another. So, just how you Americans don’t want the State to become too strong, so it is the same with all that decision making ability in the hands of one person, even if his title is “pastor”. In fact, the more benevolent and soft-handed a leader’s title is, the more dangerous it can be. For the last several decades, Korea was divided into two denominations—one of them controlled by a single man called a “Dear Leader”. That’s a very kind title, but a very dangerous situation. We shouldn’t focus so much on the titles and we should look more at the actual power space a leader occupies.
Hank: Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Watchman: And that is probably why you wanted to talk. You seem like a very good young man with lots of energy. But as long as you operate in a position of leadership that’s not in God’s design for His economy… well, it won’t be very fun, especially for you.
Hank: But the American Church has done so much. How could it have done all this if it’s not operating how God intended?
Watchman: God’s Local Church has the Holy Spirit, led by the Triune God. Anything it does will always be somewhat effective. Even on our worst days, the Church will be far stronger than Satan’s people. But God’s people should not determine their achievement by comparing themselves to Satan’s. God has a much higher standard and we are capable of great things that we won’t understand until Jesus consummates His reign in the New Jerusalem, in the age yet to come.
Hank: But that’s the next age. This is the here and now.
Watchman: The age we are in now must reflect God’s economy in the New Jerusalem. We don’t have all the fulfillment of God’s promises, but we are the same household of God. His administration will be expanded in the future, not delayed until the future. We are His Body, even now—and we should act like it.
Hank: So, with all that the American Church has done, it could do much more if it changed its leadership structure a little?
Watchman: Yes. But that is a recovery work that you and I can’t do by ourselves. The Lord must work that recovery Himself. However, we can work with Him if we recognize that He is the head of His Body—not a pastor or any other administrator.
Hank: But moving away from a system led by pastors—as in a pastor being a point-man leader of a local congregation—that seems almost impossible. People need a chairman—a master of ceremonies—someone to moderate meetings and beat the drum we all march to. We can’t operate without that local leader.
Watchman: It is impossible, by ourselves. But in Christ, anything can be done. However, even with Christ leading us, and all that has been done, we can’t move forward if we remain in disobedience. I’ve seen entire congregations depart from the pastor-centered system. They only do it because of their faith in the power of obeying God.
Hank: So, it’s an “obedience” issue?
Watchman: We must stay close to the central line of the Bible. Many fights among the denominations arise out of people getting into discussions that lead away from the path outlined in the Scriptures. They fight because the one-man leaders of each fellowship have power positions to defend, even though they are very kind-mannered about it. That’s why denominations don’t fully agree: because they stray from the central line. Biblical Christianity was not meant to have non-Biblical positions of power. This is a waste and is not a part of God’s economy.
Hank: So, the glass ceiling, as it were… the problems we’ve had to learn to live with, the immorality rate, divorce rate, stagnation rate, all the hypocrisy, and the “agree to disagree” attitude between Christian leaders we’ve settled for—all of our problems stem from us having one minor idea of our own for God’s Church. Is that what you’re telling me?
Watchman: It could be just that. We must make sure that everything we do in the Local Church is found in the Bible. If the Bible doesn’t teach it then it is not a part of the central line.
Hank: Wait. So, pianos aren’t in the Bible. Are those okay?
Watchman: Of course they are. The Bible doesn’t even talk about pianos. And the Bible never gives any description of what to do with music. That’s a decision we are free to make on our own.
Hank: But you just said that we should only do what is in the Bible.
Watchman: Yes. The Bible is silent on the subject of music in the Church, though it talks about music in praising and worshiping God. But the Bible does, however, address administration. So, we should stick to that basic outline that God gave us.
Hank: Major on majors and minor on minors.
Watchman: You could say that. I like to view it as a “central line” because something is either outlined by the Bible or it isn’t. Just remember that the difference between majors and minors, as you say, is not a spectrum, it’s a line. God gave us His plan, the rest is up to us to determine. Denominations fail to understand this. That is why they are divided.
Hank: How so?
Watchman: They try to change the administrative structure that God gave them—unintentionally and with good motives, of course. Then, in the division that results, they develop theologies about problems that Scripture doesn’t address and treat those issues as if they are even of small importance—when they aren’t important at all. Those groups will only experience the best God has for them if they stop comparing which things are more and less important and return to the central line that God gave us. Focus on the things that exist, don’t focus on the things that don’t. If it’s not in Scripture, it’s a matter of preference.
Hank: Can’t the pastor system be accepted as a matter of preference?
Watchman: Considering how much trouble comes from the clerical system? Even diligence says the position should be eliminated and pastors should return to their Godly calling, not their man-made definitions of it.
Hank: So, what am I to tell people when they say, “You mean you think pastors are bad!?” I’ll lose all my friends!
Watchman: The first two people I shared Jesus with, in China, also walked out on me. Other pastors didn’t like the idea of their own jobs not being necessary.
Hank: What happened?
Watchman: I forgave them, knowing that Christ is still in their hearts. I continued spreading the gospel, being as pure in Scripture as I could, trying my best to make sure we set-up no lasting systems other than Christ Himself. Eventually, our leadership was only a group of elders who held fellowship on matters before making decisions, but they kept as little administrative power as they possibly could. After the Communists took over, the American Church blacklisted us as a Cult. The Chinese government learned about that, focused on us especially, and many Christians in China died as a result.
Hank: So, it looks like America is your enemy.
Watchman: The same institute that told everyone we were a cult, years later, dedicated an entire Christian Research Journal edition to apologizing for mislabeling us. They corrected their mistake and wanted the world to know the truth.
Hank: Why would researchers so grossly misunderstand you in the first place?
Watchman: It’s easy to assume that when other people don’t follow your own customs that they are spreading a heresy.
Hank: Well, culture is not gospel. But we sure tend to think it is.
Watchman: Our Christian practices are not the central line of the Bible, though we all tend to think so. Still, we mustn’t be angry with people for misunderstanding us. The Truth Himself is very misunderstood, but He loves us all. We are the children of His household.
Hank: How many Christians died?
Watchman: What matters isn’t how many died, but how many were saved. It was a blessing in disguise because the gospel exploded from that persecution. Christianity is not a religion. It’s the Truth. So, persecution only reveals God’s true work in us.
Hank: So, you’ve actually seen elder-led churches function?
Watchman: First, they aren’t churches. There is only one Church under Christ. But there are many localities. This is the picture we get from the Bible: the Local Church.
Hank: Okay. So, does it actually work? How can a group of people operate without a single person at the helm?
Watchman: It works out very well because every locality knows that it’s part of one universal Body of Christ. So, if a person attends a meeting in one locality rather than another, there is no conflict of interest. There’s no pastor to lose money, so we have global fellowship all the time. That makes fulfilling the Great Commission a lot easier, and less expensive. Adjust your administration so you can BE the Great Commission, don’t just doll out money to missionaries to do it for you.
Hank: So, the gospel spreads faster among your fellowships?
Watchman: It works out very well. There’s no pastor to be dependent on God’s people not traveling to blend with other localities in the Body of Christ. So, many more Christians make short missionary trips because “non-attendance” is encouraged. We call it “blending” with others in the Body of Christ.
Hank: But where is the drive to move forward? If you don’t have a key, one-person pastor leading with a message every week, how does the teaching keeps its quality?
Watchman: Since one man doesn’t occupy the gathering time with a long monologue, more people have time to share at the fellowship meetings. They also get better practice. So the room is filled with great teachers. Our teaching quality is excellent.
Hank: Do people actually take initiative to talk in the