Quote:
Originally Posted by Alter Ego
What are some of the benefits of churches/ministers being independent of a larger religious organization?
Do those benefits outweigh the drawbacks of going it alone?
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I will try to give a balanced answer from someone who has walked both paths and is currently a indepedent/awcf and works currently on staff at a UPC church.
I came to a belief that I was not a good fit for the UPC because I could not sign the affirmation statement. I don't own a TV anymore, go to movies anymore, or even rent movies anymore (and its only because I work at a UPC church and want to avoid anyone having a inch to say anything about anything, I actually obey their standards better than the actual UPC ministers). But to teach personal convictions or extra-biblical rules as salvific is wrong.. our church doesnt do that, but we are the exception in the area and are known for being the "squishy UPC church" in the area (and other pastors say they aren't tied into salvation.. but in reality many times they are in actual practice). Also what I found was a disconnect between me and my fellow ministers, I am bi-vocational and enjoy being so, many of them had worked in church work for awhile and had lost touch with the culture in many ways. Also it began to warp their view of the world and how normal people actually live life since their views were rarely challenged and the only feedback they got were from the echo-chamber. All of our ministers including the pastor are bi-vocational and i will admit that makes a huge difference on our outlook on life.
For awhile I felt like I had made a bad mistake when I made a decision to leave my UPC roots since I was told I would buy into false doctrine, etc etc etc. But then I realized there was more out there than the mothership. One of my good friends from IBC (Luke Smith) was the son of the head of the AWCF. And the first time i attended a AWCF event and met dozens and dozens of bishops from different oneness orgs and hundreds of pastors both denominal and independent shattered my thinking about alot of things.
Sometimes its awkward for fellow ministers (not at my church but elsewhere) when they find out im not UPC. They usually ask me why and I tell them with all honesty I couldnt sign the affirmation statement with a good conscience and lie like some of my friends who were still in the org. They usually smile somewhat bashfully because they see a mirror to their own inner thought life in what i say (they themselves usually dont 100% toe the line to the manual.. few actually do).
The saints at times from other churches give me some hassle if im not careful in what i say since words change meaning when your dealing with folks still in the org.. i went to a party recently that I was invited to, and one of the ladies who was a ex-ministers wife was like "so you a minister" to which i said "yes" and she asked me if i was local or general and i told her I was of a different fellowship... then i instantly felt the indefinable feeling that i didnt 'measure up'. its the old debate on here of "your my brother, but am i yours?' she asked me about spiritual authority and i told her i didn't have a bishop in the normal sense and i wasn't accountable to a board in that way... i said it nicely i think, but she got huffy and said a person can't be blessed unless they are under someone, to which i kindly answered that someone for me was Christ and scriptures.
Sometimes as a independent you have to be careful of others you fellowship with and what you say at events since you can easily get attacked and things you say can be warped into a different meaning since they load up words with context "so when he said that.. was he insulting this or that doctrine".
The opportunities to fellowship are less, but the hassle and pain of having to "fit in" are reduced. Its a mixed bag, I would gladly rejoin the UPC if they ditched the affirmation statement and reduced their set of rules and left it up to the local church.
usually if you make friends it will be with pastors outside your area if your a pastor since you are a threat to them. your church will be the example of what will happen if you leave the org... you will become the boogeyman.
Examples here in texas are kenneth philips, jabo green, wendell hutchins, the jones brothers, etc etc etc to infinity... all useful boogeymen even if those doing the horror stories never visit their church themselves.
after studying it alot, the reason people hate those that leave them or are close but not quite like themselves is that they feel like they need to emphasize the differences instead of the commonalities since otherwise it would be to admit the things that seperate them are secondary... which would then force them to either change or accept that others can have a different interpretation and still be saved.
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