The Church Structure
THE CHURCH STRUCTURE
Thelma Grannison
DSMN 620-D02
December 15, 2012
INTRODUCTION
Churches throughout the world teach the Good News in diverse settings. Some churches use a the pulpit to deliver their message every Sunday, while others take a more organic approach meeting outside the walls of the church in several places to deliver the message of Jesus Christ. In America, the mission of the church is set against an environment of secularism. Secular values of diversity and extreme liberty have created a culture of ‘anything goes’ that leads to ambivalence among unbelievers. The universal belief in today’s culture is that if it works for someone, it is acceptable but if it does not work for someone then it can be ignored. The spirit of truth itself is under attack in the form of diversity and in the propensity to place Christian values in the framework of culture rather than the other way around. In the midst of this situation, each church structure offers different benefits and drawbacks to the Christian mission of bringing the gospel to all the corners of the earth. As such, church structure can be developed in tandem with the needs of the people that the church serves such that the unchanging gospel message and the mission it entails can reach the people in a way that best suits them. The best church structure, then, is one that is fundamentally focused on missions as the purpose of its existence and that crosses with the other structures that best allow for church’s growth.
Traditional Church Structure
Each church structure ascends out of a different set of beliefs about human community and organization. The traditional church structure adheres to an organizational philosophy that is hierarchical with singular unified leadership and an attentive followership. This structure has the advantage of clear leadership and potentially fewer deviations from scriptural truth and from missional goals. A hierarchical structure has roots in the theological
Thelma Grannison
DSMN 620-D02
December 15, 2012
INTRODUCTION
Churches throughout the world teach the Good News in diverse settings. Some churches use a the pulpit to deliver their message every Sunday, while others take a more organic approach meeting outside the walls of the church in several places to deliver the message of Jesus Christ. In America, the mission of the church is set against an environment of secularism. Secular values of diversity and extreme liberty have created a culture of ‘anything goes’ that leads to ambivalence among unbelievers. The universal belief in today’s culture is that if it works for someone, it is acceptable but if it does not work for someone then it can be ignored. The spirit of truth itself is under attack in the form of diversity and in the propensity to place Christian values in the framework of culture rather than the other way around. In the midst of this situation, each church structure offers different benefits and drawbacks to the Christian mission of bringing the gospel to all the corners of the earth. As such, church structure can be developed in tandem with the needs of the people that the church serves such that the unchanging gospel message and the mission it entails can reach the people in a way that best suits them. The best church structure, then, is one that is fundamentally focused on missions as the purpose of its existence and that crosses with the other structures that best allow for church’s growth.
Traditional Church Structure
Each church structure ascends out of a different set of beliefs about human community and organization. The traditional church structure adheres to an organizational philosophy that is hierarchical with singular unified leadership and an attentive followership. This structure has the advantage of clear leadership and potentially fewer deviations from scriptural truth and from missional goals. A hierarchical structure has roots in the theological
Bibliography: Bayes, Paul Tim Sledge, John Holbrook, Mark Rylands, and Martin Seeley, Mission-Shaped Parish: Traditional Church in a Changing World. New York, NY: Church Publishing, 2010. Cedargroveleeds.org Cole, Neil. Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2005. Hornsby, Billy. “The Attractional Church.” Ministry Today. http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/features/19072-the-attractional-church. Accessed December 14, 2012. Köstenberger, Andreas J Powers, Bruce. Church Administration Handbook. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2008. Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message& Mission. Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530: Zondervan, 1995. [ 2 ]. Paul Bayes, Tim Sledge, John Holbrook, Mark Rylands, and Martin Seeley, Mission-Shaped Parish: Traditional Church in a Changing World (New York, NY: Church Publishing, 2010), 105. [ 4 ]. Bruce Powers, Church Administration Handbook (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2008), 14. [ 6 ]. . Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message& Mission (Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530: Zondervan, 1995). [ 9 ]. Billy Hornsby, “The Attractional Church.” Ministry Today. http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/features/19072-the-attractional-church. Accessed December 14, 2012. [ 10 ]. Andreas J. Köstenberger and Peter T. O’Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2001), 103. [ 12 ]. Neil Cole, Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens (New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2005), 126.