by Jesse Steele
Communists have started to learn that we Christians don’t oppose them. God’s economy, through His Local Church, is not of this world, so we don’t seek a political revolution. We seek spiritual renewal— revolution of our hearts. As a result, many leaders in the Chinese government leave us alone when they learn about the Local Church. As Christians we are the most likely to obey the law and be honest. They aren’t like other Communist governments who oppose religion. They just oppose whatever threatens their power. That’s true of most East-Asian thinking… different from your American perspective which focuses more on philosophy of leaders rather than on administrative power itself. It’s why the problem of the pastor-led structure in the Church snuck past your radar.
Hank: What do you mean?
Watchman: When you elect a politician, you ask about his opinion of social issues… or the Constitution… maybe you think one is more important than the other. In Chinese culture, we might ask some of those questions, but we also look at how much political power the person has the ability hold on to and what he will do in order to keep that power. In elections, you occasionally ask about power questions, but not as much as we do. So, it’s the same with your Church. You don’t ask as many questions about administrative power when evaluating your pastor. Instead, you ask about his theology, morality, work ethic, whether he is in favor of smallgroups, and, perhaps, what political candidates he votes for. When one of those few pastors starts to get power-hungry, you might complain a little, but it sneaks up on you much more easily than it would sneak up on us. By not thinking as much about power itself, the influence of your leaders gets bigger and bigger right under your nose. Power tends to get bigger with all human administrations in any culture, but the difference is: As power grows, you aren’t as sensitive to it as we are.
Hank: It’s also why our government gets so big. Maybe understanding the Local Church could help us understand our own country’s political leaders.
Watchman: But we don’t need to focus on human government in this conversation. In our Christian fellowship here, it’s best if we stick to the central line of the Bible. That’s the best way to promote Christian unity in the Local Church.
Hank: So, we shouldn’t discuss politics?
Watchman: When you meet to discuss politics you should.
Hank: But what if I talk about politics with my Christian friends and we start to argue?
Watchman: Ever hear of a term called tabling?
Hank: As in, “Table that issue until tomorrow’s meeting”?
Watchman: Something like that. Learn to focus on the central line without needing an instant opinion—one way or another—about every other topic that comes up. You’ve only got so many opinions you can address at any one time. Make sure that your fellowship time is effective. Then you’ll have time to return to those discussions later—and it will be less divisive because, being stronger in your Christian unity, you won’t be a loose cannon ready to fire an opinion at anything and everything.
Hank: You seem to know a lot about how to have Christian fellowship.
Watchman: When we don’t have a single-point-man leader managing every meeting, we all take more responsibility to make sure the meeting is effective.
Hank: So, no one runs your meetings!?
Watchman: No, everybody does.
Hank: Who is the M/C?
Watchman: You mean “master of ceremonies”?
Hank: Yeah. Who fulfills that role?
Watchman: We don’t have one. It’s not part of God’s economy.
Hank: But how can you possibly know what to do in your gatherings?
Watchman: With the big gatherings, of course, we have a person to keep the schedule on track. But that’s conference. Even then, that M/C role constantly changes hands and keeps ongoing fellowship with the elders of the conference. In any Local Church meeting, whether an elder meeting or a Lord’s table meeting, everyone runs the meeting together.
Hank: How can that be!?
Watchman: It “be’s” very well, actually. By knowing that we all need to share responsibility for our meetings to flow properly, everyone contributes to the direction of our meetings. If someone wants to talk, everyone else is quick to listen and slow to speak. Everyone knows how much we benefit from listening, so we are eager to share when it’s our time—because it benefits others, not to draw attention to our own personal ambitions. Because everyone works for the meeting to go well, it does.
Hank: Power in unity?
Watchman: Unity is more effective than oppression. This is God’s economy.
Hank: Tell that to the Communists.
Watchman: No, stick to the central line of the Bible. Don’t bash the Communists. That’s not our fight. We are fighting a spiritual enemy for the hearts of lost souls who don’t know where to find the Light of Jesus Christ.
