When should a church be removed from an association

I believe it' s possible to affiliate with the SBC without affiliating with the association. I know one church in our city which has done that.

I wonder if Jerry Falwell's Liberty Baptist Church did it that way.

 

Also it is possible for churches to be dually aligned. There are some in our association that are also aligned with the Missionary Baptist. And some that are aligned with the Founders Movement.

Bro Tony

 

Tom writes:
"I believe it' s possible to affiliate with the SBC without affiliating with the association. I know one church in our city which has done that.
I wonder if Jerry Falwell's Liberty Baptist Church did it that way."

Virginia has the older "moderate" state organization and the conservative state organization (formed less than 10 years ago). Both state organizations are recognized by the SBC. Jerry Falwell's church joined the conservative state organization a few years ago.

 

Look .. if there is something going on in my church that isn't scriptural, I'll know about it. I'll remove myself, regardless of what the association does. It's amazing that we are called to unity, then day after day chase rabbits in these forums. No scripture is of private interpretation, whether applied to the writer or to the reader.

 

Associations exist for the good of the local churches, not vise versa. If a local church is growing in the Lord, in His will, and adding believers, helping the sick and needy, it is really is irrelevent what the association thinks or does. It is another level of bureaucracy on the way to the national SBC, and since Baptist churches pride themselves in being autonomous, about the only purpose an association serves is to facilite a multi church ministry of some type. If all the associations went away, what difference would it make?

 

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This is sad. We are not qualified to judge whom is producing disciples and who isn't. To put someone on the spot by asking them "if he is making disciples" is plain ignorant (No I am not calling you ignorant at all). It is not our right to place to point fingers at our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with our own secular judging sticks.

Leadership is NOT proven in the disciples he makes, as this can't be proven at all. Results can't be proven as one cannot "make" disciples on their own. We can only try. We can't force the holy spirit into anyone. The Lord decides how, and when he chooses to grow a church. Only God knows someone's heart to know whether a true disciple has been made.
This dangerous secular mindset pits christians against one another, and feeds the ego. It is not from God.

 

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Hmmm...This might be what this particular church is doing. It isn't easy to find the word Baptist on their website. They certainly may be adding it in signs in their building or thru their church bulletins.
It does say it is affiliated with the 1963 Baptist Faith & Message.

If interested, go to sonrise.org and click what we believe. Scroll to the very bottom.

 

oops! sorry the website is sonrise.org

 

Not always. Some are not members of the local association but belong to the SBC.

 

I am not talking judging to condemn but rather to equip the saints and put a man in a place of service when he is ready. If he is not ready he wil feel the pain of lacking in preparation and the chruch will suffer also. Service too early can do a lot of damage to both the person and the church.

Results can be proven. Take a look at Jesus' disciples and how He trained them. He produced disciples.


Luke 13:6-9, "And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, `Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' "And he answered and said to him, `Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.' "

Mt. 4:19, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

Read John 15 about fruit. Would you plant a fruit tree expecting wood or for it to produce fruit?

If a pastor is called to pastor a church he is to be a leader. If he has never led then he is not a leader and no amount of titles will ever qualify him for leadership. Leadership is proven not a title.

Read Acts 20 and take a look at Paul's exhortation and in Mt. 28:19,20 and read Jesus command. Anytime Jesus gave a command he also enabled the people to carry out those commands.

You can argue with Jesus. It was Jesus who gave the command to make disciples not me.

So are you saying that you expect a pastor to lead a church but he has not ever proven his leadership in making disciples? The Bible says that he is not to be a new convert.

Show me in NT where there is one person who was a pastor or leader in the church who did not make disciples.

Are you also saying that you would be willing to have children and not carry out what Deut 6 says? Is not carrying out Deut 6 with your children the same as making disciples? If you have childrern you are to be their leader.

 

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You have only taken a portion of what I said instead of quoting the whole thing. I am not sure why. Please you re-read it, you will understand. To save time, of course no I am not saying everything you have asked.
Your quotes do not equal what you are attempting to say except we agree, all of us are to be out making disciples. No to your silly question regarding Deut 6, as I stated, we are to try. And of course we are to carry this out with our children/family.
Only God knows the heart, and as much as you would like to decide on your own who is doing this and who is not, you do not know.
NO results can't be measured in the secular way you are attempting to apply them.