership style could sow the seeds that would lead to division and discord in
future days.
So, let’s jump into this discussion by prayerfully asking Christ to perfect
and work in us, humbly asking the Spirit to bring to mind the Scriptures that
we need to hear and heed once again, and faithfully seeking to fulfill the words
of Paul to the Ephesians:
I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
(Ephesians 4:1-3)
Here’s the opening question that I want rolling around in the back of our
heads, settling deep into our hearts. Muse on this one with me and I urge you
to be slow to answer: Just whose church is it, anyway? |
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Copyright © 2005 Tod Bolsinger. Used with permission.
Tod Bolsinger is pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church in California. He is an adjunct assistant professor of practical theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. Tod is author of two books, "It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian" and "Showtime: Living Down Hypocrisy by Living Out Your Faith." Tod's website can be found at http://bolsinger.blogs.com. |
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