Andy Rowell

Category: Ecclesiology

  • APEST and discussion about functions in the church

    I commented on a post written by Bob Robinson and introduced by Scot McKnight at Scot's blog: Evaluating the APEST Theory of Church Flourishing (Bob Robinson)

    I enjoyed all these comments. It seems like the first point about the application of Granville Sharp's Rule to Eph 4:11 has been disproven, which perhaps merits a retraction or correction in the post above.

    I do not want to defend the prooftexting use of APEST but I think Bob is incorrect in saying: "Paul talks to Timothy and Titus about the importance of 'presbyteroi' ('elders') and 'episkopoi' ('bishops' or 'overseers.'). These were the key leaders of the early church." I would say in response that the significance of the apostle Paul and his delegate Timothy are assumed in the Pastoral Epistles and therefore it is not the case that the most significant role in the early church were overseers and elders. The most significant role was the apostles. See Gordon D. Fee, "Reflections on Church Order in the Pastoral Epistles," in Listening to the Spirit in the Text (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000), 156. Gordon D. Fee, "Laos and Leadership Under the New Covenant," in Listening to the Spirit in the Text (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000), 142.

    There is good reason to retain the missionary emphasis of the "apostle." However, the lists of gifts, functions, and roles in the New Testament vary greatly and give little suggestion that individuals should try to discern their precise label so one should be very cautious with emphasizing titles, labels, self-assessments, etc.

    The majority of the Christian tradition give little attention to APE roles. The so-called ecumenical consensus is described in the 1982 Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry World Council of Churches document: three offices: overseers (bishops), elders (presbyters), and deacons (with apostle seen as morphing into bishop).

    I think Gordon Fee is correct that overseers and deacons were sub-sets of the larger category: elders.

    “The elders in the local churches seem to have been composed of both episkopoi (overseers) and diakonoi (deacons).”
    Gordon D. Fee, "Laos and Leadership under the New Covenant," in Listening to the Spirit in the Text (Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 141.

    “The term ‘elders’ is probably a covering term for both overseers and deacons.”
    Gordon D. Fee, "Reflections on Church Order in the Pastoral Epistles," in Listening to the Spirit in the Text (Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 157.

    There is also explicitly in the Reformed tradition a cessationist view of apostles, prophets, and evangelists. John Calvin writes, “According to this interpretation (which seems to me to be in agreement with both the words and opinion of Paul, those three functions [apostles, prophets, and evangelists in Eph 4:11] were not established in the church as permanent ones, but only for that time during which churches were to be erected where none existed before” (Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Chapter III, Section 4, Beveridge translation, p. 1057).

    My point is that the APE roles were dismissed for poor exegetical and Christendom reasons and should be recovered. The apostle is conversionary, cross-cultural and community-forming (John G. Flett, Apostolicity: The Ecumenical Question in World Christian Perspective (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016), 302-305, 318, 324).

  • Doctorate finished

    Yesterday, I defended my dissertation at Duke. Yay.

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  • The significance of a rise in nondenominational churches and multi-site churches

    The National Congregations Study report from December 2015 (page 5): 

    "The NCS shows . . . an increase in . . . congregations that claim no denominational affiliation. Unaffiliated congregations increased from 18% in 1998 to 24% in 2012, and the share of churchgoers in those independent congregations increased from 10% in 1998 to 15% in 2012 . . . Non-denominationalism occurs mainly among white evangelical and black Protestant traditions, with 30% of white evangelical Protestant and 25% of black Protestant congregations claiming no official denominational connection in 2012. Independent congregations also tend to be newer than others, with the median congregation founded only 25 years ago versus 82 years ago for affiliated congregations." 

    One comment about non-denominational churches is that they have "congregational" polity. That is, they are are independent as opposed to being "connectional." Baptist and Pentecostal churches are quite similar to nondenominational churches in that they too are usually "congregational" meaning the local church makes virtually all of the decisions. The good of churches that are "congregational" in polity is that they can be nimble and relate well to the local culture. The "connectional" churches often get their guidelines from denominational headquarters which are sometimes dated and irrelevant. However, "congregational" churches can become "cults" because there is little outside accountability. They often don't realize that they need an "association" or "denomination" until a pastor leaves or there is some other crisis. Whereas "connectional" churches have a structure designed for stability and perpetuity. 

    I urge nondenominational churches and churches with "congregational" polity to find best practices from other denominations. I think especially here of good policies regarding handling accusations of sexual abuse rather than winging it. It is ignorant and arrogant to flout one's independence as a congregation as if you couldn't possibly learn from other congregations. 1 Cor 14:36 NIV: "Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?"

    Another way for nondenominational churches to learn best practices is for their ministry staff to get theological education. I highly encourage nondenominational churches to have many staff get seminary training so they they nurture a "deep bench" of wisdom from which to draw. I worry about megachurches where only the founder and a teaching pastor have theological education and call the shots and the rest of the ministry staff "execute" their orders. What will happen when the founder falls, leaves, or dies? Why not have lots of ministry staff up and down the organization get grounded in the wisdom of the church globally and historically? Why not have a 30 staff who can pick up the slack rather than one or two more designated hand-picked successors who are teaching pastors?  

    A nondenominational congregation can also join a denomination that supports congregational polity (Converge Worldwide, Evangelical Free Church, Evangelical Covenant Church, CCCC, Southern Baptist Convention, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Assemblies of God, Vineyard USA, etc.). They can provide support and advice if a crisis should occur regarding abuse, finances and can provide assistance after a pastor leaves. 

    On the other hand, denominational churches, that is churches with episcopal or presbyterian polity, should beware of hampering local effectiveness of congregations with bureaucracy and red tape.   

    Note too this from the National Congregations Study (page 11): 

    "Multisite Congregations. The development and proliferation of multisite congregations is an interesting recent development in American religion. Overall, 3.4% of congregations in 2012 were multisite; 10% of churchgoers were in those congregations."

    A number of these multi-site congregations are "nondenominational." (We could access the data at the National Congregation Study website and find out how many).  In some ways, those who attend nondenominational multi-site congregations are part of "denominations" in that they are guided from a headquarters. In other words, Willow Creek Community Church has lots of sites or campuses. Willow Creek is not a denomination but the offerings taken at a campus go to "headquarters" and are distributed to other campuses. So Bill Hybels is the functional "Bishop" or the Willow Creek Elders board is the "presbytery" and the Campus Pastors are the "parish priests." But as we have seen by the implosion of churches like Mark Driscoll's Mars Hill in Seattle or the practice of some megachurch pastors setting the secret salaries for other megachurch pastors, often times megachurches fail to have governing practices for succession and accountability that are adequate. Despite the fact that megachurches may use the "latest business management practices" as described in Fast Company, they should not delude themselves into believing they are "just as good as a denomination." Instead, megachurches too should be encouraged to associate with a denomination so as to benefit from the accountability and practices of an entity that is designed for long-term congregational health beyond the inclinations of one congregation. 

    I should say that I like multi-site churches and megachurches. My main concern is the one listed above: succession, accountability, and transparency. 

    Non-denominational churches are also explored at http://www.hartfordinstitute.org/ http://www.hartfordinstitute.org/cong/nondenominational-churches-national-profile-2010.html

    On succession, see also: 

    The long term danger of hiring staff with the "gift of leadership"

    November 12, 2015