Pastor Dave’s Blog

Clear Teaching on a Touchy Subject

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:47:09 -0700

Here is the long version of my “Clear Teaching on a Touchy Subject” paper. This one was tough for me. So much to say... (and I said a lot of it)! Please accept these paragraphs in the spirit in which they are given: an honest attempt to find what God’s word says come what may. There should be a “cliff notes” version that will be available soon (“soon” being a relative term). I apologize profusely about the tardiness of this, but there are many, many factors involved in an undertaking like this, and the sermon series had to take precedence. I may add more questions and answers at a later date if I get more.

Women in the Church: Clear Teaching on a Touchy Subject
Why There Is a Problem
Feminism as a dominant movement in American culture is apparently here to stay. With out distinguishing between the various types of feminism, it is safe to say that feminism has accomplished much in changing our society. Like any movement, some of its effects have been good and some have been bad. From a Christian perspective, feminism has been a friend as well as a foe to biblical teaching. As far as feminism has raised the status and honor of women, has provided a critique of chauvinism, has addressed and contributed to the bettering of specifically female life and health issues (breast cancer awareness and research-funding programs is one significant example), it has done Christians and Christianity a great favor. On the other hand, feminism has been the sizable umbrella under which the abortion industry has flourished, homosexuality has been encouraged, men have been demoted to knuckle-scraping imbeciles, non-Christian spiritualities have been promoted (mother-goddess worship, Native American Indian mysticism, and Wicca to name some of the more notable), and “single income household” has come to mean a single mother trying to make ends meet. Much of the anguish that surrounds the question of the role of women in the church (for better or worse) is a direct result of feminism’s prominent place in our church and society.
Principles
1) It is essential that we allow what the Bible teaches to rule over our behavior and not to allow our behavior to rule over what the Bible teaches.
2) God’s ways often seem mysterious, incomprehensible, or even foolish to His people but it is our limitation, not God’s that makes them so.
3) Headship is a function of how things should work according to God’s sovereign order; it is not a matter of essential quality or even comparative importance.
4) Ability and authorization are two separate things. What we can do (even do well) does not dictate what we should do.
5) Ends and means must not be confused. “God blessed the outcome” should never be an excuse for not doing what God’s word says (or doing what God’s word says not to).
6) In dealing with issues concerning church practices, two principles must be kept in mind simultaneously: those who rule in the church will have to give an account before God for their leadership over the church, and all individuals (including leaders) will have to give an account before God for their own conduct. To make oneself the judge over another’s’ actions and intentions is to put oneself in the place of God. But for elected Elders to judge over actions that will affect the church is leadership simply doing its job.
Questions that Need to be Answered
Most debates within the church have a foundation. Sometimes this is a biblical foundation, sometimes it is a cultural foundation, and sometimes it has more to do with personal feelings and friendships than anything else. When it comes to the role of women in the church, all three play an important part. To unwrap this tangle of influences (at least partially), I want to begin with several questions that typically become a major part of the discussion. They are as follows:
1) Who makes the rules?
2) Is it possible to limit a woman’s role without limiting her value?
3) What does it mean, “there is neither male nor female… in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28)?
4) What does it mean for “women to be silent in church” (1 Corinthians 14:34)?
5) What does Paul mean when he says: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence” (1 Timothy 2:12)?
6) Are these (questions 4 and 5) timeless commands or culturally limited admonitions like head-coverings and holy kisses?
I believe that how someone answers these six questions will also determine how he or she will answer the question of a woman’s role in the church. I also believe that these questions are closely interrelated. Those who feel that personal feelings of justice, the Holy Spirit’s communication to the individual heart, and/or the norms of the larger culture in which we find ourselves play a significant role in determining the meaning of a text will tend to be egalitarian (i.e. women should not be limited in the positions with which they can serve the church); while those who have a distrust of “modern” or “new” interpretations, appreciate tradition within the church, and/or prefer to be as literal as possible in interpreting what a text says will tend to be complimentarian (i.e. some church positions – such as Elder – are restricted by the Bible to men and cannot be filled by women). If a person thinks that it belittles the entire feminine gender to say: “pastors must be men,” it is less likely that that person will say such things. Those who want to be inclusive (egalitarian) will tend to emphasize verses that agree with their position (such as Galatians 3:28) and avoid or dismiss as no longer pertinent verses that disagree with their position and limit women (1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:12). Conversely, those who take a traditional view will see a limit of application in Paul’s sweeping declaration of gender equality (Galatians 3:28) and a relatively straightforward application of the rules that Paul gives for church order regarding women (“silence” – 1 Corinthians 14:34) and women in leadership (“no authority over a man” – 1 Timothy 2:12).
My goal in writing this paper is not to convert those already committed to a position (such conversions are unfortunately few and far between because both sides tend to argue in fairly narrow self-validating circles); but rather, I will attempt 1) to help those who do not know yet what all the fuss is about, 2) explain and defend what I believe to be biblical (for those who are wondering about the church’s position on this subject), and 3) use this discussion as a “case study” on how to approach issues where good people end up with drastically different approaches to the same passages of scripture.
How to Handle Difficult Texts
Before talking about what the different texts in scripture have to say about the role of women in the church, it is necessary to first discuss how to deal with a difficult text. Many passages of scripture are clear even to the most uninformed reader. Others are more complex. This complexity can be in the meaning of the words themselves (lexical ambiguity), in the grammar, in the textual evidence (some manuscripts say one thing, some say another), in the cultural distance between ourselves and the original readers, or in the “deafness” that comes from not wanting to listen to what God says when it disagrees with what we want to hear. When we find a passage where many different people say the text means different things (even drastically different things), we can assume that we are dealing with a difficult text. When it comes to the texts that deal specifically with women having (or not having) authority in the church, almost all the verses involved are hotly debated as to their meaning (and are even more so as to their application). In fact, each one of the above factors that create interpretive complexity (lexical, grammatical, textual, etc.) is at play for different “key” texts in the debate. Some of the texts have several issues that cause complexity. 1 Corinthians 14:34, 35 has all of them. So it is safe to say that we are going to be dealing with difficult texts in this study.
But, before despairing completely, we should remember that God gave us His word in order for us to understand it and apply it to our lives. As difficult as it occasionally gets, the Bible is qualitatively different than all other things that we read. Theologically, this difference has been described by the following four words: inspiration, illumination, sufficiency, and perspicuity. These words stand for concepts that are important to keep in mind as we look at these texts that have caused so much debate in the church. Inspiration means that God is the ultimate author of scripture. Illumination means that God supernaturally helps the believer who honestly searches scripture to find its meaning and application. Sufficiency means that although we would often like more scripture, or clearer scripture, God has given us enough scripture to settle every issue of faith and practice that He wants us to settle. Perspicuity means that scripture is fundamentally clear and therefore understandable. Therefore, because scripture is what it is, we should hope to find an answer to our question about women in church (not just more questions) if we are honest with the text and are willing to do a little work.
If the first step in understanding a difficult biblical passage is to remember that it is indeed a biblical passage, the second is to carefully consider the passage’s context. This may seem silly to mention because it appears to be so obvious, but I believe that failing to understand the context is one of the greatest mistakes people make when they debate the meaning of critical texts. No text fell out of heaven all by itself. Each book of the Bible was written for people living in specific situations and as a complete unit (except for the books of Psalms and Proverbs that were written in discrete identifiable units). To understand a Bible verse we need to see how it fits into the book where it is found and how it addresses the needs of the community to which it was originally written. Often, a question about a verse disappears when we read the paragraph surrounding it, or consider the people to whom it was written. The old adage says it well: “Proof text without context is pretext.”
The last key step to understanding a difficult passage is to read the verse(s) in light of the scriptures as a whole. God’s word is incredibly diverse: it was written over at least fifteen hundred years by a wide variety of people; but it is also a coherent whole. If you believe that the Bible is the living word of God, you will also believe that what God says in one place He will not contradict in another. Therefore, scripture will always be the best interpreter of scripture. This means that in dealing with a subject like women in the church, it is important not just to find all the pertinent verses that speak about the subject directly, but also to find the ones that speak of it indirectly. Indeed, the whole of scripture presents a pattern in which each piece finds its proper place and the tenor of scripture as a whole should be examined as a backdrop for any passage’s specific interpretation.
Men and Women in the Bible
The biblical picture of male-female relationship is complex and wide ranging. The Bible begins (right after the basic creation story) with the joy and troubles of Adam and Eve, the first couple. It ends with the final consummation of church history at the “marriage supper of the Lamb” where the church is the Bride of Christ. In between, God’s sovereign plan of love and redemption is implemented in the lives of real people: both male and female. In this section I would like to look briefly at the role of women as it is portrayed first in the Old Testament and then in the New Testament.
The Old Testament Picture
In the early Genesis account, men and women are both created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). They are also considered necessary compliments to one another: without Eve, Adam is “alone” and with out Adam, Eve would not exist (Genesis 2:18). Unlike the creation of all other living things, Adam and Eve are created separately and in a different manner: Adam is formed from the dust; later Eve is formed from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:19-23). They are also cursed differently after they sin (Genesis 3:16-19). In the Mosaic Law, men and women are usually given the exact same commands for proper living, but they are sometimes given different commands. Several parts of the Law assume a fundamental difference between the sexes and the role they play in society. A vow “sticks” as soon as it is promised for a man, but for a woman the vow must be kept only after it has been validated – including by silence – by the father or husband of the woman (Numbers 30). The “recovery period” for a mother after the birth of a boy is 7 days of “uncleanness” and 33 days of “impurity;” but for a girl it is twice as long (14 and 66 days respectively – Leviticus 12). The laws for retaining and dismissing male and female slaves are different (Exodus 21:2-11). There is a “bitter water” test of unfaithfulness for a woman (Numbers 5), but nothing similar for a man. The Old Testament priesthood is specifically limited to men (Exodus 40:12-15; Leviticus 21). And the monarchy is unquestionably a male-dominated institution (even when Jezebel manipulates King Ahab in order to control the Northern Kingdom – 1 Kings 16-2 Kings 9, or her daughter Athaliah briefly gains sole rulership in the South – 2 Kings 11, the point is firmly made within the story that bad things happen when God’s order is thus overturned).
