Some are saying that we need to take our responsibilities of administration seriously, as we would in business and others are using the phrase, “it’s about a relationship, not a religion”…meaning let’s be careful not to get overly structured or legalistic in our organization.

Your post seems to be addressing these ideas and trying to clear the fog in order to understand what the Spirit of the Word is actually telling us.

On a personal level, I have been brought through this struggle and believe that I have found balance through some “hard knocks” and tough experiences.

I sincerely believe that we need to be responsible stewards of the resources God has given us and it is imperative that we do God’s business in God’s way. Anyway, having said that, I would like to share a bit of my story that may illustrate where this dilemma seems to be coming from, if that is o.k.

Most of my life I have been self-employed…but one time I found employment as a supervisor in a corporate chain retail store. It was a new store and all of the employees were being trained and prepared for the store opening.

In the process, we were all bused to the metro headquarters and required to take two weeks of intensive corporate training that I would call group brainwashing. I was extremely uncomfortable because I realized that my Christian beliefs were being attacked through this attempt to indoctrinate and standardize corporate function through imposing their worldly “ethics” or lack thereof. In essence, we were being taught their world view of the right and the wrong way to conduct business and interact with others.

I eventually had to leave my position with the company because I could not reconcile my beliefs with what my job required.

During the last 10 years, I have moved frequently and have tried to find Christian fellowship wherever I went. However, I finally discovered that I was having the same problems in the Church as I had experienced in the business world. Could it be that the corporate world had gradually moved into the Church?

What happens when all of these brainwashed people move into another organization and want to be successful in the administration of the duties of that organization? Aren’t they going to go with the tactics and training they have been taught…and the methods that have already made them financially successful in business? Sometimes these methods include tightly controlled teaching (indoctrination), peer pressure, aggressive recruting, etc. etc….methods that are completely void of submission to the Word and the leading of the Spirit when, in reality, even our salvation is actually a result of the Father calling us and drawing us to believe on His Son…not the result of some clever sales pitch.

In other words, what we have here is “corporate church” teaching followers how to be “worldlings” not Christians.

Real Christians are unable to find a Church home because the Spirit of God will not allow them to get with the program. Often Christians will be excluded from fellowship or persecuted right in the Church in other ways. As a result, the number of unchurched Christians is growing by leaps and bounds.

Unfortunately, it seems some have forgotten that the world is at war with Christ and the Word of God and through their good desire to be successful in business, have reconciled with the bad ideas of the world.

Even something as basic as adopting the title “President” of a ministry has ramifications for the perspective brought to that ministry. Yes, it may be better recognized and understood throughout the world, but is that the purpose we are serving? Don’t we want the world to understand that we are different, that we are serving as the leader of a ministry, and not as the head? In the last decade or so the term “corporate culture” has come into vogue in ministry circles, reflecting the business world. I’m not sure we want a corporate culture, no matter how you define it, in a christian organization. I hope we want a church culture that behaves wisely, reflecting the whole counsel of Scripture.

Business decision making and wisdom do not necessarily run hand in hand, and I think these days bear that out more than most.

New Jersey

Michigan

If I remember church history correct, Martin Luther quoted this passage of scripture when he was cutting free from the Roman Catholic church. The current Pope was bragging about the financial wealth the church had aquired. Martin Luther stated “yes gold and silver you have but the Holy Spirit you have not.

I am sure I butchered the story but I hope you get the gist.

Seems like this isn’t a new problem.

Mesa, Arizona

This new pastor was a visionary and had bigger things to attend to. The new church hadn’t always been this big. It took some pretty fantastic marketing to grow it by 3,000 new members in a few years. In their goal to reach the unchurched, they focus their messages pretty much 100 percent on grace and not even the smallest fraction on self-reflection. If they taught self-reflection, they might lose some of the new members. As a result, many of the older members here have left to look elsewhere for spiritual bread.

As for my husband and I, we have not been called on once to be involved (outside of my paid position). I am ashamed to say it was refreshing at first. Evidentially, there are already people assigned to the volunteer positions here. My husband did get an invitation to “audition” for a song leader position a few months ago. He declined due to stage fright, something that he strangely never seemed to have before.

This is just my story. I am not against mega churches or even using prudent business practices in running a church. The children’s programs here are wonderful. If we had organized small groups, the hospital visitation program might even be more effective. It certainly is better than no visitation. I can also see the attraction that the anonymity of a large church might have for someone “testing the waters” of Christianity. But I also think that the leaders of any church need Christ running the helm. It we rely too heavily on the CEO for the vision/mission and the CEO isn’t Christ, there can be problems.