Leadership

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The Church:
Organism or Organization?

Part One: A series on the church
By Bill Rose



What does the Word of God teach regarding the church in
its form, function and expression? Anyone who ponders
this issue begins at the point of asking the question from
one, if not all three of these areas. This question surfaced
many years ago in my life because of the struggles I was
having in applying Biblical rational to a career in full time
ministry.

Coming from the perspective as a professional pastor I
had to wonder why church leadership was so difficult to
implement and maintain. Ministry was rewarding at times
yet filled with many complications that had no biblical
explanation or justification. One day those irreconcilable
differences piled so high I decided to start from scratch
and revisit the meaning of the church. The physical
church, of which I was a part and the professional job I
sought so diligently to acquire, wasn't representing what I
would see from New Covenant thought and early church
activity. I continued to wrestle through this period of
confusion, having the Lord point out many areas within the
church that had become important frameworks for
business maneuvering, yet made no sense biblically. So I
set out to find answers to my questions.

To begin answering these questions I looked around at
what the church had become in the 21st Century and
contrasted it with the days of the Apostles and their first
Century writings. The dissimilarities were obviously
shocking. I noted how our contemporary church had
incorporated a business style or institutional structure
within its daily existence. Amazingly this strategy has
permeated the church in almost every area of form,
function and expression. Today's "ministry box" is well
defined and almost unquestionably accepted as a
legitimate role model. As I spoke to others about my
doubts and discoveries, I found the majority of people
uninterested in the topic of "Do we need another
Reformation?" To have someone question the current
model and suggest we might be out of step biblically was
usually looked upon with suspicion. My prayer for those
who read this article is to eliminate cultural suspicion and
rediscover the core values and simple patterns of ministry
that made the early church a life changing force twenty-
one centuries ago. My hope is that you are enlightened
from scripture and not from years of unsupportable
Christian tradition.

Is The Church an Organism or an Organization?

One day I had a break-through in trying to understand the
nature of the church by asking myself this fundamental
question, "Is the church an organism or is it an
organization?" If you answered "organism," your home-
study doctrinal certificate is ready to be mailed out. We
hear it regularly taught that it is indeed an "organism," but
which is it really today, an organism or an organization?
Truthfully, I believe God designed it to be an organism, but
man in his limited wisdom redesigned God's original intent
and converted it into an organization. I had to be honest
with myself and admit I had been part of the problem. Not
knowing it, my years in professional ministry were spent
giving lip service to the expression "organism," but living
out my Christian life in the "organization." Every question
and every problem I was having with the church found its
way back to the fact that I was trying to benefit from the
best of both worlds. Like most, I had fallen into the trap of
thinking "organized religion" was a good thing.

Oddly, many of us have the assumption that organized
religion is a positive addition to society. The word "religion,"
as defined in Webster's Dictionary, means "that which
binds." If it consistently binds people together and
compliments people's beliefs we deem it as a positive
quality. But, let me ask you this question. What if it doesn't
bind people together, but separates people into their
protected religious worlds? If so, is "organized religion" a
good thing then? Perhaps a better interpretation for "that
which binds" would be "that which binds people up." Like a
lawn mower bound-up and stalled from trying to cut tall
grass, organized religion serves to restrict people into
religious sub cultures, defending religious laws and
mandates while trying to protect religious organizations. If
one willingly enters the "binding category" you are gladly
received as an accepted member. But what if others look
upon all of this as foolishness, because the end result
produces a collective of "bound-up" and stall-out
assemblies of world religions and fractured
denominational Christian groups? Is organized religion
then perceived as a meaningful addition to society? I
would answer "no" to that question since the "big picture"
belief of Jesus' mission was to eliminate organized
religion by taking on the most bound-up and rule based
religion of the day, the Jewish faith. No world religion could
hold a candle to the legalism and religious expectations
Judaism offered. Is it any wonder the Jewish religious
leaders regularly confronted Jesus on the reasons for
"why" or "when" He healed, taught or served others? Every
time He was directed by the Father to do something
supernatural it resulted in a direct violation of religious law
or tradition.