In contrast to this predominately male leadership structure, many famous (and sometimes infamous) women play a significant role in the Old Testament history. Usually these women were either wives (and/or mothers) of leaders or they were classified as prophetesses. Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Tamar, Delilah, Naomi, Ruth, Hannah, Abigail, Bathsheba, Jezebel, Athaliah, and Esther, all found most of their biblical significance within their roles as wives and mothers. Indeed, many of the better-known women of the Bible are not even known by name at all, just by the name of their husband (e.g. Noah’s wife, Lot’s wife, Job’s wife, and Potiphar’s wife). In a different manner than followed by most of the well known Old Testament women, Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah were prophetesses that God used to speak for Him in order to change the direction of His people by influencing the male leaders of their day. It is worth noting that both types of women (wives and prophetesses) work alongside the male “hierarchy” of priest and king in a supporting role, sometimes providing critique and sometimes encouragement (even Deborah’s severe criticism of Barak’s unwillingness to go to battle turned out to be for his own good and required his leadership). The unfortunate results of Rebekah conniving to get Jacob blessed, Miriam’s rebellion against Moses’ leadership and her resulting leprosy, Delilah’s treacherous nagging for Samson’s secret to his strength, and Jezebel’s disastrous influence over Ahab to pervert the nation to worship Baal, should go as warnings that a “supporting” role can easily change to one of manipulating or even destroying proper leadership.
The New Testament Picture
The role of women in the New Testament is both richer and more diverse. Paul proclaims male and female as one in Christ (Galatians 3:28) rather than divided groups. Wives are called “heirs together of the grace of life” by Peter, but are also the “weaker vessel” needing to be honored by their husbands (1 Peter 3:7). Men are told to love their wives self-sacrificially like Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:24-28; Colossians 3:19); but wives are required to “submit” to their husbands “as is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18; see also Ephesians 5:24; Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1; 1 Peter 3:5). Wives and mothers still play an important role in the history of the New Testament (most famously Mary the mother of Jesus, but also Elizabeth – wife of Zacharias and mother of John the Baptist, James and John’s mother, Herodias – King Herod’s wife, Pilot’s wife, Priscilla the wife of Aquila, and Sapphira the wife of Ananias). Prophetesses also continue to play a minor role (Anna who blesses the baby Jesus – Luke 2:36-38, Philip’s four virgin daughters – Acts 21:8, 9, and the ladies of Corinth who were requested to wear a “head covering” when they prophesied – 1 Corinthians 11:5). Unlike the Old Testament, most of the women in the New Testament are not portrayed predominately as wives and mothers with an occasional prophetess, but instead are seen as disciples (Mary Magdalene, Mary and her sister Martha, Lydia, Tabitha, and Phoebe “servant” of the church in Cenchrea are all given places of honor with out mentioning whether they are married or not – and for the most part, they probably aren’t). Paul suggests that it is better to remain single because an unmarried woman can better “care about the things of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:34) and is more likely to be “happy” (or “blessed” – 1 Corinthians 7:40 – this is the same word that leads off the beatitudes in Matthew 5).
The critical issue regarding the place of women in the New Testament (for the purposes of this paper) is determining how women relate to the leadership roles in the church. Above, we noted that women are allowed (even encouraged) to prophesy but this does not appear to be an authoritative position in the New Testament (the Prophet Agabus predicted Paul would be bound at Jerusalem, but did not have the leverage to persuade him not to go – Acts 21:10-14). Although many women followed Jesus, and even supported His ministry, the twelve disciples were all men (and the replacement of Judas was chosen from two men). The seven who served the widows tables in Acts 6 (probably the first Deacons) were also all men. The qualifications of Bishops (Elders) is given in purely masculine terms (1 Timothy 3:1-7), right after an admonition for women not to “teach or to have authority over a man.” To say that women played important roles in the New Testament would be an understatement. To say that they held authoritative positions in the church is to go beyond what the text says and even to contradict it in places.
Authority in the Bible
We have one last subject to look at before considering the most important verses that relate to the role that women can play in the leadership of the church. The subject is authority. What does it mean to have authority in the church? What should biblical leadership look like? Our culture reacts to and rejects authority in a way that is foreign to the biblical world (not that they never objected to authority: the zealots are a case in point, but they wanted different authority, not nihilism (no authority) or secular humanism (self-authority)). We tend to be individualistic and egalitarian, the Bible is much more communal and hierarchical. Much of what we find objectionable in the passages that limit a woman’s role in the church is because of this cultural difference. Indeed, many who would overturn these passages do so by first affirming that they do in fact limit women, but then go on to say that this limit only makes sense in a hierarchical, male centered world, and that new times call for new standards.
God’s has created a certain “order” in His world. The laws of nature reflect this order. God’s moral laws reflect this order. Therefore it should not be surprising that God’s word calls for His people to be orderly. In 1 Corinthians 14:40 Paul says that all things should “be done decently and in order” in the Christian worship service. In Colossians 2:4-6 Paul rejoices to see the order of the believers and their steadfastness of faith. A significant part of the Bible’s teaching that limits a woman’s authority is in a context of “disorder” and calls for “silence,” “quietness,” or “submission” as a call to orderliness.
When the New Testament calls its readers to submission, the word that is used communicates the idea of placing one’s self under another person or power. Besides general calls to submission (see below), there are three passages that give us a parallel to the idea of submission that can help us fill out the way submission was understood by the biblical writers. In Hebrews 12:9 submission is roughly equivalent to respect: “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” In 1 Peter 3:6 submission is roughly equivalent to obedience: wives ought to be subject to their husbands “as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” In 1 Peter 5:5 submission is roughly equivalent to humility: “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’” These passages show that submission is primarily an attitude, but also can include the actions that stem from the attitude. There are many times submission is called for in the New Testament. The following list shows how broad and inclusive the New Testament makes the requirement for submission:
The Christian should be subject to political authorities (Romans 13:1, 5; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13)
Slaves should be subject to their masters (Titus 2:9; 1 Peter 2:18)
Children should be subject to parents (1 Timothy 3:4)
Jesus was subject to Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:51)
Evil Spirits were subject to the Apostles (Luke 10:20)
The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet (1 Corinthians 14:32)
Women should be subject to the orderly rules of the church (1 Corinthians 14:34)
Women should be subject to men teaching in church (1 Timothy 2:11)
All things (except God the Father) are subject to Christ (1 Corinthians 15:27; Philippians 3:21; Hebrews 2:8)
“Angels and authorities and powers” are subject to Christ (1 Peter 3:22)
God the Son is subject to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:28)
The church should be subject to Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:24)
The believer should be subject to God (James 4:7)
Christians should be subject to one another (Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:5)
Wives should be subject to their husbands (Ephesians 5:24; Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1; 1 Peter 3:5)
Sarah was subject to Abraham (1 Peter 3:6)
Young people should be subject to their elders (1 Peter 5:5)
In considering this list, it is noteworthy that submission is not based on relative value (Jesus is subject to His parents, Mary and Joseph), or even relative power (evil spirits are subject to the apostles, young people should be subject to their elders). Instead, the issue at stake is who has a position of greater relative authority (God the Son is subject to the God the Father, slaves are subject to their masters, children are subject to their parents, and believers are subject to political rulers). There is also a “mutuality of subjection” in the church, because believers are supposed to be subject to one another (Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:5). These passages should be a warning to those who would use any “subjection” text as an excuse for a harsh, domineering attitude towards others (or for those who want to throw out the idea of subjection because they see it as a cause of harsh, domineering attitudes in others).
Authority in the Home
It should be noted at some point that the Bible says far more about the relative role of married couples than it does about men and women in church. I mention this because the role of women in the home has a significant correlation to the role of women in the church. In Ephesians 5:22-29 Paul outlines basic differences between the husband and wife in their relationship to each other:
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.”
For the wife the primary word is “submit.” For the husband it is “love.” This relationship – when pursued properly – should be comparable to the relationship of Christ and His church. It is very possible that the restrictions placed on women in the church are intended (at least in part) to keep the God-given roles of husbands and wives from being upended at church. It is also likely that the tension over submission and authority in the home creates a considerable part of the tension that occurs during “women’s role” discussions at the church.
Women in the Church
Now that the foundation has been laid, we return to the original six questions that need to be answered:
1) Who Makes the Rules?
God!?! The Bible!!? The Pastor and Elders?? Cultural Acceptability? Famous Bible Teachers??? ME?!! For most of us, it is assumed that as Christians we already know the right answer: ultimately, God makes the rules. The “big problem,” however, with most of our “big problems” in the church is first figuring out exactly what God wants His rules to be – especially when scripture seems unclear, scholars disagree, the culture is suspect, and our own heart has a bad track record of substituting our own desires for God’s desires. It is because of this complexity (along with the related ease of deception and compromise) that makes spiritual leadership in the church so important (and so often attacked by Satan).
When Paul takes leave of the Elders at Ephesus, probably for the last time, he warns them to “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” (Acts 20:28). Later, Paul warns Timothy (who is pastoring at Ephesus) that “in the last days perilous times will come,” and after describing the coming peril he commands Timothy, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of” and to “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” because, “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” Paul then goes on to instruct Timothy in his leadership role: “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 3:1, 14, 4:2-5). Paul places the spiritual welfare of the Ephesian church squarely on Timothy’s shoulders. It is significant that it is within this context that 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 says: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (a verse that is often used for the personal application of scripture but was originally intended to explain the use of scripture by the spiritual leadership of the church).
From the other side of the shepherd/flock divide, the book of Hebrews encourages believers to: “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct…. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:7, 17). Even though every believer must live before God in the light of scripture, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and according to the dictates of his or her own conscience, the believer also has a duty to follow the spiritual direction of the spiritual leadership in the local church (or if unable to do so, to find a church where he or she can follow scripturally and in good conscience). This is why it is so important to be sure that the church’s leadership is biblical, godly, and wise (notice that the types of qualifications that are required in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are mostly character based not ability based) This is also why it is critical that the Elders of a church have the continuing support and affirmation of its members. Because of this New Testament pattern of leaders appointing leaders (and I assume that this was done with the backing and conformation of the congregations involved – something equivalent to our congregational vote), I believe that it is the spiritual leadership’s job (specifically the Elders, but with input from other leaders and the congregation) to determine which positions are open to women and which are not.
