Church Structure

On the way home from watching a really crappy show today, Brian and I struck up a rather heated conversation over church structure and organisation. Was there a need for a hierarchical structure in church? Is it even biblical to have such a structure?

In many churches around the world, the way church is being run is likened very much to a business. With the clergy being akin to CEOs. In some cases, it is even likened to an army, with ranks and officers etc.

Though both of these forms of structure have their advantages, the basis of the structure may be a little skewed.

Biblically, we know that God gives structure. The family is in itself a hierarchical structure, the nation of Israel was a kingdom with God (initially) as their King and later the whole line of kings beginning with Saul. The early church in Acts shows evidence of the church elders and the apostles as leaders of the church. So hierarchical structure is definitely from God and so I itself it is good. What then should be the basis of the structure?

Why should I defer to your judgment? Why should I listen to what you say? What right do I have to tell you what to do? The basis of all church structure should be accountability. Not rank. Not seniority.

In the family, the husband is the leader because he is accountable to God for his family. He leads his wife and she is accountable to him for her actions. The children are accountable to their parents and are so of a 'lower rank' to them. The kings of Israel were accountable to God for the nation and the apostles were leaders because they were accountable for the rest of the body of Christ.

Church structure should be borne out of accountability. At Praise Fellowship, my prayer triplet members are accountable to me as their prayer triplet leader. I am accountable to my cell leader and she is accountable to the zone supervisor, who is in turn accountable to Pastor. The leader is also accountable to the follower. Accountable to lead. I am willingly accountable to my cell leader because of the relationship that we have forged over the past years.

So, hierarchy, organisation and structure are needed in church for the smooth running of events. This should be based on a structure for accountability and accountability is grown from a relationship with others.

Is it Normal?

This morning, I had breakfast with Breana. I had my much awaited Hotcakes meal for breakfast.

During the meal, the question, "Why is it the norm for newlyweds to move out of their parents houses and go live in their own houses?" came up. It is an interesting question and one worth some thought.

I had always based my view on Gen 2:24 - "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh".

I felt that this verse also suggested the need for a physical leaving of the parents.

The verse definitely implies a change of allegience from parent to spouse. It also points to new leadership and responsibility for the new family.

For the man, there is a need for him to stand up and take up the role of leading his family. there needs to be a breaking away from the old leadership of his own father and so become the leader of his own faimily unit. He needs to establish his own set of rules and regulations, which may be radically diferent from that of his own parents. He will need to step up to the responsibility.

For the woman, there is a change of accountability from that to her parents to her husband. She is, to a very large extent, no longer part of her old family but is wholly part of her new family. This is the reason that the bride is "given" to the groom.

Yet there is a need for obedience to the 5th commandment of honouring our parents. Therefore, if there may be circumstances that favour staying with one of the parents rather than moving out on their own, what to do?

Living in the same house with someone will take getting used to. Husband needs to adjust to wife, wife needs to adjust to husband. Add to the mix of having to adjust to the in-laws can make the whole experience that much more challenging. This is where both the spouse and the in-laws will need to come to an understanding and boundaries need to be drawn.

There is always the danger of the child-of-the-house being caught in the middle between the spouse and in-laws. This would be a very very stressful place to be.

If the tension between the parties involved get too high, in the interest of preserving the relationship, there may be a need for the younger famnily unit to strike out on its own. Constant friction can lead to "carpet burns".

I personally feel, that having the grandparents and the grnadchildren, 3 or 4 generations, all living together under the same roof is the ideal case. That is what I would like to see in my future family.