Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
This speaks to my point that there is variation in the assembly. We are not a bland, faceless proletariat of "small potatoes". Everyone has gifts, disposition, and personality. The one-church-one-city paradigm allowed certain personalities (WL, TC, DYL, BP) to dominate not only their respective assemblies, but even all "affiliated" (their word) assemblies.
|
I never came to this conclusion about the one-church-one-city paradigm, in fact, it should have had the opposite effect, that is, according to WN's teachings in the book
TNCCL, the "highest authority" in the church are the local elders, and their "jurisdiction" never extends beyond their borders.
His conflicting teaching, which I think did the most to
undo the concept of locality, was that of the "work," a para-church organization which "allowed certain personalities to dominate" their assemblies and whole regions. The authority of local elders, in the words of WL, was reduced to "deciding the time and day of meetings," that is, as long as they don't conflict with ministry meetings.
I have mentioned a couple times that lies to cover up this "dirty little secret" were the straw that broke this camel's back, and the last time I participated in "local" church fellowship. I finally ...
I mean finally ... concluded that the whole "local" thing was nothing more than a farce.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
So the "authority" to tell people what to wear, what to sing, what to read, what to think, where to "migrate", or what is the "feeling of the Body", should be seen as counterfeit; as manipulations of human control. Such machinations, to me, testify rather to a lack of power and authority.
|
Not to split hairs here, but I guess I would parse this list and evaluate individual instances according to context, though I do understand your point. For example, "what to sing" -- I have no problem with elders deciding beforehand which songs to sing, but when the only songs approved and qualified for singing are those written by WL, then we got problems. "
Where to migrate" was a particularly egregious practice of "the work," since those who decided to serve full-time lost say in perhaps the most important decision of their life. And you know how I feel about that nonsensical manipulation called the "
feeling of the Body."