I know in some circles that word has been tarnished by those who have abused it and given a bad name by those who fail to understand it or have an independent spirit, but it's a good word for the church.
That word is accountability.
A significant issue we had as a church in the past was that people would just do stuff. It wasn't that the stuff they did was usually bad, but the attitude behind it sometimes was really based on pride and an independent spirit that refused to recognise authority in others and in church leadership. It has been a mould that, I think God has been working to break in us, and is one of the chief sources of the pain and difficulty we have experienced as a church. And it has been a difficult mould to break.
We have recently re-started having a worship team, and for months I had been asking the leadership team for permission to set something up before agreement was given. Sure something could have been organised independently, the PCC presented fait accompli and arms twisted to make life difficult for them so that they'd have to accept it or face more hassle in how the church ran. But that would have been giving myself to wickedness and drawing others deliberately into the same sins whose consequences we suffered before. Instead, there is peace, blessing, harmony and unity. I don't have to feel pride, because it's not 'my' worship team, but rather the churches worship team whom I have been priviledged to hep organise and work with.
Despite the witticism, it is so much better to seek permission than forgiveness and an independent spirit is not acceptable in those who wish to serve and lead God's people. Yes, there's forgiveness for when we get it wrong, but it's so much better to get it right and not cause ourselves and others hurt and pain when we do it our way.
Wow what an amazing position you must be in to cast so many stones and know exactly the hearts of all those people you have mentioned. If only we could all be in such high places there would never be any trouble in the world.
ReplyDeleteDear Anon, my heart is naturally proud and independent, and my instinct is much more to ask forgiveness than permission. This has not been an easy change for me.
ReplyDeleteIt should be a church leadership decision to have lead worship, which may take time to decern God's will. For lead worship each person should be accountable to Gods will, the leadership of the church and to the congregation, to be sympathetic to their needs and be spirit lead. For leadershhip accountability requires supporting, encouragement and guidance. That is something that was and still appears to be lacking.
ReplyDeleteHi Anon. It was a church leadership decision to re-start the worship team, and many months had been spent discerning God's will going back to the beginning of the year. I'm not really clear what you're saying in the next line.
ReplyDeleteAccountability isn't something that's a nice optional extra to be bolted on if the people in leadership meet a set of criteria. If someone serves in some leadership capacity in a church then they need to be accountable for what they do, whether they respect the leadership or not. If they cannot be accountable to the leaders of one church then it is better to move to another with leaders to who they will be accountable. However if someone will not be accountable to others then they need to step down from their leading because they are serving themselves, however much they dress it up as serving God. There is a principle of God's kingdom: those who would lose their lives will find them and those who would keep their lives will lose them - as soon as a ministry becomes 'owned' by someone then they have stepped out of God's grace and will be working in their own strength.
So the principle is: if I wish to be part of an Anglican church then I must be accountable for my actions to the leadership of the church of England - I can't make my own rules up and I can't readily break theirs even where I believe them to be wrong. But it's not just about rules (which will always be ultimately ineffective because people will find loopholes and ways round them) but about doing the things that I know they would want done as much as practicality and conscience will allow.
I rather expect you will not be happy with this comment.