THE CHURCH x MINISTRY

THE CHURCH x MINISTRY

            To have a clearer and broader vision on the subject. It is important that we understand what the Church is, what its form of action is and where it is operating in our days.

            When we look at the Word of God we see that the Church is spiritual and whose register of its members is written in the book of life, let us see:

            I Pedro 2:4,5

            "And, coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

            I Corinthians 12:27

            "Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

            The church is composed of all who have received the Name of the Lord Jesus through baptism and who maintain full obedience to all doctrinal basis, living the statute, which is the Bible, having communion with other members.

            Although the church is spiritual, it uses material means, since it is on earth, and it is composed of people with bodies and material or earthly needs.

            Just as the Christian needs to be spiritual even while in a physical body and having to live a life of holiness without ceasing to observe earthly laws, so is the Church also, as we find in Romans 13:1-7:

            "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

            Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God; and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

            For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to have no fear of the authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.

            For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

            Therefore it is necessary to be subject to him, not only because of wrath but also for conscience's sake.

            For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.

            Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor."

            The great challenge is to reconcile the two parts, the spiritual and the material, knowing how to differentiate one part from the other, and bring them together for good functioning.

            Faced with this challenge, and the need to structure and organize the church, during our pilgrimage, having the duty to walk in obedience to the scriptures, which leads us to obedience to earthly laws, an organ was created to care only for this material organization, which provides support in the execution of the Church's activities. Such support we call "Ebenezer Ministry - Restoration Work".

            To know how to differentiate the Church and the Ministry, observe the table below..

THE DENOMINATIONAL SYSTEM

            To understand the theme we need to seek its meaning.

 Let us look at the etymology of "system":      

            It is located in late Latin as syst?ma, on the Greek root sýst?ma, founding the idea of unification over the order of a series of things, as well as allowing a deconstruction that identifies the prefix syn-, which refers to meeting or gathering, and the term histanai, which indicates an idea of firmness and reaction, on the Indo-European *sta-, which points to the action of rising or positioning.

            It must be understood as a structure that flows harmoniously encompassing agents who work together with respect to one or several objectives.

            The "Denominational system" is a structure created to maintain harmony among denominations, regardless of the label. Its basis is linked to ecumenism.

            The denominational system goes far beyond the desire to label or name the "church", the objective is the manipulation of doctrines, where regardless of what the Bible says, traditions, customs and the statute registered in the registry office prevail.

            For the Church, however, what prevails is the Bible, and its doctrinal basis is not registered in a statute, organized according to traditions and customs, nor copying what others think, in the name of harmony among the so-called "believers".

         THE NEED FOR MATERIAL MINISTRY FOR THE CHURCH

            Would this ministry really be necessary?

            Knowing that where there is no organization there is chaos, and that the Church, although being spiritual, uses material means, such as a place to meet, whether the temple is rented or acquired, sound equipment, chairs or benches, etc.

            And, that besides this, the Church has the need to respond administratively and legally to all public bodies for acts, including social services, it does so through its leaders (the workers) gathered in a Board that is the Ministry, its support to obtain the operating license according to current legislation in each city.

            There are those who think that the collective should be private, and those who preach against the possession of temples. What is the coherence between the discourses and reality?

            The temple, in the literal sense, is a place for gathering people to worship. Therefore, if a group of people gather to worship, there it becomes a temple, whether in the room or area of a house, a rented hall, or a construction acquired or made by members of the community.

            Thus, those who defend that we should not have a temple today, cannot meet, or can only meet in an open, public place, without any construction, to maintain coherence.

            There are those who are against legality, and the observance of earthly law, however, not observing the law, is not observing the Sacred Scriptures, for the Bible is clear in affirming that we must even pay taxes and fees.

            Others in bad faith, seek to take advantage of the group's effort, usurping collective goods for personal purposes. Perhaps they understand that the particular outweighs the collective...

            To avoid these episodes, or even so that the group's efforts are not lost due to improper appropriation, or usurpation of material goods, it is necessary to have a regulatory and administrative body, where it separates what is collective from what is individual. Moreover, the mixing of collective and individual property is called, in our system of laws, PATRIMONIAL CONFUSION. Our God is not a God of confusion.

            For this reason also, until the Church is caught up, it is necessary and of vital importance to create an administrative organ (which we call ministry), with the purpose of separating and organizing material things, without prejudice to zeal and obedience to the spiritual, since the Ministry cares only for material things. One cannot confuse Ministry with the College of Pastors and leaders that in their conclave deals with the good functioning of the spiritual life of the local Churches that are present and participating through their shepherds.

            Meditate on Romans 8:19-23     

            "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

            For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

            Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

            For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now."

Rev. Wilson L. Salustiano