Top Heavy

The International Church of the Nazarene will be celebrating its centennial on October 5, 2008. God has worked through the Church of the Nazarene to spread the message of Entire Sanctification around the world. I am glad that I am an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene.

That said, I would like to note not only the Church of the Nazarene, but many denominations move toward more hierarchy. Denominations, and local churches, tend to become top heavy.

Let's look at individual local churches first. In a small, church that is just large enough to have a full time senior pastor, the focus is on the people that make up the congregation. In other words, the pastor is focused on shepherding and caring for the people of that particular congregation. But as a small church grows and eventually becomes a large church, the emphasis on the people slowly transitions to the pastor. In other words, rather than the pastor serving the people, there is a subtle move toward the people "idolizing" and/or propping up the pastor. This is more true in non-denominational churches.

Yes, I realize I am making large generalizations here.

The beginning of most denominations seems to be a grass roots movement of the people. There are individuals who are fueling the churches, not the bureaucracy or hierarchy. But as the denomination grows and it moves into the second, third, and fourth generation of the denomination, it begins to get top heavy.

For example, many district leaders, while they may not say it, view the local church more as a cash flow instrument to help fund the district ministries. Early in the life of the Church of the Nazarene there were no "district ministries." (Church planting wasn't viewed as the responsibility of the district, but of the local churches, for one example.)

The district and general church administration and hierarchy were formed to empower, encourage, and equip the individual local churches. I wonder, have we lost that?

In 100 short years of our own history have we made dramatic changes in our polity without actually changing the wording of the manual?

Maybe one reason for the transition to a "top heavy" way of going about things is because local churches leading the way is to static and undependable. A bigger, more financed, hierarchy has more control and stability.... or does it?

Just a minority worldview.