In addition, have you ever thought about and concluded
that Christianity is the only faith birthed on the planet with
no sacred rules and traditions, no sacred individuals and
no sacred spaces besides God Himself? Given this
premise, Christianity isn't a religion or a system but is the
only offer to mankind to form a simple and personal
relationship with God through Christ free from the
interference of "organized religion" and powered by an
inward Life-the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This
intentional vision by God, designed within the framework
of the New Covenant, came about so that homes,
courtyards, market places, privately owned public
buildings, schools and roadsides would become fluid
meeting places for an organic movement that would
surpass the influence of the Roman Empire and sweep
around the world. So how does God implement His plan?

You Are the Church

The term (ekklesia-translated church in English) was never
applied to a building or hand built temple, but instead it
was an expressive title given by the grace of God to
describe His holy people. Take note on how Paul drives
this point home to the Corinthian church as they were
struggling to realize God's new plans. For we are God's
fellow workers, you are God's field, God's building (1
Corinthians 3:9). There are three points he is making that
he hopes they will understand. If you are of the institutional
mindset then you are probably thinking of three points that
would be opposites of Paul's. Your thoughts might fall
along these lines; the first is hire staff, the second is
purchase property, and the third would be to construct a
building.

Take careful observation of how God's plans differed
under the New Covenant. The first point is that there is no
staff. Paul and everyone else were fellow workers. They
were all spiritually and equally employed in God's kingdom
with gifts, talents and time. The second point is that no one
needed to go out with a realtor to purchase land. He
makes it clear that they were now the field. Every world
religion sought property to own, but the early church was
going to stand out from the rest as ambassadors of a
heavenly kingdom. And the third point is that they were to
resist the temptation of hiring an architect and raising
money for the purpose of constructing a building. God's
ideas for the church were much simpler-they, as
believers, were the building! In just a few more sentences
Paul finishes his radical presentation by saying, "do you
not know that you are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwells within you?" (1 Cor 3:16) Surprisingly
Paul's question, "do you not know?" applied to me! For
years I did not know. When God revealed these concepts
to my mind and heart they shattered the roadblock that
hindered me from understanding the true nature of the
church. In simple to understand terms, every believer in
Christ became the church!

I believe a key reason the church is less effective today
than in those early years is that we have taken a very
important spiritual identity, "the church" and for the most
part, misnamed it and misrepresented it as a building with
nicely designed church signs facing the street. Place a
cross near the top of the building and you have a
legitimate church structure. To reassure this Old Covenant
concept we hear people everyday calling the building "the
house of God, the Lord's place, or the sanctuary," Given
this, we now have created the artificial need for everyone
to incessantly, "get to church." Unlike Jewish believers, the
first and second century converts never asked the
question "Where do you go to church?" That would have
been a ridiculous question in those days. They were
aware of the fact that you couldn't attempt to go to a place
when you were that place (the church).

In today's culture, Christian reaction to the knowledge that
we are the church is not necessarily liberating and life
changing information. Most believers have the impression
and the experience of being the church only when they
are in a marked church building and actively participating
in an officially prescribed church service. Upon departing
that experience, most disconnect themselves from their
true "identity in Christ" as people who are the church and
they slide comfortably into more understandable roles as
husband or wives, fathers or mothers, employers or
employees and relatives and friends. "Worldly boxes" for
daily living become just as rotational as "spiritual boxes" for
supernatural living. So a cultural tradition has come about
where we believe we are only the church when we are in a
"big box" called the church building. Since we are in the
mega church era, the bigger the box the more successful
that church looks to the rest of the world.

