The Purpose of Church Leadership

I just about lost it... twice!

1) I had someone tell me a story about an individual essentially telling their Pastor that the Church simply wasn't taking care of people well enough.

Whenever we ask, "Why doesn't the church... ?" We are in HERESY! I am the Church, therefore if I think the Church should do something, I should do it! (So it's either heresy or just plain apathy, either way it is sin!)

In light of previous conversations (online and offline) I have to conclude that this results directly from the (faulty) gospel that we preach. Jesus died on a cross so that you could be comfortable?!?!

2) I actually had an individual tell me that they had no concern for Jesus, or his desires for their life; they had prayed the prayer and their "salvation" is assured (the individual actually said, "I'm going to heaven.").

Anyone interested in a deeper and scriptural understanding of the place and function of leadership in the church cannot ignore Greg Ogden's Unfinished business, it is a radical rethinking of church leadership in light of the Bible.

Ogden shows the current American model of Church:

The professional "ministers" are responsible for meeting the needs of the Christians who show up to the respective buildings on a given Sunday.

and the Biblical understanding of Church:

The leaders (where they get their food and shelter from is immaterial to their function as leaders) are responsible for equipping Christians* to minister to those in the world who don't know Jesus.

If we would take this understanding and truly work it out, we would see radical reshaping of our churches take place. The root of this issue is, simply, that as Americans we believe Jesus died on a cross so that we could have an air-conditioned ride to our 40 hour a week job with 401k, health insurance, and vacation fund.

*This is, of course, above and beyond their place as disciples of Jesus, called to love God and minister to the world; their role as leaders is above and beyond their role as disciples and does not negate the character of Christ being formed into them in such areas as compassion, service, evangelism, etc.