2) Is It Possible to Limit a Woman’s Role Without Limiting Her Value?
In a word: “Yes.” To suggest that, “higher on the authority grid is automatically better, lower is automatically worse” is simply unbiblical. It flies in the face of reason (to equate authority with worth is to confuse function with form, a category mistake), experience (who has not seen a subordinate who was both better educated and more skilled than their supervisor?), and theology (God the Son is subordinate to God the Father, yet fully equal in essence, glory, and power).
3) What does it mean when Paul writes “there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)?
To understand what Galatians 3:28 means, you must know why Paul is writing to the Galatians to begin with and what he is specifically arguing in the preceding paragraphs. Galatians is written because the church at Galatia was trying to go back to observing the Jewish law in order to please God (Galatians 1:6; 2:16; 3:13, 14; 5:1-3). The theme of Galatians 3 is introduced in Galatians 2:20 where Paul uses our participation in the sacrifice of Christ to demonstrate that our original salvation in Christ was apart from the law: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
In Galatians 3:8, 9 Abraham is used as an example of faith in whom God promises to bless the Gentiles (as Gentiles): “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”
Galatians 3:26-28 is the climax of this section (of Galatians) where salvation is found in Christ alone, by faith alone: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28, in context, teaches that salvation is not race dependent, social status dependent, or gender dependent – just Christ dependent. It does not say anything about the function of these groups once they have been placed into Christ in the church. That there is still some distinction maintained even after faith can be seen in the circumcision of Timothy and the non-circumcision of Titus. Timothy (who had a Jewish mother but a Greek father – Acts 16:3) was still Jewish and expected to act Jewish and be circumcised “because of the Jews” but Titus (who was all Greek – Galatians 2:3) was not required to follow Jewish custom.
4) What does it mean for “women to be silent in church” (1 Corinthians 14:34)?
1 Corinthians 14:34, 35 says: “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.”
First, we know that this does not mean: “Women should never say any words whatsoever in church” because Paul writes in the same letter “every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved” (1 Corinthians 11:5), assuming that, with suitable covering, prayer and prophesy are proper and allowable for women in the church.
The main issue Paul is concerned with in the context of 1 Corinthians 14 is good order and proper submission to authority, not silence (which is also true in chapter 11). This concern is highlighted in the text before (“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace” 1 Corinthians 14:33) and after (“Let all things be done decently and in order” 1 Corinthians 14:40) our passage. Probably what is specifically forbidden by Paul in these verses (considering its context) is women publicly questioning and criticizing men who are teaching or prophesying.
Because many people see this passage to be teaching something that is only meant for the first century Corinthians, it is worth noting that Paul “universalizes” his command in 14:33 when he says, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” And again in 14:36 when he asks: “Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?”
5) What does Paul mean when he says: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence” (1 Timothy 2:12)?
Like 1 Corinthians 14, the main issue in context is good order and submission to authority, not silence. The paragraph as a whole states: “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence (1 Timothy 2:8-10). The context is dealing with proper conduct in the church worship service (before) and proper leadership roles (after). The verbal construction “to teach or to have authority” is a unit, not separate ideas, and could be translated “I do not allow a woman to teach with authority over a man.” Paul uses a command for “silence” in order to maintain proper roles in worship and teaching and to limit women from taking the position of an Elder. 1 Timothy 2:8-15 is a contrasting introduction to the qualifications of the “Overseer” (Elder/Pastor/Bishop) who has to be able to teach and rule well (1 Timothy 3:2, 5). Also like 1 Corinthians 14, Paul “universalizes” his command, this time by illustrating from Genesis 2 and 3: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Timothy 2:13, 14).
Unlike 1 Corinthians 14 (where the word for silence means “no sound”), the word used here for silence is “quietness,” like the “gentle quiet spirit” in 1 Peter 3:3, 4: “Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” An indication that the primary concern is for women to have the right attitude of the heart (which can be far more difficult to control than the volume of the mouth).
6) Are these (4 and 5) timeless commands or culturally limited admonitions like head-coverings and holy kisses?
Every culturally limited admonition has a timeless command behind it. Head-coverings (1 Corinthians 11:4-16) showed the principles of a distinction between the sexes and the authority of man (or husbands) over woman (or wives). The command to greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26) was given because Christians ought to greet one another affectionately, in order to show their love and acceptance (and we still should today – even if not with a “holy kiss”). But what is the timeless principle that caused Paul to command the Corinthian and Ephesian women to limit themselves, submit, and (at times) be quiet? There are three standard options that are suggested for the universal principle that stands behind Paul’s commands for women to be silent:
Option 1
God wants us to live by our culture’s standards and when the standards change we should change along with them so that the gospel is not an offense to the world (an egalitarian option).
Although cultural relevancy is an important factor in communicating the gospel, there is a point at which the gospel will remain foolishness to the world (1 Corinthians 2:14); and to go past this point is to undermine the very truth that needs to be proclaimed: we need to be saved from a crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:15; Acts 2:40). Once we “adjust” the roles of male and female to complete equality of function we also loose our footing in other gender issues which (for many churches) has culminated in the acceptance of homosexuality as a legitimate “God-given” lifestyle alternative. The Bible gives us a different rule: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
Option 2
God does not want the ignorant or the rebellious teaching or ruling in the church (this is also an egalitarian option).
Many evangelical scholars, who wish to remove the burden of male-only leadership from the church, without contradicting the Bible (or simply caving to the modern culture), have strongly emphasized the differences between the role of women in the first century and the twenty-first century. It is said that women in the New Testament days were generally uneducated, were often eager receptors of heretical teaching, and could have been former spiritual leaders in the pagan cults (especially in the cities of Corinth and Ephesus where Paul prohibits female leadership). If this was the case, it is suggested that Paul had every right to categorically demand their “silence” in the church. Of course, today’s women are more highly educated, more spiritually stable, and thus should be equal partners in the ministry of the gospel. Aside from the very real concern that the “female problems” of Corinth or Ephesus have been magnified out of proportion to fit the agenda of modern scholarship, for me, the real question is: would Paul use “ignorant or rebellious” as a category in which he could (rather high-handedly) lump all women (and no men!) in at least two of the New Testament church congregations? Personally, I doubt it. As a general rule (unlike the popular impression), Paul had far too high an opinion of the abilities of Christian women (consider Paul’s greetings to and encouragement of women in Romans 16 for an example).
Option 3
God has specific roles in mind for men and women in their relationships with one another, which are different by design (a complimentarian option).
There are several reasons for preferring this option as the principle behind what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:12 about women. First, this is the historic position of the church. Most people in most times have assumed that men and women were created by God for different specific purposes: one of the differences being leadership roles in the church. That suddenly, in just the last hundred years, people have discovered the egalitarian truth should serve as a warning to us (C. S. Lewis calls this modern phenomena “chronological snobbery” – or, we might call it the “everyone is wrong but my generation” syndrome). Second, none of the other options holds up very well to close scrutiny. When scholarship passes from one reason to the next (to the next, to the next…) for affirming the exact same conclusion, one suspects that it is the conclusion not the reasons for it that are driving the scholarship. Third (and I believe most conclusively), when Paul gives biblical support for his command in 1 Timothy, he goes to the creation and fall to justify himself: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For (emphasis mine: the Greek word gar is “used to express cause, clarification, or inference” – BAGD) Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression (1 Timothy 2:12-14). That creation and fall are both included is significant, since some suggest that male hierarchy was a result of the fall; but now there should be no difference between the sexes because the fall was reversed (at least for Christians) when we became “new creatures” in Christ (although no explanation has been forwarded yet explaining why “new creatures” still have to weed their gardens or experience pain in childbirth – other aspects of the fall). In the Genesis 1 creation account “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them,” a wonderful statement of the co-image-bearing quality of mankind, male and female. But this is not the point Paul especially wants to make. When Paul writes, “Adam was formed first, then Eve” he is alluding to Genesis 2:18-24:
“And the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’ Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
And Adam said:
‘This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
It is difficult to explain this passage from an egalitarian perspective. Why did God not show male/female equality decisively by forming Adam and Eve at the same time from the same substance? If they needed to know that they needed each other, God could have created them in opposite corners of the garden of Eden and then they could have joyfully found one another some time later. Instead, God creates Adam, makes him look for a helper by naming the animals, and then creates Eve from his body to complete mankind. The pattern Paul gives is: God creates Adam first – then Eve, Eve sinned first – then Adam. I have read a variety of suggested points of contact between 1 Timothy and Genesis 2 and 3 to explain why Paul would use this as a biblical illustration/explanation. Only one is intuitively obvious (i.e. does not require some external factor to have it make sense). It is this: when Satan overturns God’s original intention of leadership, only disaster can result.
Conclusion
1) It must be strongly emphasized that there is nothing demeaning in women being restricted by God as to which duties they can perform within church ministries.
2) Every effort should be made to express, validate, and encourage women in their participation in legitimate ministries within the church and home. These include biblical teaching in the following areas:
Private Instruction (Priscilla and Aquila correcting Apollos – Acts 18)
Teaching Children (Timothy’s Mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois – 2 Timothy 1)
Teaching other Women (Titus 2)
3) The office of Elder/Bishop is limited to men of spiritual stature (1 Timothy 3)
4) Non-authoritative speaking on spiritual subjects in mixed gatherings of the church is acceptable (1 Corinthians 11) but Biblical teaching or debate on Biblical issues is not (1 Corinthians 14, 2 Timothy 2).
5) Every effort should be made to express, validate, and encourage men in their participation in legitimate ministries within the church and home: with a view to raising new leaders that are qualified to fill the roles that are biblically restricted to men – especially since a lack of willing or qualified men leads directly to the frustration of godly gifted women in not being able to take their place instead.

