Great Post! I dont think I could have said it better. I believe in the church world, so many are threatened by the gifts of others that man limits Ephesians 4:11 - 12 from being in operation. Me being a pastor, my heart is to see others discover their gifts and operate in their giftings… however, as most of us have been, I have been in places and associated with places that you only dared to operate in the gifts of The Spirit. Even in our fellowship, AG, it is time we recognize that God is much bigger than any man or individual church. It is time we step aside and let God, It is time we understand that it is going to take the ENTIRE body of CHRIST operating in UNITY to please God in these last days…
Love you man, Looking forward to speaking to you and seeing you again…

Eric

I really do see a place for the traditional church structure and that is where I participate. It still works in those churches where the pastor is concerned like SLW in providing for the spiritual growth of those in his care. Unfortunately there are some ‘pastors’ who are dictators and end up with a one man show, and the congregation seems to be designed to meet their needs rather than the sheep.

I also believe that the Home Church movement is a valid move of God in many but not all cases. I just wish those involved didn’t feel it necessary to be critical of more traditional structures. Also, I wish that those of us in regular churches didn’t consider all those who found a place in Home churches to be necessarily ‘rebellious’. May God bless us all whether he places us in a regular congregation or in a Home church.

Here is the great equalizer that I would like to see come into our churches: When the Shekinah glory of God falls on a place, the Pastors and everyone else are flat on their faces, Everyone is in the same condition and equally undone and changed. Now that would really shake things up and maybe even end up changing some of the old ‘wine skins’ that we are stuck in.

I to have been associated with the AG for the last 20 years now. I am disturbed by the trends that I see and the pressure I see so many other pastor laboring under…the pressure to be the next mega church! Please know I am not against Biblical structure, nor am I rebellious against God given Authority…we have all been burned by those “legions in their own minds” who think they are the only voice of God for people who are a part of their church. I also believe in the corporate church environment as well as the home church model as Carl does…what can we do to address these issues and let God weed out the rebellious, but bring those who are truly crying out to God to be used by Him, how can we get them into a life-giving corporate body?

Excellent post. But it poses some greater, even more difficult questions. I believe in the local church. It is a sad testimony that someone has to even state that these days. But I do believe in the large corporate meeting. However, I also believe in the home church model. The greatest problem with the home church movement in America is that it’s most vocal proponents are bitter about the very things you point out in this post.

As much as we hate to admit it, the early church was run by a committee. But the committee was not a bunch of lay people with an axe to grind. It was a bunch of people who were supported by the church and wanted nothing more than to hear God and see the Gospel spread. These are the true elders. And there are few pastors in the country who would not gladly welcome a board filled with these type of men. But men of that character are making their millions today, they are not leading the church and they are not imparting wisdom into tomorrows radical visionaries. In turn, those radical visionaries leave.

So now, we have people who have faith in Jesus, want to see the Church in action, want to be involved in ministry, but have not found a man whose vision they could get “under” and in turn they are scattered. I know plenty of them. And they are jaded. Some are rebellious no doubt.

But the most are people who, because of gifting and calling, don’t fit in the model of church that calls people to come, sit, tithe, listen, and go home. The feel called to leadership within the church but don’t connect with what they see.

The church has to make a place for this part of the Body to be joined and function.

The home church movement is stirring the pot with their questioning of church structure, government and even mission. These are valid questions that should more than the label of rebellious. Besides, most of these types that you describe are in fact rebellion against the traditions of man that make the Word of God of no effect.

I agree about the need to be under the authority of the “set man,” but if the set man (or woman) strangles the life out of the people under them, by micromanaging and making all their decisions for them, it becomes debilitating, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit become quenched.

People need to have the liberty to make mistakes so they can develop. They need their parent to release them to walk on their own.

Again, some are simply rebellious and will never allow anyone to pastor them: they wouldn’t let Jesus do it if He was on the earth! But I am meeting a growing segment everywhere I go that fit into this category.