"CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE CHURCH" Institutionalism by Mark Copeland

 

"CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE CHURCH"

Institutionalism

INTRODUCTION

1. In this series, so far we have considered the challenges of...
1. Authority In Religion
2. Denominationalism
3. Sectarianism
4. Factionalism
5. Traditionalism
6. Secularism
2. Each of these contribute toward changing the church...
1. Into something very different than Jesus intended
2. Creating churches that are more worldly than spiritual

[Most of these challenges have a long history in confronting the church. A more recent challenge confronting the church is that of institutionalism...]

1. THE DEFINITION OF INSTITUTIONALISM
1. CHURCH SUPPORT OF HUMAN INSTITUTIONS...
1. "...the doctrine or practice of a church sending money to an institution of some kind in order to carry out some work that the church has deemed worthy of support." - Ryan Waldron
2. "... this may include supporting missionary organizations, orphan's homes, nursing homes, schools, other churches, even political organizations." - ibid.
2. SUCH INSTITUTIONS ARE PARACHURCH ORGANIZATIONS...
1. "The parachurch is effectively a new form of religious organization that dates from the early 19th century." - William McDonald, Parachurch Organizations
2. "In the first quarter of the 19th century, parachurch organizations were abundant in many forms -- Bible tract societies, independent educational organizations, independent missionary groups, and moral reform organizations." - ibid.
3. "The defining characteristic of a parachurch is that it stands outside of the organizational structure of well-established religious bodies." - ibid.
4. "Parachurches are often the creation of an entrepreneur or a small cadre of people who seek to achieve specific goals." - ibid.
3. THE ISSUE OF INSTITUTIONALISM...
1. The goals of such institutions are certainly noble: evangelism, benevolence, edification, etc.
2. The issue in this study is not whether such institutions have a right to exist
3. The issue is whether local churches should support them out of their treasury

[Is institutionalism really a challenge confronting the church? Some consider it a blessing: "Look at all the good churches can do through parachurch organizations!" But consider some thoughts regarding...]

2. THE PROBLEM WITH INSTITUTIONALISM
1. PERSONAL CONCERNS...
1. It has no scriptural support
1. There is no example of NT churches sending money to human institutions as a way of carrying out their work of evangelism, edification, or benevolence
2. The practice began in the 19th century (see above)
3. NT churches sent money directly to other churches or individuals - Ac 11:27-30; 1Co 16:1-4; Ro 15:25-26
2. It gives oversight of the local church's work to those not its elders
1. Human institutions are governed by board members, CEOs, or other individuals
2. Churches outsource their work and their oversight by giving to such organizations
3. It turns local churches into collection agencies for man-made organizations
1. Institutions appeal for churches to support their organizations
2. The local church thus becomes a mini "United Way" for human institutions
4. It tends to denominationalize the church
1. Institutions usually identify their association with a particular group of churches
2. E.g., a "Church of Christ college", or "Church of Christ benevolent home", etc.
3. The use of "Church of Christ" in such a way contributes to a denominational mindset
5. It has led to division among many churches
1. Supporters of human institutions fight hard to get them into churches budgets
2. Churches and individuals that do not go along are often libeled ("anti!", "orphan hater!")
3. Brotherhood papers have used such issues to quarantine and isolate the opposition
2. ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS...
1. It deprives the church of workers
1. "One result is that capable teachers and preachers have been called away from their primary ministries in order to become administrators."
2. "If all mission board administrators were serving on the mission field, it would greatly reduce the need for personnel there."
2. It is an inefficient use of funds
1. "Another result of the proliferation of organizations is that vast sums of money are needed for overhead, and thus diverted from direct gospel outreach."
2. "The greater part of every dollar given to many Christian organizations is devoted to the expense of maintaining the organization rather than to the primary purpose for which it was founded."
3. It can hinder the spread of truth
1. "Organizations often hinder the fulfillment of the Great Commission."
2. "Jesus told His disciples to teach all the things He had commanded."
3. "Many who work for Christian organizations find they are not permitted to teach all the truth of God."
4. "They must not teach certain controversial matters for fear they will alienate the constituency to whom they look for financial support."
4. It contributes to factionalism
1. "The multiplication of Christian institutions has too often resulted in factions, jealousy, and rivalry that have done great harm to the testimony of Christ."
2. "Consider the overlapping multiplicity of Christian organizations at work, at home, and abroad. Each competes for limited personnel and for shrinking financial resources. And consider how many of these organizations really owe their origin to purely human rivalry, though public statements usually refer to God's will." (Daily Notes of the Scripture Union)
-- William McDonald, Parachurch Organization
3. ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE...
1. "An acute writer, contrasting the apostolic work with the more usual modern missionary methods, has said that 'we found missions, the apostles founded churches.' The distinction is sound and pregnant."
2. "The apostles founded churches, and they founded nothing else, because for the ends in view nothing else was required or could have been so suitable."
3. "In each place where they labored they formed the converts into a local assembly, with elders - always elders, never an elder (Ac14:23; 15:6, 23; 20:17 Php 1:1) to guide, to rule, to shepherd, men qualified by the Lord and recognized by the saints (1Co 16:15; 1Th 5:12,13; 1Ti 5:17-19); and with deacons, appointed by the assembly (Ac 6:1-6; Php 1:1) - in this contrasted with the elders - to attend to the few but very important temporal affairs, and in particular to the distribution of the funds of the assembly..."
4. "All they (the apostles) did in the way of organizing was to form the disciples gathered into other such assemblies. No other organization than the local assembly appears in the New Testament, nor do we find even the germ of anything further."
-- C. H. Lang, quoted in Parachurch Organization

CONCLUSION

1. Again, the question in this study is...
1. Not whether institutions per se have a right to exist
2. But whether local churches should support them out of their treasury
2. We have seen that church support of human institutions...
1. Is without scriptural precedent
2. Affects the church in its ability to do its work
3. Contributes to factionalism and denominationalism
3. Let us not forget that the local church is limited in its resources...
1. It can easily become "burdened" - cf. 1Ti 5:16
2. It can be hindered or distracted from fulfilling its true purpose intended by God

Do we want to be guilty of hindering the church instituted by Christ, purchased with His blood (Ac 20:28) from doing its divinely authorized work...?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2022