Q & A on Our Touchy Subject
1) Why are we going through this process?
There has always been a variety of positions on just where to draw the line for where a woman can and can’t serve. We are going through this process so that we can come to an “official” agreement on where MCC draws the line between “open” and “male-only” positions so that people who just want to help don’t have different people telling them different things or be afraid to volunteer only to be declined for being female.
2) Where is the line drawn between “can do” and “can’t do” for women?
Biblically, the Eldership is restricted to men (see above); possibly, Deacons are also restricted (in 1 Timothy 3:11 “wives” could be translated “women” and could indicate female deacons, of whom Phoebe might be a member (Romans 16:1 – and I emphasize “could” and “might” as important qualifiers) – but our “Deaconess Board” gives a legitimate place for “Female Servants” to serve). But what exactly is an Elder? An Elder is a man who is appointed to teach and lead biblically and authoritatively over the church body (based on 2 Timothy 2, 3). However, just because churches make new titles for Elder-type positions doesn’t mean those positions can then be filled by women. The positions that the Elders feel are restricted to men are: Elder, Pastor, CE Chair, Sunday School Superintendent, Adult Bible Study Leader (over a group that included men – which would include Adult and High School Sunday School classes), and Youth Group Leader.
3) Could this list change?
Yes, it can. The Elders are tasked with monitoring how different leadership positions in the church change with differing circumstances. An example would be if MCA hired male classroom teachers or enrolled High School students, they would then need to have a male administrator (my opinion: this would require an official Elder decision). Also, new leadership positions could be created that would require decisions on their status. If we started a church newspaper the “Editor-in-Chief” would probably not need to be male, but if we started a Bible College, the President would.
4) What is the cut-off age for women teaching youth? (or: When does a boy become a man?)
Adulthood is a difficult issue in America where we can’t decide whether to treat grade school students like adults, or college students like children. I have heard 13 defended as the age of adulthood (based on the Hebrew Bar Mitzvah) I have also heard of marriage being used as the place to draw the line (based on the “leave and cleave” principle of Genesis 2). For me the issue is: when do parents treat their kids as adults (when do they pass from role of “commander” to “counselor”)? I believe that for most (although not all), this takes place in High School, not after it. Our society gives 18 as the thresh hold of adulthood and most turn 18 in their senior year. Also, many of our programs do not have “strict age segregation”: meaning if someone wants to keep going to Youth Group after they graduate High School, we let them. All these factors combine to make it so that High School targeted programs will usually include “adult” students, and therefore need male leadership for the “Bible-teaching-leader.”
5) What will happen to the “leadership” of our church when there are not enough men willing to serve?
According to our church policy we are supposed to have “up to” four Elders or if attendance goes over 200 regular attenders, one Elder per 50 people. So with 240-ish people in the last picture directory, that makes five Elders for the optimum number. In actual church life, the number of Elders can be smaller, even zero, if there are simply no willing or qualified men (this is also true for the other elected positions like Deaconesses or Trustees that commonly have less than the specified number of people willing to fill the positions). In this case, the Pastor(s) (who are defacto Elders) would have to fulfill the entire Elder role with out lay-Elder help. If the church couldn’t even find a pastor to fill the Elder role, there would be serious problems (no Elders probably only being a minor one). If someone called me to ask about a church in this kind of a situation I would encourage them to regroup, possibly as a ladies Bible study, or disband and join a church that has men willing to lead. I have also heard of small groups that gather for prayer and fellowship and then listen to a “tape” (probably a CD or podcast today) of a well known pastor/speaker – so that could be a pragmatic solution. How would the government work in such a church? I’m not sure. I am guessing that for a group like this, a constitution like MCC’s would be unwieldily and would have to be re-crafted. A dismal prospect, but God’s people could still properly function as a church.

