Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 9/5/2003

Question
A few years ago while I was in college, I left a fairly good church group because I disagreed with the way the leadership ran.  (It was amicable; I simply chose to spend my time with the other group that I was attending simultaneously that was equally solid.)  Since that time I've really worried that I made the wrong decision.  Really, my question is twofold:
1.  If you disagree with the leadership in a group (where you are not considered a "leader"), what is the most Biblical course of action?
2.  The reason I left was I thought the leadership system they chose was based too much on a Christian book rather than the Bible.  How much is okay to follow a book other than the Bible, if the book is written by a true Christian and at root has Biblical principles?  
I know I probably sound like a malcontent, but I really am not one of those kind of people.  Leaving the group was not really a big deal at the time (in a college town with many thriving Christian groups for students).  I just want to know that if faced with a similar decision in the future, I'll be acting from sound advice.  Thank you for volunteering your time.

Answer
Sarah, having many groups is what is part of the problem with Christianity today.  It is a "buyer's" market with so many groups to choose from that we can often leave for other than biblical reasons.  Many choose a group because of age, music, decor, programs, availabilty of singles, etc.  

In the early church there was only one church per town, the church at Corinth, Ephesus, etc. They followed the Apostles and the Bible.  Because of carnality, false teachers and such, we now have many denominations and 50 Baptist churches of 12 people each versus one with 5100. We waste, time, money and manpower and give the Lost an excuse because "there are so many churches how can I know which one is right?"

My guess, the book was Rick Warren's purpose driven church. That is quite the rage nowadays.  I haven't read it and there may be some good stuff in it, but we were always to have been a purpose driven church.  Matt 28:19,20 is our purpose and if we had been following that purpose for the last 60 years let alone the last 2000, the world and the US would be in far better shape than it is.  Instead we have been lazy and want entertainment rather than ministry or ways to build large churches rather than build spiritual churches. Now, we are in the minority and on the road to persecution in a country built on the Bible by people escaping persecution.

Without more information, I can't say if you made a wrong decision to leave that group.  If they were in a sense "worshipping" the book rather than following THE Book then I would have left that group as well. If the book was filled with good biblical principles then good biblical principles should be followed.  A pastor is to provide solid teaching to his flock and may from time to time bring in another pastor or teacher whom God has given special insight on a topic to share with the church. Not a problem, that is why so many different types of folks were used by God in writing His Book.  He uses different people for different things and we all have at least one gift to give to the Body of Christ.   
The danger is like with Hyles folks that we follow the practice rather than the principles and do not allow the Holy Spirit to apply the universal principles to our area.  What works in one place may not work the same at another in exact detail, but following the principle and making proper applications will do well.  One preacher designed his church to look like a minature version of 1st Baptist, Hammond though the layout of the building was not suitable for it.  Now, that is man worship and improper focus.  Many of the principles Hyles taught were biblical and should have been followed as biblical principles rather than hailed as a constant glorification of the man. The message is everything, the messenger is nothing.  The messenger dies, but the message remains.

We have become a kind of spectator people and lover of quotes and follower of the 10 easy steps for everything when in reality there are no 10 easy steps for anything.  Spiritual growth takes time and principles are learned line upon line precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, but we are the microwave generation hence give me a 30 second to a minute summary and a pithy outline preacher and I am happy. No wonder most of us are ready to burst and pop off when we really don't know anything.

We are also slaves to our peer/age group when we are supposed to be one Body and the older teach the younger but we never get the two together and many folks make the same mistake as Rehoboam in going to clueless people for advice simply because they are of our generation rather than seeking experience and wisdom no matter if it is in an older or younger body than ours. Hence we have age dictated Sunday Schools and even some churches are only filled with 20-30 yr olds. God forbid that we would have to worship or learn with some old person.

I have never been in a church where I have completely agreed with the leadership. Even though I am in the best church I have been in during my 28 years of salvation and I am one of the leaders there are things that I disagree with and even have one strong bone of contention in an area dealing with education.  Yet, overall the church is wonderful and no false doctrine is being taught and there is no cultic like allegience to the leaders or control over the people so there is no reason to leave.  Indeed, I hope that I am here until death or Rapture unless something drastically changes or God calls me to a senior pastorate, but I am not straining to "hear" a call. If it is to come, it will be loud and clear.

The average church member stays 2.1 years at a church.  50 years ago most stayed in the same church from birth to the grave. Because the congregation has mood swings and because ministry has become a career rather than a calling most preachers last 3 years and Youth Ministers 1.5 years.  We are a spoiled generation looking for thrills and chills and pills rather than sound doctrine.  

The key is to be sure that God has called you to that particular Body of believers to serve and worship there. If He has then you don't move unless doctrine is denied or changed or the leadership and people decide to have nude usherettes to get more men into the church or something equally as crazy.

If you disagree, make sure your disagreement is biblically based, not emotional, cultural or your own thinking.  If it is biblically based, is it a slight variation or is it something that will damn souls and cause believers to stumble?  If not, then share your biblical belief/conviction with the leadership.  They may agree and thank you for the clarification or still disagree and carry on. At that point either all is well or there is still a burr under your saddle.  If there is a burr, then ask God to remove it. If He does not, ask Him if He wants you to endure the burr like Paul endured the messenger from satan or if He is using this to motivate you to seek the new place of service that He has for you and act accordingly to the answer. If we all used these principles folks would change churches less and there would be less of them.

I hope this "treastise" has been of some help to you.  May God grant you great wisdom as you seek His will in your life.  Blessings to you!  

Bro. Ron