I would like to illustrate my observations about this cultural
tradition because it is now the norm rather than the
exception. Imagine if the only time men and women
understood or experienced their respective genders was
when they visited buildings designated as "Men's or
Women's Restrooms." What if Christian leaders
misinformed the populace for centuries with the message
that men or women, which ever the case, would only have
the capacity to think, act and enjoy their masculinity or
femininity after they entered and stayed for a time in the
"Men's/Women's Restroom"? How much productive time,
living as men and women apart from the "Restroom
Facility," would be lost due to a false expectation and
tragic misconception of reality? Can we conclude this
misunderstanding is clearly the case today as most live
out their Christian lives? The majority of believers perceive
of themselves as the church when they are trained to visit
a building marked "The Church." How much valuable time
and quality of spiritual life is lost with that misplaced
identity? Thus, many don't authentically experience who
they are on a continual basis so they remain ignorant or
sheltered from the "abundant life" offered to those who
know who they are in Christ as the church. Is it any wonder
why frustrated pastors are passionately preaching week-
after-week for their congregants to get off the sidelines as
spectators and participate on the field. Either knowingly or
unknowingly, professional ministers have created and
defined the spectator sidelines with refreshments and
comfortable benches where everyone can sit and watch
power point presentations about what they could do for the
Lord if they were only given the opportunity to get onto the
field. If people were set free to be themselves in Christ as
the church, the organized religious sidelines and power
point presentations would be over and a thing of the past.
There would be many unemployed professionals set free
from the bondage of organized religion to be blown about
by the Spirit of God to new and more purposeful
endeavors.

Organized religion has always tried to justify and legitimize
their belief systems with buildings. The early church lived
around the religions of their day with buildings containing
committed followers. With that awareness, they
understood that God had decided to do something
incredibly creative by discarding the template of buildings
as temples and churches. His alternative plan came about
by miraculously creating within each believer the
knowledge and the ability to stand on their own or
corporately, as "temples of God." Jesus, the High Priest,
placed His Spirit into believers twenty-four hours a day,
performing His worship service within their hearts and
minds. What did this do for them?

For one thing, this gave the church the needed mobility
and flexibility to go anywhere and minister. Have you ever
wondered how the words spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus
would apply to the church? Let me remind you of part of
that conversation so that you will see how it fits into this
discussion. "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear
the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and
where it is going: so is everyone who is born of the
Spirit." (John 3:8). Can you see what you have been
created to do? God's people were literally designed to be
blown through neighborhoods and around the world by the
Holy Spirit like leaves being scattered about by the wind.
They were not meant to be confined and tied down to a
business model for the purpose of producing spiritual
results. Instead, supernatural productivity would be the
result of spiritual transformation with radically different
ways of existing in the kingdom building process.

Living in Christ with a Divine Nature

Since the church is spiritual, it was designed to be organic
in form, function and expression. We are told in I
Corinthians 12 that God made this possible by including
every believer into a supernatural body that is identified as
Christ's (I Corinthians 12:27). To make that work
effectively He gave us new natures by being born again,
"...putting on a new self, which in the likeness of God has
been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
(Ephesians 4:24). Peter says that as a result of this we are
now partakers of the divine nature free to function in the
world with His spiritual DNA. How is this manifested and
employed?

When operating in the nature of God's DNA, as did the
early church, we see a freedom to function and display
signs of spiritual life. For example, an organic church
model is free from ritual, hierarchical leadership and a
group dependent upon one key leader or professional
staff with a building to maintain. It generates relationships
of brotherly love and a commitment to one another. Those
gathered together are inquisitive seekers asking questions
and forming biblically based ideas that apply to individual
and corporate living. It fosters mutual appreciation of each
others contributions in an open participatory body. It
believes Godly living is dependent upon Christ's life living
in and through each believer and not upon a set of moral
or ethical codes or principles or rules. One will see men
and women who have discovered their spiritual makeup is
understood through their identity in Christ. Lastly, Biblical
teaching communicates that Christians are now under the
New Covenant which revoked the Old Covenant and
made it obsolete.