2008 Pastor’s Report

Wed, 21 May 2008 09:03:15 -0700

Every year the hardest part of writing a semi-annual business report is knowing just how to get it started and then determining just what kind of a tone it should take once I’ve started it. This year I contemplated beginning boldly with a shocking question: “Is our church at the beginning of a major crisis?” with thoughts of commenting afterwards on the shrinking trend in our annual budget, the difficulties we have experienced in finding a new associate pastor, and our first non-seasonal decline in over-all attendance since I began my ministry here, to this could be added the seeming flood of spiritual, physical, and personal hardships that have fallen upon so many within our church. Instead, I think I will begin this way…

I am thankful to report that it has been an exceptionally good year of ministry at Manchester Community Church. I know this, not just because I see it (see below), but also because God’s word says it is true: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28); “…for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10); “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Every year that I have been your pastor I have found it necessary to grow in different ways. This year the Lord has been teaching me that the level of effectiveness in ministry and the easiness of ministry are often in direct opposition to one another. There is a reason why Paul called himself a “slave of Christ,” and those who worked with him “fellow-laborers of the gospel of Christ.” Doing God’s will in this world (and even among God’s people in this world) is often really, really hard: but it is when we do the difficult things that God gives us His strength.

Recognizing that we are experiencing a time when it would be easy to become discouraged, I want to list some highlights from the past year that have been God’s messengers of grace and encouragement to me in the midst of dealing with some of the harder things in ministry:

1) I have seen marked spiritual growth in myself and in many others around me because of the hard things we have gone through.
2) After about 20 years on the “to do” list, our parking lot is paved.
3) I was able to go the Shepherds Conference this year, also something that has been in the planning for a long time.
4) MCA appears to be out of the woods financially.
5) Donn Jackson is on the Elder Board again.
6) A functioning website (www.manchesterministries.org) has been (more-or-less) finished off, complete with a pastor’s blog and a picture of Bill Rowe opening the front door of our church on the home page.
7) I got to perform Joe and Kelly’s wedding ceremony, and I look forward to performing Shawn and Rachel’s
8) We were able to welcome my daughter Sarah Elizabeth into church membership.
9) Baptizing Raven, Ruth, and Kailee Mahan on the same evening was a beautiful reminder to me of the wonder of our adoption in Christ and our placement into His world-wide family.
10) I have so much enjoyed having Richard, Christy, Oliver, and Colin Olson home (at the parsonage) on furlough.
11) William Isaiah has been the easiest most delightful baby we have experienced to date (which is saying something).

