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Church the American Way or the Bible Way
June 4, 2007
Greetings in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Since my up close and personal observation of our Assemblies of God leadership and study of our Constitution and Bylaws, it has occurred to me that in several key cases, the A/G does things the American way versus the biblical way. And in at least one area, we don’t even measure up to the American standard for integrity. Here are the areas that Bible-believing A/G ministers at large, sectional and general presbyters ought to reexamine in light of Scripture: 1) How the A/G determines “God’s will” for things like presbyter elections at all levels, pastoral selection by congregations, and major decisions such as financing of church buildings, 2) Age limits for those serving in leadership capacities, and 3) term limits for anyone serving in a leadership capacity at any level.
First, the issue of determining God’s will. In the Bible, repeatedly, in both the Old and New Testaments, major decisions regarding God’s will were made by drawing straws. In American culture, this would be viewed as depending on luck. Not so in the Bible. In the Bible, this was a deliberate act, inspired by God Himself, where the children of Israel determined to place their future in God’s hands and His alone. There was no vote of the people, there was no popularity or talent contest. The Israelites recognized that in order to truly know God’s will, they had to remove themselves from the equation. The only way to do that with certainty was to draw straws for the decision. As I recall, this event was hallowed with prayer and bounded by the idea that the outcome was God’s will and all would abide by it or obey God in it. In America, we select pastors by hearing them preach and sometimes hearing them sing, either with or without their wives. If I was a pastor in this situation, I would be hoping that I was either a very good preacher, a very good singer, or even better yet, very good at both. Yet, even if blessed with both gifts, a pastor voted in realizes that they can just as easily be voted out. And if we’re honest, we really don’t know whether we’re in God’s will or not because His vote was never counted. Don’t get me wrong, I think sometimes God’s will is stumbled upon in this process; but, I hardly think it is scriptural. It is man’s next best thing to scriptural, is a vote of the people in a free election with a democratic republic type environment (everyone doesn’t get to vote; only those who have achieved member status).
PROPOSAL: I am proposing that the A/G take the bold, biblical step of reversing 93 years of American governance and changing the national, district, sectional and local constitution and bylaws to select all leaders from the General Superintendent all the way down to church pastors by drawing of straws. That way, all leaders and all congregation or fellowship members know that with every decision, they are smack dab in the middle of God’s will (because they had nothing to do with it). Can you picture the scene at General Council?
“The General Council drew straws and the Northeast Quadrant was taken. They drew straws again and the Ohio district was taken. They drew straws again and Lima Assembly of God was taken.”
The pastor of Lima Assembly of God became the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God. Lima could have 5000 members or it could have 50. Instead of Jesse’s seven taller, older, more experienced sons, Samuel said, “God has chosen the youngest.” The Bible records I Samuel 16:7 also saying, “Man looketh on the outward appearance (how big a pastor’s church is), but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
Second, the issue of age limits. Even in the American democratic republic, our founding fathers recognized that youth had a lot of energy but not the wisdom that only comes from a trail of tears (being “fired” by a congregation, losing a child at an early age, experiencing a church split, holding the hand of a deacon member whose teenager was killed in a horrible car crash, having your first and only love die prematurely from the ravages of cancer, seeing your town destroyed by an infection of sin). Perhaps many districts have adopted age limits like those held in the U.S. Constitution. But, this is not universal to my knowledge.
PROPOSAL: I propose that the A/G change its national, district, and sectional bylaws to require the experience of age before a leader’s name can be added to the candidate list for whom straws will be drawn for God’s final selection. I propose the minimum age for national offices be 55 years, for district offices 45, and sectional offices 40. This would be more strict than for our federal government and appropriately so. Further, it would dovetail nicely into the timing that would result from my next proposal. Age minimums would be in keeping with Paul’s inspired guidance in I Timothy 3:6 that one desiring the office of bishop should “Not (be) a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”
Finally, the issue of term limits. There’s usually a pretty good reason that a cliché became a cliché. In this case, I am referring to the one that says, “Absolute power corrupts and power corrupts absolutely.” Men of God have demonstrated all throughout history that they are not exempt from this temptation. In fact, they are often worse because they like to assert that they have divine support. Or in the case of the Catholic church, the top leader is actually divine himself. And how can we mere congregants or leadership underlings argue with the divine? All true men of God follow Jesus’ model to serve God’s people. Further, they take great steps to “abstain from all appearance of evil” as commanded in I Thessalonians 5:22.
PROPOSAL: I propose that the A/G, at the next General Council, adopt term limits for all national, district, sectional and local pastors. I propose four years without possibility of serving again for all national offices, six years without possibility of serving again for all district and sectional offices and seven years without possibility of serving again for local pastors. At the national, district and sectional levels, these term limits would promote the idea of service versus the current environment of legacy building and coasting on in with the high life (big titles, big salaries, big benefits, big homes, big speaking fees, and permanent front row seats anywhere). And term limits for pastors would also promote the idea of getting to know their sheep and serving them since they wouldn’t be able to stay and enjoy the bennies that come with growing a large church. Relationships over remuneration.
Who is on the Lord’s side? And who wants to do things as outlined by God in Scripture rather than by Mr. Robert of Robert’s Rules of Order? And to see whether I am speaking for God or a voice crying out in left field, I challenge the General Presbytery of our fellowship to put these proposals to an early test: gain proper Constitution and Bylaws authorization to draw straws regarding the adoption of these proposals at the beginning of General Council. Long straw is the Biblical way and short straw is the American way. If the long straw, they all go into effect immediately and the first order of business is to draw straws for the General Superintendent’s office. If the short straw, I did not hear from God and I apologize now.
With Love for God’s Word and the Blood-washed Saints,
Brother Mike
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