Hank: But I’m not qualified to tell this to people. I never would have thought of all this on my own.
Watchman: I didn’t either. That’s why God told us. God’s Local Church was not our invention. It’s His plan He gave to us. He will bless the world through it, but we need to actually follow His plan, not our own.
Hank: Where do you suppose this idea of single-leadership came from?
Watchman: Well, that’s not the central line of the Bible. But we do see it in Acts, when the men of Ephesus assembled to discuss Paul’s controversy and a local clerk managed the meeting. It’s an idea that did not come from the Bible, but, in the Bible, it did exist among the non-Christian culture that opposed the gospel.
Hank: But Israel had a one-man leader—a king.
Watchman: But a king like other nations was a disaster. God’s king, David, was established by God himself through the prophet, Samuel. Do you think that the Lord God called His prophet to pour oil on your pastor’s head?
Hank: No, of course not. But as a pastor, I’m appointed by God, in a manner of speaking. I carry a Godly authority with me in that sense.
Watchman: No. That’s merely a mantra inherited from the Roman Catholic system of popes. When a man says he has Godly Authority he sounds just like a mini-pope. In God’s economy, the administration is the result of our choice as the Holy Spirit leads His Local Church in fellowship together. When God Himself appoints someone, that’s a prophet or evangelist or apostle or shepherd-style teacher. Those are functions and are self-evident. Shepherds, like the rightful king David, are raised up only by God, they are not appointed by voting congregations. Paid positions are for deacons and they are chosen by the elders in fellowship with the Local Church.
Hank: It’s all confusing. I’ve not heard this before.
Watchman: You’ve heard it from the Bible, but you’ve heard so many other ideas that aren’t part of the central line of the Bible that you’ve gotten confused. Stick to the central line of the Bible.
Hank: I’m trying.
Watchman: When the leaders in the Body of Christ know that their authority is merely human, if it’s not appointed by God Himself, they can be more humble because their power is not cloaked as ostensibly being from “God” when it’s not. When the apostles and shepherds and prophets and evangelists are seen as being a function that God calls people to, then there’s nothing to argue about and there’s nothing to prove.
Hank: Do people in your fellowships actually call themselves prophets or apostles?
Watchman: Generally, no. When God does it it’s obvious and everyone knows. A tree is a tree. A frog is a frog. We don’t vote on them—God makes them and it’s obvious. That’s Ephesians 4:11. People who talk about their position are actually suggesting that their supposed “calling” from God isn’t obvious. I mean, we don’t talk about obvious stuff… it’s obvious, after all.
Hank: How do you decide who the elders are, then?
Watchman: Deacons and elders—that’s a different story. When we know that we ourselves decide who the elders and deacons are, we speak the truth in our hearts and there isn’t room for secret pride in our positions of power. People
know the difference between God’s authority and the authority He delegated to us.
Hank: One question… just curious. Is the Church in China really growing enormously fast?
Watchman: Oh, it’s astounding. It’s flourishing.
Hank: Is this elder-led method the reason why?
Watchman: Partially. There are many different forms that God’s Church takes in China, just like anywhere. All of it will grow somewhat because Christ is still the head, even when we don’t fully obey Him.
Hank: How big is your fellowship in China?
Watchman: I can’t answer that. But I’ll tell you it’s a good large chunk.
Hank: Can you tell me how many groups there are? How does all that work?
Watchman: There are two main systems. The “Three Self” Church, which is approved by the government of China. It’s very orderly, liturgical, and anyone can attend publically without being persecuted. But people also long for more than institutionalized religion can give them. They want something that’s not so organized. So, there is also the underground Church.
Hank: That gets heavy persecution, doesn’t it?
Watchman: It did before. But, more and more, the government just wants to make sure that the meetings don’t get too large. Again, they are concerned more about crowd control. They don’t mind Christian teaching, especially since we behave better in their country.
Hank: So, your fellowship is the underground fellowship?
Watchman: Not necessarily. It was before, but
