The church had prayed 100 days for
this meeting. Over 2000 delegates, plus
their families, and tens of thousands of visitors descended on San Antonio for
two weekends. Many will be coming just
for a few days to meet friends and family, some are staying for the whole
experience of Holy Spirit moving and speaking through the Church in session of
representatives from around the world.
I hear often people ask “Why spend
millions of dollars for such large meetings?”
“Would it not be more beneficial if all those who attend as visitors and
delegates would just send it all into mission field?”
I must remind you that we are
unique church – a representative model, where power and authority is vested in
the people, and not in the few top executives.
There is a papal model where the top person, the pope has the say, and
the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests are following orders of the
top-down hierarchy. That is not how our
church operates. There is an episcopal
model, accepted by many protestant denominations, where there is hierarchy of
groups, but still a hierarchy, where the council of episcopes/bishops has the
final say. And then there is a different
model, where people moved by the Holy Spirit delegate authority, authorize few
to lead. Jesus alone has the power and
authority, and he has given it to ALL his followers, as we do His mission.
As I attended number of seminars,
listened to 18 general session speakers, we were all reminded that the power of
hierarchy is parallel and proportional to the neglect or ignorance of the
people to exercise their power and authority.
1st John 2:27 challenges all believers that we have received
the SAME anointing, those in full time ministry, and all believers who minister
within their secular employment.
Our pioneer, Ellen G. White wrote
against allowing “kingly powers” to develop in the church, where few powerful
leaders make decisions for all. It is
during sessions like this one, where delegates, guests and visitors come and
pray, dialogue, make decisions that the Holy Spirit affirms or corrects the
direction of the church. In the world
that is spinning out of control and everything is “out of the closet,” the
church must also shine, and not be hidden in some closet. We must take more decided and distinct stand
to affirm Biblical perspective on family, marriage, our origins in Creation,
and our hope in the soon coming of the Lord Jesus. The world needs a clarion call for order in a
chaos, and be an immune system for the community attacked by viruses of
evil. And the cost – it’s less than $1
per member, as we celebrate almost 20 million Adventists world-wide.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move
the people, the living stones of the Body of Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment