Transcript The Sponsoring Church Arrangement

The Sponsoring Church
Arrangement
Dick Blackford
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Definition Of
Sponsoring Church
Lewis G. Hale: "There are churches known as
'sponsoring churches.‘ Feeling that they are not
financially able to carry on a certain program
single-handedly, they invite sister congregations
to share the expense of that work. They receive
funds from other churches and add these to
whatever funds they themselves provide for the
work and they become wholly responsible for
the oversight of the work." (How Churches Can
Cooperate, God's Work In God's Way, p. 3)
Dick Blackford
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Definition Of
Sponsoring Church
J. D. Thomas: “Sponsoring Church
Arrangement”: “One congregation that especially
oversees a project, such as a mission activity, in
which other congregations have an interest and to
which they voluntarily contribute regularly....The
fact that other churches contribute to a project
that is overseen by the elders of one church is
the central idea.” (We Be Brethren, p. 255)
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Sponsoring Church
Arrangement
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$
$
$
$
$
$
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Help Fund Work
Works Beyond Ability
Oversees Work
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Essential Elements Of
Sponsoring Church Arrangement
Sponsoring church assumes work beyond its
ability
Contributing churches send money to
sponsoring church
Sponsoring church has exclusive control of
work
All churches bear equal responsibility to work
Work of many churches is supervised by elders
of one church (Autonomy destroyed)
Result: Brotherhood elders in a brotherhood
organization (Collectivity
of churches)
Dick Blackford
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Mark Roberts: “An illustration may help. If I take $5000
and invest it in a mutual fund I still have the right to pull
my money out at any time. However, I have forfeited my
right to manage my money. The fund manager now
makes all decisions about what to do with my $5000. I
cannot call the fund manager and tell him how to invest
that money, or to buy a certain stock, or stay away from
a company’s stock. The fund manager does the
managing (overseeing) of the money, not me. All I can
do is send the fund money, or get out of the fund. I have
zero authority over my money while it is in the fund. I
cannot control it, or direct it.” (Quoted in Mark Roberts, “Mutual Fund
Christianity,” Abundant Life, Oct., 1996, 29:10:5)
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Mark Roberts: “The sponsoring church arrangement
creates a church mutual fund. Churches pool their
money together, and the elders of the sponsoring
church manage that money. The key is that while a
church is in the ‘fund’ they have no control or oversight
of their money. The elders of the sponsoring church
do all the deciding. They decide who to put on the TV
program, or what to write in the mass mail-out
brochure. In other words, they make all the decisions
that each local church’s elders are supposed to
make! All the elders of the paying churches can do
is get in or get out, but while in they have given up
their control and thus forfeited their autonomy.
Remember, autonomy means ‘independence and selfcontrol’. When you have lost your control you have lost
your autonomy.” (Quoted in Mark Roberts, “Mutual Fund Christianity,” Abundant Life, Oct.,
1996, 29:10:5)
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Elders in Every Church
Acts 14:23-- When they had appointed
elders for them in every church, having
prayed with fasting, they commended
them to the Lord in whom they had
believed.
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Limited Oversight
Independent
Equal
Acts 20:28: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and
to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has
made you overseers, to shepherd the church of
God which He purchased with His own blood.
1 Pet. 5:2-3: 2Shepherd the flock of God which is
among you, serving as overseers, not by
compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but
eagerly; 3nor as being lords over those entrusted to
you, but being examples to the flock;
Autonomous
Sufficient
Ferrell Jenkins
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Elders’ Oversight
What work that congregation will do
When that congregation will do it
Where that congregation will do it
How
congregation
will do it
NOthat
AUTHORITY
FOR OVERSIGHT
IN MULTIPLE LOCAL CHURCHES
Who the congregation will use to do it
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Biblical Authority
Direct Command (1 Cor. 11:24)
Approved Example (Acts 20:7)
Necessary Inference (Acts 20:7)
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Jerusalem Was
A Sponsoring Church
Relief sent to the brethren in Judea (Acts 11:29)
Relief sent to “the elders” (Acts 11:30)
Only Jerusalem had elders at this time
After fulfilling ministry, Barnabas and Saul
returned from Jerusalem (Acts 12:25)
Paul was unknown to churches in Judea (Gal.
1:22)
Church in Jerusalem acted as a sponsoring
church distributing relief to churches in Judea
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Jerusalem Was
A Sponsoring Church
This entire argument rests on assumptions
– all the relief was sent to the elders in
Jerusalem
– none of the other churches in Judea had
elders
– Paul was unknown in Judea (Ref. Gal. 1:22)
– Paul returned after only visiting Jerusalem (Acts
26:20)
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Paul Preached Thru Judea
(Acts 26:20)
Visit to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26)
–
–
With Peter 15 days (Gal. 1:18)
Unknown by face to churches of Judea (Gal. 1:22)
Relief visit (Acts 11:29-30; 12:25)
Third visit to Jerusalem (Gal. 2:1)
–
–
–
Passed thru Phoenicia & Samaria (Acts 15:3)
Jerusalem Conference
15:6ff)
Only(Acts
Time
For Preaching
Returned to Antioch (Acts 15:30)
Possible visit to Jerusalem (Acts 18:22)
Last visit to Jerusalem (Acts 21:17)
–
Arrested after 7 days (Acts 21:27)
Carl McMurray
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Who Were “The Elders”?
