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4 Comments (and one trackback)

• #1 by Stephen Simons on 2009.09.30 - 6:37pm

  

  Everything ends. Including denominations. Don’t take extreme measures to extend the life of a denomination. Use those same resources to start local churches.

• #2 by Mac on 2009.10.05 - 9:39am

  

  I have no plans for extreme measures. Starting local churches is exactly what I am advocating. And, if anything DOES prolong the life of a denomination, it is the planting of new local churches.

  But you are right, denominations end, too. They tend to have longer lifespans than individual churches, but they’re hardly immortal.

• #3 by Stephen Simons on 2009.10.07 - 3:42pm

  

  I see the distinction you are making, but I still think you are advocating starting new local branches of your denomination, not new local churches. It’s the difference between managing your local Starbucks, or starting your own coffee shop. In both cases people get coffee, but if you work for Starbucks the brand story and the product experience are determined for you, not by you.

  I believe the future of Christianity is to plant, build, and support independent, non-denominational, free, simply-local churches that live and die with the community of believers who walk together and constitute their life.

  It does, however, take a deeply visionary and Christ-centered denomination to support this kind of church plant as it requires the sacrifice of their institutional control with its attending revenue opportunities.

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• #4 by Brian on 2009.10.19 - 9:55am

  

  This is an interesting little exchange and certainly presses the question of what function and value over-arching denominations serve. I’m a big fan of remembering that everything dies and being willing to let things die. But it doesn’t follow that the species of “denominations” should die. I like the idea of a foundation style organization being in the business of training priests. The guy who graduates from program earns a certain credential both in terms of skills training and also in terms of specific doctrinal training. Then any existing groups who might like that type of priest can employ him…or he can start his own group.

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