Any form of institutional worship, service or practice can
not be recognized as spiritually innate and genetically
driven by God. What is seen as traditionally religious must
be ignored and set aside in order to hear the word of God
and trust the Holy Spirit to freely manifest Christ in our life.
Religion should never be an allowable substitute for the
freedom we can experience in Christ. This was why the
Apostle Paul cautioned fellow believers with the following
words to the Galatians. "It was for freedom that Christ set
us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject
again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1). In this setting
the yoke of slavery was Jewish legalism that distracted
people from their freedom to live in the life of Christ and
trust Him fully for godly living. Organized religion has an
abundant supply of what looks good on the surface,
enticing men and women into traditional, religious Christian
lifestyles instead of an authentic life in Christ. Adopting
such practices will always suffocate God's expressive
DNA within a person by building a trust and dependence
upon man instead of God. What can we anticipate when
believers gather together freely with Christ as the source
of our life as the cornerstone for our uncontained living?

Gathering Together Organically

When believers "go to church" within an institutional setting
are they benefitting spiritually? Are they being built up and
edified as God would desire? Is there a biblical basis for
what takes place so that the experience is authentic and
fruitful? These are tough questions to ask any person who
is attached to the organizational model, but they must be
asked if one views scriptural principles as fundamental for
gathering together. Where do we start if we are open to
discovering answers to these questions? Let's look at the
early church model and see how close we are in following
their lead.

As I stated before, the early church had an organic
element to it. The gathering times were fluid as it allowed
and benefitted from the expected and unexpected
contributions of its participants. Jesus Christ was the focus
of the meeting, as He is the Head of the Church
(Ephesians 5:23). There was an expectation and a trust
that He would lead during those times of assembly. He
would be the "senior pastor" organizing the fellowship and
all aspects of worship, which involves all facets of our life.

Along with this, He has placed each of us as members of
His body to function just as He has desired (1 Corinthians
12:18). There was a belief that as God brought people into
His body of believers each would have a valuable role to
play within the assembly. Therefore, organic church life
trusted the Holy Spirit to provide the freedom to express
what the Lord had taught each member through the week.
Paul's words describe the organic church movement when
he says, "What is the outcome then, brethren? When you
assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a
revelation, has as a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all
things be done for edification." (1 Cor 4:26). What stands
out as God's blueprint for collective worship?

First of all, if you have roots in the organized church
movement then you are going to have problems trying to
apply these instructions. Paul directs the church assembly
to include each one who attends as a participant rather
than as an observer. Everyone was a leader by the very
nature of the priesthood of the believer. There were no
divisions within the group in terms of clergy/laity or
professional and non professional status. For example,
God's voice would not be restricted to a "worship minister"
with a background choir in colorful robes and a one man
bible message delivered by a "senior pastor" week after
week.

The second point, if we are to apply these words then we
must believe each member has learned something very
important about God and the Christian life through the
week. Given this, it may mean Jesus Christ might lead that
person to contribute what he has learned for the benefit of
all. I think we can also assume God has built within each
person the desire and need to participate in a meaningful
way. Within our spiritual DNA, as born again believers, we
are wired for spiritual participation and a passion to build
each other up. When not given this opportunity, we are left
unfulfilled during the gathering times and the assembly is
worst off because of it. What can we anticipate with each
member being a participant?

I believe the creative and edifying energy of God's plans
for worship surpasses anything humanly structured
because of its potentially rich content. The meetings might
have familiar songs or new ones freshly written and taught
for all to learn and sing. Visual artwork, poems and drama
can also be the expressive elements in worship. Teaching,
planned and unplanned (i.e. topical or expository), along
with testimonies and prophetic insights (casting light upon
truth and life), will be additional witnesses to the Gospel.
Anything glorifying Christ is to be anticipated through the
prayers, the lyrics, the teachings and the participation of
those attentive to the Lord's voice. And let me add, this
comes about when young and old are blended together to
share in each others unique gifts and contributions to the
church body. Young and old need each other to grow in
the Lord.

