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 I
sometimes wonder if we are really ready for the organizational
concept of independent, churches which we preach. Would we be
satisfied with churches that acted independent of our pet
projects, Papers, schools, or offering of personal service? How
do you feel about a church that has a preacher you do not know?
Whose members do not read your favorite paper, or attend your
favorite lecture? Are they suspect before you know what they
believe or practice? If you travel enough you may find many such
churches — calmly going about the Lord's business: doing their
own work, under their own oversight, in keeping with their own
ability.
Ignorance
is not bliss. Good papers serve a useful purpose, as do good
schools. In this day of movement and communication an awareness
of the world about as forewarns (and forearms) so that we plan
and act intelligently, and keep the church moving on a safe
course. But it should be that church's own course — in so far
as we have a legitimate say in planning the work of the Lord.
There is more than one way to lose that independence.
We
abdicate responsibility when we become a contributing church to
some "churchhood" project. Collective activities
necessitate surrender of independence in the project's realm, as
all but the blind and
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prejudiced see. But we also sacrifice independence when our course is nothing
more than reaction to what others say or do. We let them tell us
what to preach, establish our priorities, etc. We must learn to
fight error without being unbalanced by the battle.
The
natural and inevitable "influential" preacher, paper,
or even some congregation, can exercise weight in directing the
course of others — and be innocent of malicious intent.
Influence, of itself, is not wrong. We are expected to affect
others by our teaching and example (1 Tim. 4:12). But be wary of
attempts to do more than point to Christ, where individual
conscience and responsibility take over. "Centers of
influence" or "brotherhood voices" may impose
their own brand of restrictions or reins on congregational
independence.
Will
each local church accept the responsibility of planning an
aggressive, positive program of study, worship, and concern for
the spread of the gospel of Christ? Of supporting that program
with time, effort and money? If independence means only that we
want to be "left alone" to wallow in errors or
indolence we have missed the point. A true church of Christ is
never independent of obligations to serve the Lord.
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