Why I left the institutional church for the Organic Expression

1. I want to explain, I love the Godhead,which is The Holy Trinity, The Father, Son(Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit( the Comforter). I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that he rose again the third day. I believe in the Scriptures, God's final say, His living Word that points a person to Jesus, and the answer to our sin problem and our communication fix to problems with God and fellow man and woman. I believe that God created the world in six literal 24 hour days. and rested on a 7th literal 24 hour day. I believe that by faith in Jesus finished work on the cross.

Why I left institutional Church to join the organic church.

1. My name is Greg. Once upon a time I was a missionary who crash landed into a local church building. We spent nine years working in this congregation. Our desire was to assist and help in any way that was possible. Our primary mission was to help the youth group and to help the church with evangelism outreach. When we joined the institutional church we came to help the people like servants. We stated that we did not come to take over or become the pastors or youth pastor, but to maintain evangelism outreach and event planning. We had several years of good times, but the assembly of people that we were with few didn’t like the mission board we served with. As a matter of fact most people liked what we did, but did not like the non-profit organization that made us and what we represented Upon leaving the location we were very clear in stating that leaving a building is not leaving Jesus Christ, We are still members of his body.

2. The women are seen as trouble makers waiting to happen. Any woman that was courageous enough to see, and speak against the ritualistic hypocrisy and not see Christ magnified there in the church (like a warning light for spiritual things) was vilified. They were told that as being the “weaker vessel” they had no place to speak or be heard in the church. Unless singing a solo or in congregation song, but never to be hear from in an instructional method. Sharing a testimony is permissible. Where in the scriptures was sharing a testimony ever exalted. Sunday school for little kids but once the kid grew beyond 12 or 13 they needed sole instruction from the men of the congregation. I think back to the Lord who clearly told Mary Magdalene to go tell the disciples and PETER that he has risen from the dead. The first commission. Where God tells a human to go do something for him and she does it!

3. I left the church building, because we (my wife and I) were used as weapons to hurt other believers in leadership. This was brought to our attention only in hind sight. When we left to go work in another Church assembly there we placed for the same purpose but decided to help the people to become leaders and to function together instead of competing with them for power. This was frowned upon and desired purpose of the leaders was to maintain their absolute rule over the people to which we could no longer be part of. The story they told the people was not the same story that was shared with us. The out cry of the congregation against the pastor who planned and plotted in secret was not only silenced by the pastor but later the people continued to have him as their pastor and gave him a raise!

4. I love Jesus Christ with all my heart. From the time I was old enough to know that he is worthy of all of my life, I desired to be in ministry, for the Lord opened my heart and many doors for me to go through. However, once I found out the many political mindset and alliances that are available at church, I didn’t want anything more to do with it.

5. You are what you think. God gifts every member of the body of Christ. When you are not using your gifts, you are in fact is stealing from God. Majority rely upon the pastors of the churches to be the anchor for their spiritual lives. That by going to church on any given day makes a person more spiritual and right with God. It does not. Many members think that if the pastor sees me there I am under the blessing of God, since the pastor determines faithfulness. Walking with the Lord is the definition of faithfulness.

6. The major emphasis in the churches is often in support and recognition of its clergy and those with titled positions over all other gifts. Once I learned that every Christian is clergy and we all are joint-heirs brothers and sisters in Christ; I had to leave it. Though, it is not taught that clergy rule the laity, it is heavily implied and frowned upon if challenged and made an example against if you persist. Eventually the entire congregation will look at you as a heretic and seek to dispel anything you may say as being bitter.

7. The real responsibility of the church body is that we are to follow the examples of brothers and sister who have gone before us, not their multiple commandments of them. Paul and the apostles used a persuasive, urging the brothers and sisters to act, not forcing them to act. They had no authority in and of themselves. We are to submit one to another.

8. There was a political system designed and designated to keep the people limited. If any person deviated from the view of the pastor/elder/teacher they could be considered bitter, insubordinate, rebellious, dangerous and finally a heretic. The pastor used his pulpit as a platform to preach hidden messages to the people. Those who knew what he was doing became offended, would address the pastor, and be told that they need to submit to his authority. The pastor has never publicly apologized for any wrong done from the pulpit of wood.

9. Too often, more focus is placed on the building’s needs, specific times and days for gathering, specific dress codes and clergy salaries than on the needs of the surrounding poor, the hurting inside the building and the troubles of others believers around the world.

10. The entire reason we are even existing as Christians is to be like Christ, little Christ’s changing the world. Not little pastors or little “favorite authors”. Allowing the power of God to move us direct us shape is and mold us to help restore fix and mend the broken hearted.

11. Those who are hurt in need of care are vilified with such tremendous scrutiny that they are afraid ever to ask again for help. As if any help is only once for the asking, then “you’d better get better or it’s tough luck.”

12. Transformation: the people boast of transformed lives and transformed relationships, but not following biblical procedures for dealing with sin, restoration, dealing with issues, helping one another, there is too much of the current human condition of sin is in focus. We should no longer be regarding anyone according to the flesh.

13. Jesus said call no one master, teacher. But pastors are calling themselves teachers. And we should call them that too. A servant of the Lord has humility in his walk and in his steps.The gentiles lord their authority over you.

14. Where does the office of the pastor come from? There is no biblical support in the New Testament for such a t. Pastors/Shepherds-teaching are something that we all are able to do.

15. When confronted about a spiritual matter the person confronting may be seen as the trouble maker.

16. We were tired of all the misrepresented scriptures about how when challenged, your experience does not matter, only for what is written in the Scriptures, but then when it comes to understanding where there is clergy salaries and paying of the pastors is important because the bible application in culture has changed from ancient Greece.

More to follow.
I love the people of God and I love his word. I love leadership and encouraging people to become what you are so that they are not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but i am very upset about the current state of affairs, and will work against the establish machine for the organic one. I know that this can be seen as crazy because when you fight the system you'd better have a better system, because people usually fall into the lowest common denominator, cult or retreat back to the institutional church, if they cannot find complete sufficiency in Christ alone. Fellowship is important but walking with the Lord personally all week long, makes fellowship times much better.