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LearningPoint
I had said I was going to make this post some time ago, and it has been on my conscience to follow through on it ever since. So here goes...

First of all, I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but my approach was again to include multiple Scripture passages that give a fuller picture of God's design for leadership in the church, rather than a perspective supported only by a couple of passages that get skewed in their application when the rest are not taken into consideration.

This post is intended for anyone at Turning Point who has read and "bought in" to the Undercover/Master and Commander model of leadership and "followership" that Turning Point practices. It's also for those who don't buy it but who feel they cannot put their finger on why it seems off track.


Installment 3: Things I’ve Learned from My Experience at Turning Point

Lots of people at Turning Point—most, if not all, leadership for sure—have been encouraged, even instructed, to read John Bever’s acclaimed book “Under Cover,” which advocates an authoritarian-type leadership structure within the church. In short, from what I understand, it promotes unquestioning obedience to church authority. (This helps to explain Pastor Mike’s affinity for the movie “Master and Commander,” which depicts life on a British battleship in the 1800s where there must be a chain of command and a heavy hand at times to keep things from becoming chaotic.) This model, however, is not taught anywhere in Scripture as a way for church leaders to relate to their fellow believers in Christ. Don’t believe me? Let’s see what Bevere might have skipped over in his eagerness to advance his personal beliefs, rather than a commitment to accurately reflect of the biblical record.

Concern #3: An Authoritarian Church Model: An ‘Undercover’ Deception?

First of all, authoritarian leadership was NEVER God’s idea. He never wanted Israel to have kings; He wanted to be the Good Shepherd who would rule over His people and grant them a high level of freedom within His clear and well-designed guidelines. He wanted them to follow Him with a willing heart and experience His manifold blessings as He led them in peace and well-being. When they began to press the prophet Samuel for a king, God had Samuel warn the people what would happen when a king began to rule over them: a king would call them and their sons into battle, would tax them, enslave them to benefit his kingdom, etc. Still, the people wanted to be like the other nations; they wanted one of their own to rule over them. With a grieved heart, God gave them what they wanted, telling Samuel, “They haven’t rejected you. They’ve rejected me.”

Later, after the nation began unraveling, splitting into two kingdoms—a northern one (Israel) and a southern one (Judah)—God sent the prophet Jeremiah to warn Judah to repent and turn back to God. (Israel was already far gone into idolatry and pagan practices, following her king into them, and then was overtaken by Assyria and completely scattered in exile.) As God is pointing out the various symptoms of Judah’s spiritual sickness, He says this in Jeremiah 5:30… LISTEN TO THIS, PLEASE:

“An appalling and horrible thing
Has happened in the land:
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule on their own authority;
And my people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?”

I could stop right there, but I want to present a number of other scriptures from the New (or as Hebrew scholars call it “Christian”) Testament. I will introduce each and then let them speak for themselves.

1. Matthew 23
Here is a warning that Jesus gave to the spiritual leaders of His time. I’ve highlighted the danger zones I believe modern-day authoritarian leaders easily, almost without effort, fall into:

Matthew 23

Pharisaism Exposed

1. Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
2. saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses [i.e., the seat of authority];
3. therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them.
4. "And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
5. "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
6. "And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7. and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi [i.e., their title of leadership/authority].

Now take note of what JESUS SAID:

8. "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9. "And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10. "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
11. "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
12. "And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

2. John 21:14-17
Jesus charged Peter to care for the church as a shepherd tending a flock:

The Love Motivation [Love for Jesus, that is, not for position, power, control, money, fame, etc.]
15. So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."
16. He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
17. He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.


3. 1 Peter 5:1-4
Peter charges those who are elders to care for the church as for a flock, as he himself had served in obedience to Christ:

Serve God Willingly
1. Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder [Peter does not exalt himself here] and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
2. shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight [to oversee is not the same as to rule] not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
3. nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
4. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Now, if as you read what the Word of God says here, and you get the sense that Mike is overstepping the parameters of his role as a church leader, don’t panic and run to ask your discipler if it’s true or not. Your discipler likely has already given Mike and Cyndi a wrongful place and voice in their lives. Jesus promised to give us His Holy Spirit who would lead us into all truth. God is faithful. Ask Him to help you discern the truth. And don’t be afraid if the truth is different than what you have been taught about Mike’s leadership and authority. God will help you not only discern the truth, but also to walk in it. If you need to confess that you’ve given God’s place of authority in your life over to a man or a woman or a group of leaders, just do that. Confess the idolatry in that, and ask God to give you boldness to follow Him, to trust Him, to listen to Him, and to not be afraid to look into “the perfect law of liberty” (scripture) and embrace what it says, even if you end up standing alone among others who are immersed in the idol worship of a man and his ministry.

Do you want evidence that at Turning Point “they do all their deeds to be noticed by men”? Keep tally marks in the next sermon each time Mike boasts of some ministry (all the “seed sowing” that Turning Point is doing), spiritual discipline he practices (how many hours he worshiped or prayed), act of piousness (pulling buttons off his shirt in worship), how Turning Point is leading the way in unity or “blessing” the city or whatever good deed has been done by him, his wife, the elders, his children, other parishioners, etc. Compare this boasting to Jesus’ attitude. It’s not for the sake of so-called judging or condemning Mike that we need to weigh these things. It’s for the sake of getting back to what is real and right and good and true, readjusting our broken sense of what is according to God’s Word. We do need to discern these things and be willing to change our viewpoint if we’re off track. The Bible admonishes us to be sober and watchful. Christians who are watching have to look at what they see and draw conclusions, not based on their own feelings or the opinions of others, but according to what God has said. What has GOD said? And I don't mean what does Mike say that God has said. Mike is not an apostle, he's a fellow believer. He's not supposed to be grabbing titles anyway according to Matthew 23.

Please stop “amen-ing” absolutely anything the leaders say without reflecting on it (because you might be encouraging and taking part in an arrogant authoritarian mindset). Get back in touch with what is written in the Word of God—not just the snapshots you get in sermons or reading Psalms. Read it all, please! Pay attention as you’re reading, and be willing to change the way you think to bring it in line with God’s Word, as His Spirit reveals truth to you. We'll give an account of this one day, and the excuse that "Mike said..." won't hold up.

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wherefromhere
wow learningpoint, your last post really hit me hard. Thank you. i think my wife and i will give it one more week and then make a decision whether we stay or go. this is very hard because our children love the childrens program and so do we. the director has a heart of gold and has blessed our children. i hate to pull them out, but if that is what we must do then so be it. i will look for these things on sunday and i will ask God to reveal to me the truth. our friends feel the same. it feels as though something is brewing, maybe God is tired of pride. thank you again.

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nooneofanyimportence
yes learningpoint I think about summer jubilee and how I felt when I showed up one year and saw all the big tents and bouncy houses and the huge stage. all I could think was how grandeouse this is and I remembered something I read in a kieth green book when he told people at a festival that God wasnt intereted in thier festival and wasnt impressed by thier fanfare it was thier hearts thier hearts. once we wanted to serve the comunity to give to those in need, we handed out school supplies downstairs at our church we gave out cloths to the needy no fanfare no noteriaty just giving freely. What the heck happened to us. how were we drug into a self promoting group of people who like to see our church in the paper declaring all our good deeds. Its so much like the pharisee's wearing the fine gowns sitting in the most noticable seats being noticed for thier so called godliness. Why cant we just give without getting something in return like pride in our achievements God opposes the proud, Yet we take pride in our church in our worship humility is a forgotten gift.