I’m a Baptist and so I believe local church autonomy is a beautiful thing. I’ve known of churches in different denominations who have different church government to be wrecked by a person outside of the local church making a decision that significantly impacts the local church.
I’ve known of bishops moving beloved pastors out of a thriving congregation only to replace the faithful pastor with one that shipwrecks the church. I’m happy that as a Baptist if a church runs itself aground at least it was our own doing and not from the heavy hand of someone else.
There are other reasons why I love local church autonomy and for the most part believe it to be the closest to that outlined in Scripture. But I also believe there was something precious that happened in the early church that we don’t really have much of a structure for as Southern Baptists. Allow me to explain.
The Case of Philippi
We don’t know many details about the church at Philippi. There is, however, one little detail that we are given in Philippians 4:2. There are two ladies, Euodia and Syntyche, who are squabbling. In fact one could also gather from Philippians 2 that the church has a problem of looking out for their own interests instead of the interests of others.
It is no stretch of the imagination to envision a church at Philippi that is heading for a church split. Differences of opinion are normal in a local church. Even disagreements between ladies like Euodia and Sytyche are normal. But when these opinions are matched with a heart that “looks out for its own interests instead of the interests of others” then you have significant problems brewing.
So picture this with me. A mostly healthy local church has a massive deficiency that is threatening to rock the church at its core. What then is the church at Philippi to do?
Philippians 2:19-24 tells us what Paul does. He sends them Timothy. The one of whom Paul says, “I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ”. In other words, Timothy is a guy that looks out for the interests of others instead of his own interests. This is the very thing that the church at Philippi is struggling with. So what does Paul do? He sends exhorts them and then sends them a living picture of the humility that he is talking about.
When a church has a glaring deficiency often what is needed is not a handy-dandy cookie cutter program. It’s usually not a conference. And it’s often not even something that will come from the pastor. What that church needs is a living example that comes from the outside to live with them as a model.
The Case of 21st Century Baptists
There really isn’t much of a structure like this in our day. Can you imagine what would happen if a person from your state office sent you a member as a living example? What would be your churches response if you received a letter from the state office saying, “We hear that you are struggling with unity on your latest building campaign. Therefore, we are sending you Timothy. He’s got a proven track record of helping churches through this. He’ll live among you for awhile and help you out on this”?
I don’t even know what such a structure would look like but I am convinced that this is a massive help that we are missing out on. It is one of the downsides to local church autonomy in my opinion.
Is this even a possibility? Because we don’t have apostles, like Paul, anymore is such a thing even desirable?
What do you think? I see this in the Scriptures but I’m not sure how it applies in our day. Thoughts?