So where is this report headed? It is a call to keep perspective. Remember God’s blessing in the midst of adversity. Remember that God is good and He does good. He knows what we need. He knows what we can handle and what we can’t handle. He knows where He wants us to be heading and how He wants us to get there.

Is our church at the beginning of a major crisis? The crisis we face is the crisis that always confronts the church: Will we live by faith or by sight? Will we worship God with all our hearts or just with our mouths? Will we obey what we know from studying God’s word or will we forsake God’s word so that we can do whatever we want and hope that God will bless the outcome?
Does that mean that we can’t do better? We not only can do better, we must do better. Lower tithe and fewer people Sunday morning (although neither of these are of crisis proportion) are indications that something needs to be said and done. This is what I want to address with the remainder of my report. If just the people in this room committed to do what follows, the ability of our church to meet the spiritual needs of those within and without our walls would be expanded greatly. These are not new, but perhaps now there is a greater urgency.

1) Pray for our church. Really. Just do it…if God is not at work, there is no point for us to be.
2) Tithe. (yes, that means 10%)
3) Show up. Not just Sunday morning. Try at least twice a week, three times if you have time.
4) Get involved. Many hands make light work. Become a servant, not a spectator.
5) Invite other people. If you don’t think our church is worth bringing your friends to, find one that is. If you don’t have any unchurched friends, find some.
6) Love one another (Look up 1 Corinthians 13 if you are unsure what this means).
7) To the best of your ability, come Sunday morning ready to worship.

For my part I promise to do all of the above myself. I also promise (as much as lies within me) to come prepared to any church service that I am preaching or teaching at with teaching that adequately balances sound theology, solid biblical exegesis, and relevant application in an interesting manner (which is not easy by the way) so that you can attend or invite with confidence. I will also, when possible, take as much time as necessary to help those who are going through times where spiritual shepherding is needed (but if you don’t let me know, I can’t read your mind). I also promise to keep my own spiritual house in order lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become shipwrecked and in doing so bring reproach on our Lord and on this church. Biblically, it is my job as a pastor-teacher (along with others) to equip you so that you can do the work of the ministry on order to edify the body of Christ (“And Jesus Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12). To make this happen we need to labor together, and yes, that means work – sometimes through difficult circumstances, but hopefully by God’s power and for His glory.

Respectfully Submitted,
David G. Eddy
Soli Deo Gloria

No Part Lacking

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:19:31 -0700

One of the results of this last year’s leadership conference was that we took a look at how the different ministries at our church work together to fulfill the full mandate of the great commission to make disciples. This is not an easy task, since the natural direction of church activities is most often from the God-empowered making of disciples towards the people-powered sustaining of programs. Here is the foundational passage:

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Although this passage (along with the parallel in Acts 1:8 where Jesus says: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”) has long been used as a rallying cry for the modern missions movement (not inappropriately), it is, at its heart, a call to making disciples wherever the Christian finds himself or herself. I might add that for the original listeners, what is now Washington State would have been just about as end-of-the-earth as things could get.

From this passage we learn that:
1) It Takes Disciples to Make Disciples
2) It Takes God to Make Disciples
3) It Takes Commitment to Be a Disciple
4) It Takes Teaching to Make Disciples
5) It Takes Obedience to Be a Disciple
6) Discipleship is Done in the Presence of Christ

If any one of these parts is lacking the whole discipleship process will fail to achieve what God intends it to accomplish. It is probably safe to say that the failure of most people’s discipleship attempts are a direct result of their lacking one or more of the above criteria. Suffice it to say that discipleship must take place in community, by God’s power, and with a heart that is willing to learn from others and submit to God. Otherwise it is doomed from the beginning to fall short of God’s desire.

Once this has been said, there are certain things that are concrete parts of the disciple-making process that need to be balanced in order to have a church obey the great commission effectively. For convenience I have broken theses into two separate categories: 1) those that help an individual progress from being a lost unbeliever to becoming a mature spiritual leader and 2) those things that are important for all people at all times in their Christian walk if they want to mature in Christ. The first should be more or less done in order (e.g. we should not spend our time equipping pagans to do effective ministry – should they at some point get saved; nor should we put in leadership people who do not have a strong foundation in their walk with the Lord). The second list contains those things that all believers need regardless of maturity.

Making Disciples
1) Evangelism (Helping People to Christ)
2) Assimilation (Helping People to Church)
3) Edification (Helping People to Follow Christ)
4) Equipping (Helping People to Be Ready for Ministry)
5) Leadership (Helping People to Lead Others)

Strengthening Disciples
1) Admonition (Helping People to Stop Sinning)
2) Encouragement (Helping People to Live Faithfully)
3) Education (Helping People to Know What They Believe)
4) Fellowship (Helping People to Build Christian Friendships)
5) Worship (Helping People to Approach God)

At a later date I intend (God willing) to dedicate a blog page to each one of these topics. I believe that the danger facing most churches is that they get good at one or two things from each list and then quit. There are a variety of reasons for this. Everyone prefers to do what they do well. People attend churches that do the things that they like well (and get upset when they see time, effort, and resources going to other things). Often the attitude is taken that there is a church or parachurch organization in town that does the other things well for us and people can go there to get what we lack. (A foot note: a parachurch organization is something that was designed to “come alongside” the church and help them do things that they couldn’t do alone. Included would be most mission boards, evangelistic crusades, youth organizations, Christian seminars, Christian conference centers, Christian counseling centers, Christian schools, and theological seminaries. I do not object to these groups filling special needs, especially the extreme needs or the needs that require extensive special training; it is when the church quits doing it’s own job in the wake of parachurch organizations that there is something wrong: to not evangelize because Billy Graham has done the job for you is just not right.) If we want to see discipleship done (even better: done well) we will need to make sure that we are doing the above tasks. Not every program or meeting can be expected to do all of them simultaneously (the best way to accomplish nothing is to try to accomplish everything immediately), but as a whole, what we do as a church should at different times and in different places meet the needs of those honestly seeking to be disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Once a Year Whether We Need It Or Not

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:56:44 -0700

Another slice (or should we say “more slices”?) from the archive. I have a strange relationship with semi-annual business reports; they are a work of love, but also a work of panic. Much of the time the people who really need to hear them are not there at the meeting where they are presented. Once a year I am supposed to present a “pastor’s report” for the congregation (something like a short “state of the union address”). Some pastors report how many visits they have made, how many sermons they have preached, how many people they have baptized, and or how many programs they have started. I on the other hand usually talk about what is on my heart. These reports provide a perspective on both the history of the church and my philosophy of ministry. Inevitably I read all of my past reports before writing the new one. So I bundle them together for a blog entry just incase anyone loves this kind of thing as much as I do .

One last aside before the reports themselves: These are the notes from which I read and speak. This means that the actual reports as heard by the congregation are longer. So if you think you can skip the meeting and check the blog later...forget it!

2000 (my first report as a Senior Pastor)

Semi-Annual Report of the Pastor: David Eddy

Is it May again already? It seems only a month ago that I was writing my last semi-annual report, and yet when I consider all that has transpired in the last year, I am amazed that it all happened in a mere twelve months. Some highlights of the year as seen from the pastor’s pulpit and study:

1. Pastor Jackson retired in November. I have some big shoes to fill and have missed Donn as a close-by model, mentor, and pastor. Although being a Senior pastor is in some ways very similar to being an Associate, in many ways it is very different. Questions surface: Can I be the source of vision and leadership that our church needs? Will I be able to balance properly the many demands on my time? Will I ever get used to being called Pastor Eddy? As Les Hough once said, “There is a time for every apprentice to become a journeyman.” Please pray for me as I go through this process.

