W. R. Downing has written many wonderful books. Among his best is The New Testament Church, revised in 2006 and available from www.sgccsv.org.
Dr. Downing was a hard hat professional diver who came to Christ, enrolled in Baptist Bible College, Springfield, Missouri, and followed his mentor, Dr. Peter Connolly, to the school in Arlington, Texas.
On page 115 of his book, under the heading the prominent errors and heresies, he offers this paragraph:
“There were three errors or heresies that developed during this era: first, the error of the ecclesiasticism. The New Testament pattern for the church (noting that the Apostolic office ended with the original Apostles) was contained within the local assembly. Any office beyond the local church was quite unknown. During this period (100–313), a gradual ecclesiastical hierarchy developed in some churches and geographical areas. From local bishops to parochial bishops (i.e., those who trained other ministers or had schools) to monarchial bishops (i.e. ruling bishops who exercised authority over several churches) to the Metropolitan Bishops, the system of unscriptural religious hierarchy grew until it united with the State under Constantine. Because of the unscriptural ecclesiasticism, many churches withdrew fellowship from this apostate system and continue to maintain New Testament church government. There is a marked trend in the division of churches over such issues during this transitory period.”
Are we seeing such a development among independent fundamental Baptists? I have recently become aware of large independent Baptist Churches that are effectively led, not by the current pastor, but by the former pastor. I am also mindful that many Baptist pastors automatically and thoughtlessly yield to the influence of prominent area big church pastors whose leadership style does not reflect the New Testament pattern. As for yielding to state control? How did they respond to their state governor’s mandate to lockdown and discontinue public services?
I am afraid the answer to my question is “Yes.” More and more, pastors of churches go along to get along, listen to podcasts rather than studying the Word of God, employ leadership styles they learned in the military and not in the Word of God, and are inclined to make use of the manipulative techniques that produce more immediate but far less lasting results than biblical leadership.
I welcome your response to my observations.