(Acts 11:30)
No mention of elders in any church before this
Churches in Judea (Acts 9:31; 1 Th. 2:14; Gal. 1:22)
–
–
–
Lydda (Acts 9:32)
Sharon (Acts 9:35)
Joppa (Acts 9:36-38, 42-43)
Elders in every church (Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5)
Elders’ oversight limited to local church (Acts
20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)
Context: Does not indicate needy brethren or elders
in Jerusalem, but in Judea
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Philippi Was
A Sponsoring Church
Paul received funds only from Philippi (Phil.
4:15-17)
But other churches contributed to his support
(2 Cor. 11:8-9)
This argument
hinges
on whether
Therefore,
these other
churches
must haveor
nottheir
the funds
fundstosent
by Philippi
was
sent
Philippi,
who, acting
as a
sponsoring
them
on robbed
to Paul
the same church,
supportsent
that
Paul
from other churches.
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“When I Departed”
(Phil. 4:15)
H.C.G. Moule: “hote ekselthon… ‘On my
leaving Macedonia;’ not ‘when I had left,’ for he
proceeds to refer to an incident at Thessalonica, in
Macedonia. He means the general period of his
removal from Macedonia into Achaia. For the
narrative see Acts 17:1-15. He is looking back
now over some ten years.” (“Epistle to Philippians,”
Cambridge Greek Testament, 87)
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“When I Departed”
(Phil. 4:15)
R.C.H. Lenski: “So also the clause ‘when I left
from Macedonia’ does not mean ‘when I had left’ or
‘after I had left.’ It simply notes the time, and there is
no need to insist on the imperfect: ‘when I was
leaving.’
“`Hote = at the time when I left, before I got entirely
away. For Thessalonica is located in Macedonia, and
there the two gifts that were sent from Philippi reached
Paul. That is why kai ‘even’ is added: ‘even in
Thessalonica,’ before I actually got farther away.”
(Interpretation of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 892)
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• Paul establishes church (Acts 16:11-40)
• Paul establishes church (Acts 17:1-9)
• Support from Philippi (Phil. 4:15-16)
• Paul establishes church (Acts 17:10-14)
• Silas & Timothy remain behind (Acts 17:14)
• Paul commands Silas & Timothy to join him (Acts 17:15)
• Paul sends Timothy to Thessalonica (1 Th. 3:1-2)
• Paul preaches at Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34)
•
•
•
•
Paul “makes tents” (Acts 18:3)
Silas & Timothy come from Macedonia (Acts 18:5; 1 Th. 3:6)
Paul robs other churches (2 Cor. 11:8-9)
Paul “began devoting himself completely to the word” (Acts 18:5,
NASB, NIV)
Church-Sponsored
Evangelism
1 Cor. 9:11-14; 2
Cor. 12:13
$
Col. 4:16; 1 Th.
1:8
$
Phil. 1:3-5; 2:25,
30; 4:14-18
Acts 11:19, 22-26;
13:1-3; 15:22-35
$
$
$
2 Cor. 11:8-9
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A “Fuss About Methods”?
Go
Teach
Care
Drive Car
Fly
Walk
Private
Tracts
Class
House
Clothe
Feed
PREACH
RELIEVE
All “Go” On The Same Train,
Etc.
Issue Does Not Involve
Method of “Go,” “Teach,”
“Care,” But Scope Of
Organization
Dale Smelser
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Limited Oversight
Independent
Equal
Acts 20:28: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and
to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has
made you overseers, to shepherd the church of
God which He purchased with His own blood.
1 Pet. 5:2-3: 2Shepherd the flock of God which is
among you, serving as overseers, not by
compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but
eagerly; 3nor as being lords over those entrusted to
you, but being examples to the flock;
Autonomous
Sufficient
Ferrell Jenkins
24
“Autonomy”: “1. The
condition or quality of being
self-governing. 2. Selfgovernment or the right of selfgovernment; self-determination;
independence. 3. A selfgoverning state, community, or
group.”
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Autonomy in Evangelism
Local church selected preacher (Acts 11:2224)
Local church defined territory of labor (Acts
11:22-24)
Local church sent out preacher (Acts 11:2224; 13:3)
Local church paid preacher (Phil. 1:3-5; 4:1516)
Local church sent support directly to preacher
(2 Cor. 11:8-9; Phil 4:15-16;)
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Church-Sponsored
Evangelism
1 Cor. 9:11-14; 2
Cor. 12:13
$
Col. 4:16; 1 Th.
1:8
$
Phil. 1:3-5; 2:25,
30; 4:14-18
Acts 11:19, 22-26;
13:1-3; 15:22-35
$
$
$
2 Cor. 11:8-9
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Church-Sponsored
Evangelism
This
$
$
Not This
$
$
$
$
$
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Sponsoring Church
Arrangement
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Help Fund Work
Works Beyond Ability
Oversees Work
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In Denominations
The Board or Association Decides
– WHAT work the congregation was to do,
– WHEN the congregation would do it,
– HOW the congregation would do it,
– WHO the congregation would use to do it.
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Sponsoring Church
Arrangement
The Sponsoring Church Determines
– WHAT work the congregation was to do,
– WHEN the congregation would do it,
– HOW the congregation would do it,
– WHO the congregation would use to do it.
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Interdependence
Dependent For
Funds
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Dependent For
Oversight & Work
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