What’s the Biggest Sin in Your Church?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, February 23, 2009
- Viewed 62
- (4) comments so far
So… what do we do to fix this problem?
Ed continues: “Part of what we have to do is help pastors understand that ministry is something that has to be owned by all of us. We shouldn’t call ourselves ministers; we should call ourselves pastor/elders. The church needs to be unleashed, and we have to recognize that it’s the normal activity of normal believers to engage in normal ministry. Pastors and congregations are in a co-dependent relationship. My dad was a drunk and my mom would rescue him. She gained her identity from rescuing my father. The church has fallen into the same thing. We’ve created a clergy system with a superman syndrome. The pastor thinks it’s their job to rescue the church—and they get affirmed for doing it. So we get our identity from doing things the people should be doing.”
What do you think? Is/has this been a problem in your church?
Todd
Ed Stetzer writes, "I don't think the reason 15 percent [of church goers] serve is because 85 percent are lazy. We've created a system that glorifies the clergy and marginalized the laity. We got the outcome we created programs for. We've become "clergified." There's a 3-tiered structure: laypeople, clergy and missionaries. All religions tend to create a class of people who are above others so 1) they can revel in that and 2) the rest of us can say it's their job. Christianity was started without any of those structures, and ended up like so many false religions do when they create a ministry caste structure. When we see real movements of God take off, they happen when people are free. Look at the thriving house church movement around the world..."
Comments
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Pastor Ian on Mon, February 23, 2009
That’s an excellent view of it. I’m 45 years old retired from the Navy and have been a pastor of a church plant for about 18 months, but have been serving Christ for 25 years. I’ve had the unique opportunity to establish what I believe Acts 2 intended - a church that serves Christ by serving others. We serve shoulder to shoulder encouraging and challenging one another. While I am disappointed and discouraged by people who say they love Christ, but are unwilling to allow Him to change them, I understand I can only lead people to green pastures, I cannot make them eat.
I am actively involved in discipleship and mentoring encouraging and leading others to do the work of ministry. It is hard, challenging, and time consuming work that I cannot, nor has God called me to, handle alone.
I served in lay ministry for a long time before I was in vocational ministry. Many times, my views were not considered simply because I was a layman. That’s what Ed is talking about. When you think of the early church, there were few “ministers” around, yet the church experienced explosive growth because there were people that genuinely believed Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life. I mean, they really, really believed it and were willing to tell others about the One that turned their world upside down.
I desperately need our lay leadership. They provide encouragement, experience, knowledge, and accountability for me. I am not above the flock, but I have been called to lead, guide, nurture, and protect them.
Peter Hamm on Mon, February 23, 2009
YES!
I have to say that the West has gotten this so fouled up that you have to work CONSTANTLY to give ministry away to the people. This is THE major focus of the equipping in our church and it comes up in almost every message!
If you are not intentionally and actively working on giving the ministry to the people the Bible promises it to (the work of ministry, not the benefits), then you will not correct this.
CS on Mon, February 23, 2009
I’m always reminded of Ephesians 4, especially verse 12, where it says that the saints are the ministers, equipped by the elders and pastors.
—
CS
Mark on Tue, February 24, 2009
I wonder if Ed Stetzer ever considered the idea that he was only getting 15 percent participation in his church not because the rest of his church is lazy but because he and his fellow “leaders” are not really working for the glory of God. How humble does a Christian leader have to be in order to entertain the idea that the problem might not be with “them” but instead the problem could be with me? Instead of worshipping God, is Ed Stetzer in fact worshipping his own organizational skills? Could the problem really be that he is cleverly defining “service” to only include activities that glorify his own ego instead of God’s will?
Oh, and here is a side note for all you Christian leaders out there…..
Don’t ever stand up in front of your congregation and call them lazy by cleverly saying “I don’t think you are lazy”. That’s just bad form and its really sleazy leadership especially for Christian leaders.
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