In contrast, the institutional church will seldom allow and
present this type of freedom and liberty for those
attending. The risks for a professionally led church,
designed to run on a business model are too great if
operated organically. The following are some of these
risks and probable reasons for keeping tight control over
what occurs during primary gathering times. Perhaps
some of these observations and experiences have been
yours as well.

* When there are many contributors to edify the body
of Christ a very healthy spiritual atmosphere can be
developed. Thus, when gifted leaders surface and
mature, paid staff can be threatened by job insecurity
due to the lack of being the primary visionaries for
the church.
* A meeting designed and orchestrated by God can be
unique and unwieldy. For example, the amount of
time when people gather together may be longer
than conventional church settings might allow. In
addition, one never knows what to expect from those
attending a fellowship which is Christ driven instead
of staff driven.
* Those in attendance actively participate instead of
being compliant benchwarmers waiting to be spoon-
fed or entertained. Each weekly meeting is different
because of the variety of those attending and
contributing.
* No one can be manipulated into joining ministries
that directly support the vision of a structured church
environment. Out-of-the-box ministries are started
and sustained amongst those who are led and
indwelt by Jesus to meet the needs of those in their
communities and the world.
* Financial support will be by faith (believing God
sustains His work and supports His workers) instead
of by sight (line item budget supported by an Old
Covenant tithing system).
* When a person views the church as an organism,
those attending are not members who are
comfortable with attendance roles and numbers
being sent to church offices and denominational
headquarters for methods of evaluating a spiritually
active community. Growing in the grace of God and
trusting Him for all things spiritual are the practical
expressions of church life. People are free to come
and go as Christ leads. There is nothing employed
as a way to control commitment or size within a
group.
* In contrast to the organically driven church,
professional pastors are faced with the daily
pressure to keep what has been built sustained and
to grow the base spiritually and numerically. Every
paid staff person knows these two stated goals are
what guarantee and safeguard their jobs. Therefore,
in an institutionally driven church any number of
problems can occur. Workaholic schedules,
competitive atmospheres, strained relationships due
to unrealistic expectations and excessive worry are
just a few downsides that immediately come to mind.
If the church chooses to run as an institution then the
world's standards for success will also produce
problems associated with career accomplishment.
* Every institutionally minded purpose, goal and
structure is at risk when an individual or a group of
people decides to live their lives based on an organic
church model. What has been achieved
organizationally may not fit or work within an organic
model. When making the shift to the organic model
one must always be mindful that a foundation laid by
man will usually be unharmonious with plans set by
Jesus Christ. (I Cor 3:12).

The organizational church methods have had centuries to
develop and regretfully most Christians do not believe or
realize there is another way. There are many who proclaim
the organic model will never work in today's culture. My
response is twofold. First, why go to the trouble of teaching
anything in the Bible if human nature and its needs have
changed from that of the first century? And secondly, if we
believe our culture will not accept and flourish with an
organic model, then what can we say about the success
terrorist groups are having by using it? Everyone in the
news media acknowledges the organic nature of terrorism
and the inability to define, locate and extinguish it.
Amazingly Satan saw the success of the early church and
decided to use the technique for his own destructive
purposes. He possibly had the following thought centuries
ago. "If the church is not going to use it, then I will."

My hope is for biblical discovery that takes the church into
a modern day second Reformation. Clearly, the first one
started with high expectations but never completed the job.
If given the opportunity by God, we shall all have the
revelation to see ourselves as God views us. We are the
church, designed to live freely in His spiritual DNA and
given the tremendous ability to minister organically in an
organizational world culture. My prayer is that it will happen
in my lifetime and yours as God calls out more believers
from organized religion into organic church.

An organic model exists to express Jesus Christ and
depend upon Him as the Head of the church and the
visionary and support for the rest of the Body (1
Corinthians 12). In the next part I will examine how the
reverse pyramid style of leadership is demonstrated in the
organic model.





**See website:
http://www.gracedrivenpeople.com
or contact Bill Rose with comments/questions-
[email protected]

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