Denomination Decentralization

Here is one that has been sitting in my draft folder for a while...

The United Brethren in Christ are changing from a centralized denominational system to a more distributed congregationally-based system. Comments are here.

As a Ex-presbyterian Baptist, I am a great lover of a congregational "connectional" denominational model. I think it forces the individual churches to mature instead of using the denominational heirarchy as a crutch. I also think that it can simplify the process of church discipline.

My family left the PCA denomination after trouble with the senior pastor's church management. We stood with about a third of our church and unsuccessfully tried to voice concerns to the denomination (through whom all concerns had to pass). We failed and my parents and I left soon thereafter. My brother stayed and watched as the senior pastor essentially tried to lie himself out of his problems. My brother bounced around and ended up at our current church as well.

When we began attending my current church, it was having trouble with church management too. Except my church is Baptist, so instead of pretending nothing was wrong, my senior pastor put the breaks on everything and addressed the problems on Sunday mornings. So we stayed. And the church has grown. Many families from my old church have bounced around and now attend my new one.

Via Reverend Ed.