On Church Division

So how do we handle conflict in the Church?

Unchurched people hate (or love?) to see conflict in the Church. It either deflates their hope or raises their skepticism. So how does the Church handle conflict, with its necessary tension between grace and authority, without destroying its witness?

Unfortunately, and fortunately, we live in a society that is all about freedom. While this allows for much more autonomy in discerning God's will for the individual, it limits the authority of the Church leaders. Both have positives and negatives. We would all like for the individual to make wise choices in accord with church leadership. We would also like church leadership to make wise choices that are acceptable to all individuals. But you know the saying..."You can't please all of the people, all of the time."

When it comes to conflict in the Church, of course, particularly as it relates to the type of sin that can divide a church, the authority is given to the church Elders in Matthew 18*. Well meaning lay-persons often assert themselves in the roles of mediators, or of judges. But this exceeds their authority. What happens if the division is over a false teacher or about someone in rebellion in the church, or if it concerns a moral failure? Is there not a danger of the lay-person being led astray by the false teacher or infected with rebellion or misled as to the circumstances surrounding the moral failure as they try to act in lieu of the Eldership? Is a person that is expelled or under discipline likely to share the "full story" of what led to their discipline, especially when they are unrepentant? We all believe that we are the best arbiters of a situation, but more often than not the weight of evidence will go to the one who will willingly share the "whole story." That, most often, cannot be the leadership. This leads to a mis-informed arbiter. And judgment without the whole story is dangerous. And a congregant who places themselves as judge with partial information does so at the peril of becoming rebellious themselves.

Everyone wants reconciliation. Elders should (and most often do) strive the hardest for it, not easily handing out pink slips, so to speak, for poor behavior. They also mourn the most when division occurs. But the division is often furthered by the congregant who cannot trust the Elders to perform their Biblical duty. It is not easy to submit. Just as it is not easy to lead. But if your leaders have exhibited servant leadership, then the only right response is mutual submission - in return.

There are times that leaders have more information than their congregants. It is necessary then, that congregants search the Spirit on these things. Since freedom is our common lot in America, ceding some of that freedom to an Eldership may become a difficult test. But oft-times the Elders cannot reveal what they know that would make a situation clear, either because of confidentiality rules or because of a just need to protect the party found to be in sin.

Trust is not easy. But it is often required. If one does not trust their leadership, then it is likely that there are more issues at stake than what appears, and perhaps a deeper investigation into matters of division are necessary. But if the leadership has won trust, then submission to their authority should follow.

When leaders are not trusted, intervention by well-meaning lay-persons can further the division by giving aid and comfort to the one in sin, delaying or completely halting their "sifting" process. It also gives the one in sin more influence in the church by giving them a voice through those who come to sympathize with their limited side of the story. Spirits attach to those in rebellion - and they impart them to those who will give them an audience. Any sin that leads to discipline carries a spirit with it, and those who believe they can "handle" the situation alone walk dangerously onto unsteady spiritual grounds.

The system of authority in the Church has been set by God. He is the ultimate judge between Elders and those they discipline. Submission, therefore, also goes to the God who knows the hearts of men, and who judges justly. He will bring all matters to light in His time, for it is "to His glory to conceal a matter..." (Prov. 25:2)

* Addendum: A clarification is necessary, as brought up by John Wilcox. My reference to the Elders (and Deacons, in part) having authority over matters of church discipline is derivative. The only place to make disciplinary action over sin stick is via the leadership. It's hard for an accuser and 2 or 3 witnesses to expel an immoral brother from fellowship on their own. They must rely on a reference of the conflict to those who have the authority to expel another. Hopefully that clarification helps.

Day 1: Sowing and Reaping

The first of the year already sees and upset in my new schedule! It would seem that I can't even awaken on Day One to this new monastic life. However, given that I was awake for the first 2.5 hours of the year, deep in conversation with Christian brothers over a weave of great topics in Scripture, I have to give myself some credit for kicking the year off with my first meditations on the deep things of God.

So I finally awakened, not having heard my 0600 alarm this morning (I gave myself a one hour break since I wasn't in bed until 0245), at about 0830! Not a great start to a self-imposed, rigorous schedule, but I have all of this New Year's Day to enjoy football in the background and Scripture in the foreground. And I started my late morning by completing my reading in Galatians, discovering a great statement for a morning meditation:

"The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." (6:8)

Paul has a way of making it simple. This year will be a year of discovery and of course correction. I will discover many things I have been doing that have fed my sin nature. Having fed that monster, I have lost some connection with the Spirit, who in many cases has suffered starvation in my daily walk. Once I have learned to take all thoughts (and actions) captive and make them obedient to Christ, the Spirit will thrive in me while the sin nature withers away from malnutrition. As Paul also shares, "...what counts is a new creation."

One more thought by Paul in Galatians: "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (6:14) Am I crucified to the world as Paul was? I think not, yet. I sit now a strong skeptic about whether even after this year, I will be. I worry that I will not gain the results I pray for, or that I will fail in my weakness.

But Paul makes it so easy: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will nt gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (5:16) God grant me the strength and discipline to live out the ease of this statement.