Epilogue

I have spent several decades studying God’s word intensely. In the process, I have spent hundreds of hours considering the issue of church leadership. As I indicated in the opening words of this study, several decades ago I read a book that spoke quite biblically to the issues I have addressed here. I forgot who wrote it, so I have been unable to locate it so I could give appropriate credit for thoughts that were not original with me. Of course, they weren’t original with that author either. He got them from God’s word, which is why I was so impressed with his book on the topic of church leadership in the first place. The point is that the overwhelming majority of churches in America are not being run by men who meet God’s requirements for leadership. I have ministered long term in at least twelve and visited probably well over a hundred in three plus decades, and I have only seen one or two that demanded the Elders meet the test of I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. I’m relatively sure there more in America, but the numbers must be miniscule when compared to the number of buildings filled with people two or three times each week of the year, masquerading as Christians. For that matter, most churches don’t make any attempt whatsoever to function as the bible declares they should function. Most have numerous boards assembled out of anyone who has any qualifications or just wants to do something for God.

The number of people attending meetings in mega-church structures each week in America who have no commitment to serious bible study and prayer must be staggering. The home church concept is not alive and well in Richland County, Montana. I am expecting that to change soon, but I have failed to make any significant impact in my own area of responsibility in the last year for reasons unknown to me at this time. There are several things I suspect are hampering its growth, none of which I can prove even to my own satisfaction. Primarily, I know without doubt one of the major problems is the complete lack of godly men who have committed their lives, long term, to the intense study of God’s word. We have so perverted the gospel in America that I’m not sure many people would recognize a correct presentation of it if it hit them right smack dab in the middle of their pea-pickin’ brain. Please forgive my temporary lapse from sober-mindedness, but I think my attempt at a little humor there really did make the case rather poignantly.

It’s kind of like the problem one encounters when he remodels a home as compared to building one from the ground up. It’s usually easier to start from a blank drafting board than to figure out how to deal with all of the structural problems of a currently standing home. When one begins tearing down walls of homes that have been standing for more than a decade, he usually finds structural faults that would never be allowed by today’s building codes. It often takes significantly longer to repair damage done by improper building in the first place than it would take to build from scratch. In the same way, despite the massive numbers who are discontent with the church as it functions in America today, they are so indoctrinated into its current form, they cannot conceive of it functioning any other way. Cleaning out the structural damage done by hundreds of years of incorrect thinking is a massive undertaking. Certainly one the Spirit of God can handle, but it seems He has not chosen to do so yet in Richland County. I suggest one event will soon change the equation.

I believe, very soon in America that Churches will be denied the non-profit status that has allowed them to build huge mega-structure entirely free from taxes. Already city councils and county boards are denying churches the right to build in many areas of the country. They are refusing to allow church groups permits to use large parcels of land within their jurisdictions to build churches and parking lots from which they will receive no taxes for running their respective governing bodies. They are using building codes to prevent Christian groups from building in areas where they could be getting huge tax benefits. The more valuable land becomes, the more likely this method is going to be used by local boards and commissions to declassify churches as non-profit corporations. Personally, I don’t think they should have ever been granted tax free status to begin with, but I’ll refrain from addressing that issue any further lest I digress too far from the point.

When church leaders meet the requirements of Timothy and Titus, the church functions in an orderly fashion, people are added to the church daily who are being saved, false teachers and false doctrine are dispelled quickly, entire communities turn from sin, the crime rate in those communities drops significantly, and the kingdom of God is exemplified in the lives of those who call themselves the church. We see all of these things happening as they were recorded by Luke in his writing we call the Acts of the Apostles. When church leaders meet God’s requirements for leadership, God church grows so fast it hasn’t time to stop and build buildings. When church leadership meets God’s requirements godliness is the central theme of a community.

The fact that fires engines, ambulances, and police cruisers scream by hundreds of mega-churches in America on Sunday mornings while tens of thousands sit inside those mega-structures in comfortable pews listening to the sermon of the week should cause that little light bulb to go on in our brains. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize something is wrong with that picture. One doesn’t need a degree in quantum physics to figure that one out.

If this study has helped you in any way better understand God’s plan for the local church, I would be pleased to hear from you. I will not use your contact information in any way to try to ask you for money. You can feel free to contact me at the places indicated at the end of this study without fear I will seek to bleed you to death financially. If you have any desire to support any of the ministries in which I am involved, you will have to contact me for that purpose using the contact information provided on my website.

Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you with every good thing that you may do his will , working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.



God Bless,
Brother Dave
Pastor/Teacher (James 3:1)
Maranatha Ministries (Col. 4:15)