2. We have a new secretary, Mary Seick, who has been an invaluable asset in organizing the offices and many of the general functions of our church. We also have new computers and accessories which, along with an excellent secretary, have allowed me to devote the extra time that I need for the increased study load of preaching three services weekly.

3. This year we had a “leadership retreat” for the leadership positions of our church. At this meeting we discussed the mission and responsibilities of each group and how that group would specifically fulfill its mission in the upcoming year.

4. We have paired up the Elders and Deacons to make four groups for a more organized oversight of the church congregation. This provides a specific contact person for anyone who has a spiritual or financial need.

5. As noted in the trustee report, many projects have been accomplished (and many are still in the works). Our church has been greatly blessed with faithful giving, which has translated into improvements in our church buildings and grounds. Thank-you, trustees for providing the leadership in this area, and in getting so much done.

6. We have experienced an influx of visitors whom we would like to make regulars.
To do this we have come up with the following strategy:

• Welcome Packets (thank you Mary Seick)
• Welcome Letters
• Elder/Deacon responsibilities for follow-up
• Contacting AWANA/VBS/MCA families with programs and events of interest
• Picture Directory

We would appreciate help in the following areas:

• A friendly face Sunday morning
• Hospitality
• A church body that has a positive atmosphere that says: “welcome, we love you, and we are glad that you are here”
• Learn peoples names and use them (picture directory)

I might add that these things will do more than encourage visitors, they will encourage the body.

7. As of June 1st Carol and I will be moving into a new house and although this will not be a big change for the church, it will be a big change for us.

8. We are also looking forward to Jonathan Michael and his family sojourning at Manchester as he goes to seminary in Tacoma. Even though Jonathan will primarily be a student, I believe that the church will greatly benefit from his ministry while he is here with us.

It has been a good year and a full year. I have been encouraged, blessed, and stretched by the opportunity to minister here at Manchester as your pastor. I close with two quotes (how pastoral can you get?):

The first is to you as my congregation:
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

The second is to our Lord:
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

Respectfully Submitted,

David G. Eddy

2001

Semi Annual Report of the Pastor 2001

What an encouragement it is to be a pastor at Manchester Community Church. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the church for their many faceted support for Carol, the kids, and me as we minister among you. After a year and a half of facing the problems, pressures and pleasures of being senior pastor I have to admit that there is nowhere that I would rather be than shepherding among my family and friends here at Manchester.

As you have listened to the other reports you probably noticed that there is a lot going on within the church ministry. There are many things to be excited about as a member (much more as a leader) of this church. Our church is growing, our budget is growing, our school is growing, our choir is growing, our youth programs are growing, our people are growing, and I praise the Lord. One of the challenges that we have as a church is how to face this growth, accommodate for it, and nurture it. Last year I spoke of our need for hospitality - the need remains and if anything has increased with our numbers. The words of Peter the apostle stand as a key (perhaps the key) to living as a community of faith in the last days: And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:8-10).

At the surface level we can (and should) appreciate and even enjoy where we are as a church. We should also however, beware of complacency and stagnation. Looking at where we are right now, it seems that as a church, we are on the threshold of something wonderful: being in a position to do great things for God. The question is, how to get out of the “threshold” and into the “great things.” I believe that there are four doors that we have to go through as a church body to truly benefit from and sustain our God-ward momentum. We have begun this process (as those in leadership positions have seen) and we will emphasize this process over the next twelve months. Here I raise the questions that we will be attempting to answer as church.

Vision: What are we here to do? Of all the things we could be doing, which should we be doing? If our ultimate vision is the glory, presence, and pleasure of Christ, what do we do to realize that vision and encourage one another to be moving in the same direction in the process.

Communication: Who does what? When, Why, and How? Who do you tell that you are doing what you are doing? If my right foot wants to walk to Port Orchard along Beach Drive, but my left foot prefers Mile Hill I have a problem. If there is no communication I have paralysis.

Growth: If our church grows by the growth of the individuals within the church, the growth question is: how do we grow as individuals? How do we achieve and encourage spiritual fruit? An orchard that has no tree (or even only a few trees) bearing fruit is an infertile orchard. An orchard in which every tree bears fruit (even if it is only a modest amount) is a fertile orchard.
An aside on growth: What about the numbers? Raw numbers are easier to measure, but harder to evaluate. To reuse the orchard metaphor: A thousand acre orchard filled with fruitless trees is worthless, a ten acre orchard filled with fruitful trees is precious, but a thousand acre orchard filled with fruitful trees is priceless.

Grace: How do we make sure that in all that we do we are receiving and releasing the grace of God? Paul used a phrase that should resonate within everything that a biblical church attempts to do: For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. This is the “Christ Factor” without which we are only so many people doing so many things for so many reasons. With it we are the power of God that transforms the world.

Respectfully submitted,
David G. Eddy

2002

Semi Annual Report of the Pastor 2002

I have a book in my library that has a picture of an old church building on its front cover. The building is beautiful and imposing, complete with gothic stone architecture, huge oak doors, stained glass windows, and a soaring spire. At the side of the building on a small sign the words are written “Old Church Hotel, Fully Licensed.” In contemplating this picture, one wonders what happened at this location. Did the body grow too big for the building, or did the building grow too big for the body? Either way, it is a reminder to us that churches are living organisms: they are born, they grow, they get sick, and sometimes they die. In this report I want to look at our church from a pastor’s point of view. How are we doing in the overall scope of things? In the body life of our congregation, are we thriving, or merely surviving?

Past
To begin with I would like to look at the past. Our church is now 88 years old, older than most (if not all) of those in this room. We are carrying on the work of those who have gone before us. Pastors, Elders, Sunday School teachers, home Bible study leaders, AWANA workers, and MCA school teachers have cared for the spiritual condition of the members of our church. Trustees, work party attenders, all those who have donated their time or donated their money have contributed to the physical condition of our buildings. Mothers and Fathers have raised their children in the “fear and admonition of the Lord,” some of whom are still here, others are contributing members of the churches they now attend. We now reap the benefits of their efforts and we have a lot to be thankful for.

Present
To determine the “health” of our church we must also look at the present. To gauge what is new and what is noteworthy and to consider whether these things are pleasing to the Lord.
David Clayton is new, as is Margaret Armstrong. Soon we will have a new baby Minshull, baby Drennen, Rashmi Franklin, and a newly adopted Mahan. It is a blessing to be in a church where children are considered a blessing instead of a cursing from the Lord. When little ones cry out in church I always thank God for them and the potential that they represent. Even when they are little Eddys.
The Dan Cagle Family is a new addition. It was about this time last year that we voted to call Dan to a position on our pastoral staff. As a seminary student, Dan has to divide his time between family, class, studies, work, and church. As one who has seen his ministry up close among us, I am very pleased with how things are working out.
We also have many new “newcomers.” Please remember that these people need to be loved, encouraged, included, and sometimes evangelized. Our welcome and friendliness is an incredibly important part of the life and health of our church.
Also new this year are our Leadership Meetings which are held on the first sunday afternoon of each month. These meetings are intended to create vision for our church as a whole and facilitate communication between the various ministries within our church. I would like to thank all those who have attended and encourage others to come. These are open meetings where we discuss issues that are crucial to our church. As an example, next month we are considering capital improvement projects and how to prioritize our church building expenditures (additions, bathrooms, carpets, chairs, lighting, new buildings, pavement, retention ponds, roofs, etc.).
In the works for this summer, is a special parenting class to reach the needs of young or not-so-young families that need help in strategic biblical parenting. This will take place on seven Thursdays sometime this summer.

