A Foot-washing mentality - long

Foot-washing Mentality

I don't want to beat the same horse, over and over, but I feel there is more to say.

The more I hear, read, and experience in the issue of pastors who claim complete authority over every aspect of the church and even delve into church members’ homes, the more disgusted and perplexed I am. It is inconceivable to me that men who have been trained in BIBLE colleges and seminaries could actually believe that they have lordship – complete authority - over the believers in their churches! I am just as dismayed at deacon boards who abuse their power in numbers and seem to enjoy tormenting the pastor. And I realize there are congregations who glory in the fact that they can rally their cliques to sway the direction of the church.

However, the trend at this time seems to be an increased number of pastors – SBC and IFBC - who are following the lead of Paige Patterson and Paul Pressler. From the small reading I have done on them - these two men desired to change the direction of the SBC. Before these two men began to pull strings, the role of the pastor in this context was to preach and teach, to train the congregation for service, to care for the needs of the congregation, and to provide administrative coordination to the work of the church. Pastors were viewed as servants of the church. One of the men Patterson and Pressler promoted, W. A. Criswell said, "Lay leadership of the church is unbiblical when it weakens the pastor's authority as ruler of the church . . . a laity-led church will be a weak church anywhere on God's earth. The pastor is ruler of the church." In 1988 the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution affirming that the pastor was the ruler of the church. IFB pastors have bought into this mindset, as well.

First, let me say that I have no problem following or “submitting to” my pastor. He is quick to differentiate between his preferences and Scriptural mandates. If DH and I have a question, we can go to him and he will share his perspective and the Scripture or principle upon which his perspective is based. We do not always agree, but we are willing to do things his way in church. He is a true shepherd – caring for the flock, and teaching and preaching. He doesn’t puff himself up, saying, “This is what the church will do because ‘I AM THE PASTOR’. When I hear of pastors who have to say this, I am reminded of a small child standing on a chair, yelling, “I’M THE BOSS.” :laugh:

I feel Luke 22 is explicitly clear that Christ did not intend for the disciples/apostles or pastors – or anyone else - to have rule over other Christians. Christ told his followers – the apostles – they were not to exercise authority over others. Christ said the kings of Gentiles exercised lordship over others. Doesn’t sound like He was advocating the mindset of complete pastoral authority. WHERE IS THE BALANCE?!

The same word that was translated ‘obey’ in Hebrews 13:17 was also translated “agree”, “assure”, “believe”, “have confidence”, “be confident”, “make friend”, “persuade”, “trust” and “yield”. It means to convince, by analogy - To pacify or conciliate, to assent or to rely (Strong’s Concordance). Doesn’t this mean to be teachable? We should be listening and comparing what is taught to Scripture (like the Bereans who compared what Paul taught to other Scripture – and Paul didn’t call it ‘questioning’!) and be persuaded to follow, IF what they teach is found in God’s Word. Vine’s says “to persuade, to win over” or “to be persuaded, to listen to, to obey.” It goes on to state, “The ‘obedience’ suggested is not by submission to authority, but resulting from persuasion.”

If we look at how Christ sent out the disciples (apostles) in Matthew 10, He made it clear that their emphasis in ministering was to be on the message, not the “perks”. When the first churches were established, the pattern was influenced by the Roman Empire, which was all about hierarchy and rule of order. It is implied, if not spoken openly, that many preachers feel God can only speak to the church through THEM – or other preachers from within their own “camp”. I Cor. 14 speaks of how the service should be orderly, but it mentions multiple speakers “prophets, two or three” v.29. I am particularly curious about verse 36. It seems to put the proud speakers in their place – the Word did not originate with them and it did not come only to them.

A pastor does have the Authority of God’s Word to preach and God’s Word instructs the pastor to be a shepherd. However, I do not see where Biblical principles promote that the pastor have control over every aspect of their church. That belief contradicts Acts 6 where the apostles appointed disciples to take care of the daily ministrations and committed themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. Wouldn't it be a relief and a privilege and a blessing to all involved if the pastor could concentrate on these things and not on making sure the toilets are clean or on deciding how to spend church funds?

It seems that the bottom line, when it comes to who has the authority in a church – pastor or deacons or congregation – comes down to who wants to control the money. Do we really want the role of Judas? Wasn’t his desire to control the money part of his downfall? It isn’t money that is evil – it is the love of the money - the compulsion to control church funds – that is sin. When a pastor has to have the FINAL SAY, it negates every humble, servant-like (Christ-like!) word or action that preceded. Where is the power of God in that?

Please do not say, "You don't understand pastoral authority as it is a biblical principle." I do understand what is trying to be purported as truth and believe it is an erroneous perspective, if not false teaching. Those pastors who exclaim “REBELLION!” are the ones who really need to read Luke 22 and similar passages repeatedly until they “get it”. If the same pastors, OR church members who try to claim authority over the pastor, would have a good, old-fashioned foot washing service (gasp!) some of the absurdity of authority would fade away.

1 Dr. Rick McClatchy & Dr. Bruce Prescott, centerforbaptiststudies

 

If Christians would apply the humility and servant's heart it requires to wash a Christian brother's (sister's) feet to every aspect of the ministry, I do not believe there would be the problem there is with people fighting for power or asserting complete authority. It is a mentality - a way of thinking - about how Christians are to treat each other.

I, too, have participated in footwashing and know what it does in the heart.

 

I thought the mentality part of the title would differentiate my post from one that would have addressed literal foot-washing. If authoritarian pastors would try washing the feet of the believers they try to control, I believe their hearts would be changed.

 

I'm sure we're all glad! :laugh: