Reimagining Church

Reimagining Church

If you ever want a challenging read regarding the status quo of the church then Frank Viola is your man!  I was deeply challenged by his book Pagan Christianity and have really enjoyed Reimagining Church: Pursuing the dream of Christianity.  I do not agree with all Frank writes but I do agree that we need a paradigm shift regarding the church from institutionalism to a more organic way of being.  He helpfully describes the institutional paradigm and the organic paradigm in the table below, as you read it I wonder which you would prefer to be a part of?

Institutional Paradigm	Organic Paradigm
Sustained by clergy system	Knows nothing about a clergy system
Seeks to energise the laity	Doesn’t recognise a different class called laity
Limits many functions to the ordained	Makes all members functioning priests
Renders the bulk of its congregant’s passive in their ‘pews’	Allows and encourages all Christians to engage in whatever ministry god has called them to
Associates church with a building, a denomination, or a religious service	Affirms that people do not go to church; affirms that they (together) are the church
Is rooted in unifying those who share a special set of customs or doctrines	Is rooted in unreserved fellowship with all Christians based on Christ alone
Places its priority on programme and rituals that keep its congregants at arm’s length, insulating them from one another	Places its priorities on face to face, shared life relationships, mutual submission, openness, freedom, mutual service, and spirituality reality-the very elements that were built into the NT church
Depends on forced tithing and huge budgets	Depends on the spirit of god to bring about generous, grace based giving among members
Spends most of its resources on building expenditures and pastor-staff salaries	Spends most of its resources on ‘the poor among you’ and travelling workers who preach the gospel and plant new churches
Operates on the basis that the pastor/priest is the functional head (while Christ is the nominal head)	Operates on the basis that Christ is the functional head through the invisible guidance of the holy spirit through the believing community
Extols and protects the clergy, programme-centred system that serves as the driving machine of the organised church	Rejects the clergy system because it quenches the sovereign exercise of the Holy Spirit yet lovingly embraces every Christian within the system
Recognises and affirms hierarchical leadership	Rejects hierarchical leadership; recognises and affirms the organic leadership of the whole body
Builds programmes to fuel the church; treats people as cogs in the machine	Builds people together in Christ to provide the momentum of the church
Encourages believers to participate institutionally and hierarchically	Initiates believers to participate relationally and spiritually
Separates church (ecclesiology) from personal salvation (soteriology): views the former as a mere appendage to the latter	Forges no link between personal salvation and the church; sees the two as inextricably intertwined.  (Scripture has it that when people were saved, they simultaneously became part of the church and immediately met together[1]

I am sure there are grey areas above and I like you may have some arguments about some of the statements.  But!  I do recognise the desperate need for a paradigm shift.  I know which community I would prefer to be a part of having been shattered by institutional church with its too high expectations of leadership and programme orientated ministry.  I have been so effected by this that as I go about looking to be a part of an organic movement I go about thinking about it in an institutional way!  I have become despondent by institutional churches arms length love and unradical community.  Its time for a change.  A change to the Acts 2 model. 

However, the thing I notice most as we go about making this paradigm shift is the cost.  The cost to me of privilege, finances and status (some already made but much more to come).  And the cost to other believers (especially spectator ones) as they share much of the load that sits on the shoulders of the one or two.  But I am willing to take the cost.  The thought of a vibrant Christian community impacting its community is too much of an adventure to begin by counting the cost...

So… for now… I’m excited about organic Christianity, what about you?

                       

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[1] Viola, F. (2008). Reimagining church. Pages 274-275.