WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST?

Getting ready to leave for a week-long Canada-wide meetings for pastors in Lacombe, Alberta I am reflecting on Adventist Christianity, the difference of being Adventist from other Christian groups. A couple of weeks ago at our “Adventist 101” session I addressed the Biblical notion of two fractions in Christianity – the pure bride vs. the harlot, the 144,000 vs. the beast, the Jerusalem vs. Babylon. Our movement has always claimed the unique mission of calling Christian people “out of Babylon,” away from confusion, away from corruption, away from compromise. Are you aware of this? Are you calling people you care and love “out of Babylon”? For it is the core of the “Three Angels Message,” the reason for being Adventist. If this is forgotten, or ignored, we are no different than many other “toothless denominations” of so-called Christians, who only want to be called by name, but continue doing as they please (Isaiah 4:1).
Another claim to fame that has been made through generations of Adventist movement is to be the “Remnant” – the “leftovers” of the original, meaning the return to the ideals of the first Christian Church. Do you define your life by standards and principles of the church of Acts, the church described by the word “ACTS”? How ACTIVE are you? Does your ACTION show your PASSION?
To think of it, the early Christians had a different understanding of what pastor’s role was. I used to be puzzled before with Apostle Paul “not remembering who he had baptized” (1st Corinthians 1:16) until I learned that elders of local churches were nurturing (pastor’s role) and overseeing (bishop’s role) the life of churches, while apostles-evangelists were planting churches, winning new converts, organizing the work for maximum efficiency.
Statistically one person can have a following, and keep it happy of about 120 people. Churches relying on the “parish” model of care by a professional full time pastor do not grow beyond 120. Here in London with about 300 members on the books and another 100 who consider themselves “members of Adventist community,” but either were never baptized into the Body of Christ, or chose not to transfer their memberships, there can be about 120 people who are O.K. with “pastor Alex,” leaving another 280 wishing for a different one. Considering the above stated stats, even if two more “full-time professional nurturers” would come here, there would be still 40 unhappy, and disconnected, and as new people join in the demand for additional professionals would grow. By the way, this is the formula employed by your “seeker oriented” evangelical neighbourhood churches for the number of pastors per congregants.
Let me remind you of our mission – restoring the Biblical, Apostolic Remnant Church, where your elders are your pastors! And Each one of you are the members of the Body (Romans 12:4-5, 1st Corinthians 12:12-27). What is your personal individual function? Where in “the Body” do you fit in? What is your role? Our elders will meet sometime in July to discuss the total involvement of all members in the life of the Body of Christ, the Church. As we do prepare for this meeting prayerfully, we invite you to pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal to you your personal role and place.