OPERATING A CHURCH WITHOUT A PASTOR (1)

0. Introduction

a) Can a church start WITHOUT an "ordained" person, be they a Pastor, Priest or Minister, present to lead the group? Are there certain functions and ceremonies within the church that should only be performed by those who receive a salary to serve? Below are several common practices and services that Christian churches commonly perform and how they can be handled by small groups and fellowships.

1. Differences of opinion

a) When a congregation is not controlled by a denomination or local pastor, some people are concerned that there will be too many "unpleasant differences of opinion". There is good reason for these concerns. "Unpleasant differences" can take away the joy that God wants for us. But differences of opinion do not have to be unpleasant - that is an important lesson to learn.

b) Numbers 14:11 - 20 contains a difference of opinion between God and Moses. God wanted to destroy the nation of Israel, but Moses wanted Him to keep them alive. Moses did not curse God and God did not strike Moses with lightning. Nobody became unpleasant and God listened to Moses. Micah's vision of God's throne shows us that God sometimes seeks multiple opinions of ways to accomplish his plans: 

i) "And he said, "Hear therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, 'Who shall entice Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth in Gilead?' And one said this way, and another said that way. 

ii) "And there came forth a spirit and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' And the LORD said to him, 'With what?' And he said, 'I will go forth and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' (1Kings 22:19-22, Holy Bible in Its Original Order - A Faithful Version (HBFV)) 

c) Acts 15 gives the story of a great difference of opinion that occurred in what is often called the Jerusalem Conference. The debate centered around whether it was necessary or not to circumcise Gentiles who were becoming believers in Jesus - "And after much discussion had taken place, Peter stood up and said to them . . ." (Acts 15:7). Later in the same chapter, Paul and Barnabas were planning to make another trip together, but they could not agree on whether or not to take Mark with them, so they agreed to go on completely separate trips (Acts 15:36 - 41). Romans 14 is another great chapter showing that brethren have different opinions.

i) "Now on the one hand, one believes he may eat all things that are lawful; but on the other hand, another one, who is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats meat should not despise the one who does not eat it. And the one who does not eat meat should not condemn the one who eats it, for God has received him." (Romans 14:2-3) 

d) Paul certainly knew whether or not it was permissible to eat meat, but he took this opportunity to teach the bigger lesson that people do not all have the same understanding and are accountable for what they personally know, not the complete facts that may be understood by somebody else.

e) The Bible gives a very effective procedure for peacefully resolving disagreements - even if the people making the decisions do not always make the right decisions. This procedure is found in Matthew 18. Many people do not want to confront others with whom they disagree - even when they should. Others have a tendency to confront nearly everyone, whether they are right or wrong. But part of becoming like Christ (Romans 8:29) is learning to peacefully help people when they are wrong. Christ was bold and fearless, yet humble and loving at the same time.