I would also like to give an update on some of our major projects.
• Video Projector: Ready to purchase.
• New Building: Major (but not insurmountable) roadblock with county.
Water Retention
60/40 Rule
• Sanctuary Renovation: New fund.
I would be remiss in the consideration of the new and noteworthy at MCC if I did not mention the phenomenal growth and ministry of our Choir and Academy. I would like to specifically thank Claud and Doug for their leadership in these areas as well as everyone here who is involved in these programs.

Future
When I speak of the future, many will assume that more projects rooted in the past and building from the present will be the subject at hand. But, while “programs” and “projects” are important, they do not make or break a church. People make or break a church. Because of this, I would like to take a different tangent in considering our future.
Our future, what ever the specific form, is pointless if it does not come from (and result in) growth through grace and godliness.
A church can grow in several ways:
Grow Cold:
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:12
Grow Weary:
But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 2Thessalonians 3:13
Grow Wanton:
They have begun to grow wanton against Christ. 1Timothy 5:11
Grow Worse and Worse:
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2Timothy 3:13
Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2Peter 3:18

For those who have read reports for their boards and bodies, are your goals (thus “our” goals) consistent with “growth through grace and godliness”? For all of us, are we availing ourselves to God’s grace to grow in godliness? Are we encouraging others to grow in the same direction? As a Pastor - with Dan and the other Elders, this is our job and our goal. As a Church we must fulfill the mandate of Paul in Philippians 3:

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13,14

We have not arrived, but I believe that we are striving in the right direction. If we continue doing this as a body we will thrive and not just survive.

Respectfully submitted,

Pastor David G. Eddy

2003

Pastor’s Report
Semi-Annual Business Meeting
5/13/03

This has been a great year of ministry at Manchester Community Church. I would like to take the time to thank each one of you for the time and energy that you put into our church. We have a wonderful opportunity each week to make a difference for Christ in our lives and the lives of those around us. There are many programs in a church like ours, we have heard the reports from many of them. There are many tasks that need to be done, some are seen by many, some are only known by God. But there is only one mandate toward which each program and task should be pointed: to make disciples. To bring sinners to the gracious salvation of Jesus Christ and then assist them to become conformed to His perfect image. This is no small task. Indeed, aside from Christ working in us, it is an impossible task.
So I stop to ask some questions: How am I doing in this task? How are we doing in this task? How are you doing in this task? This past year, our Sunday morning sermons have been from the book of John. My intention has been to make sure that the gospel message of salvation is a reoccurring topic as we move through this most “evangelistic” of the four gospels. Please pray with me that the Lord will use these messages to bring the lost into a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please feel free to bring family, friends, and acquaintances that need to know Christ. Although I cannot claim dazzling delivery or cutting edge intellectual sophistication, it is my goal to make every sermon worthy of the biblical passage at hand and faithful to the testimony of the cross.
As we work together to make disciples let’s remember that God has placed us all in the body for a reason. Each one of us should have the goal of doing what God has given us to do; to do it well and for His glory. If I may be so bold, let me ask, what are you doing that will make a difference for God’s kingdom? Can you tell the person sitting next to you? Are you excited about it? Or are you floundering, struggling to find your place of ministry? Putting in your time until something better comes along? The early church turned the world upside down because they knew it was the most important thing that they could possibly be doing. Please pray with me that the Lord will light a fire in the hearts of our people and change the world around us because of it.
While I am already asking blunt questions, how is your personal Christian growth doing? If you were to plot your growth in Christ over the last five years, which way would the line slope? It is impossible for us to make disciples of others if we are not daily sitting at the feet of Christ ourselves. Are you in the Word? Are you in prayer? Are you having victory over sin in your life? Are we prepared to help others? Or are we looking for others to help us? It is my greatest desire to be a part of a church that is really growing spiritually. There is a spiritual inertia that is formed when a significant number within a group of Christians is serious about their walk, willing to sacrifice the passing pleasures of this world for the incomprehensible riches of the next.
To those who are actively participating in the work of Christ (and only you know who you are), I say don’t grow weary in well doing. For those who are not I say, get your focus on Christ, anything else is just so much wood hay and stubble. To all of us I quote: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

2004

Pastor’s Report
Semi-Annual Business Meeting
5/25/04

We are half way through what has been a remarkable year, full of high points and low points. Because you have already had a report on MCA, I will not go into all the details about my own involvement except to say that I think that this has been a growing experience for all those who have been a part of the “clean up” team. I am so thankful for each of the members of the school board who have spent countless hours in board meetings, and at school – filling the gap that was left after the departure of Doug Garland. Please keep praying for our school and it’s need for an administrator, the Lord has made it clear that this is an important ministry for our church. He has also made clear that it is essential for our school be run right. It seems that the greater a program’s potential to do good, the greater it’s potential to have trouble. I look forward to see what the Lord is up to and am convinced that, with or with out the school, our church will be stronger because of what we have gone through this year.

One thing that has made this whole process bearable is that, apart from the administration of our school, the church has been doing amazingly well. Consider the following outward indications of our church’s health:

- Attendance is up (there are 240 people in the new directory).
- Tithing is up (over $600 a month on average since the beginning of the year).
- The choir sounds awesome.
- Impact has found a good night on which to meet.
- The deacons are hard pressed to find needs for the abundance of their funds.
- We have added two new missionary families to our support list (one of whom grew up at MCC).
- The main meeting auditorium has had a face lift and we have a bid in on new speakers.
- We have new hymnals.
- We had the pleasure of seeing Adam and Kirsten Shelton married.
- Two Eddy children, along with three Angels and a Cambell were baptized this year.
- Many individuals in the church funded the purchase of a new (2003) 12 passenger van for the Eddy Jr. tribe.
- We are six months closer to the return of Christ and the Rapture of the church.
- After 2 + years, we are almost done with our series on the Gospel of John.
- In the last year, we have had 6 new babies born into the church including another little Eddy.
- Among these new additions, Don and Emily Hageman presented Bruce and Becky Hageman with their first grandchild (as well as a first nephew for various Hageman uncles).

Besides all of this, I have seen continuing (sometimes precipitous, sometimes gradual) spiritual growth in the lives of many who are a part of our church.
As you can see, between the school and the church, this year has been something of a roller coaster. Despite this (or perhaps because of this), it is imperative that we as a church body stay focused (isn’t it, after all, the great temptation when on a roller coaster to close your eyes and/or throw your hands up into the air, and/or scream?). In our lives individually – as well as corporately – I feel that we must remember some basic principles that, when followed, will make a church pleasing in God’s eyes:

- “The Church” consists of people, not programs.
- “The Church” grows one priceless, eternal soul at a time.
- “Church Growth” is measured by spiritual maturity, not by numbers.
- The Bible must always remain at the center of all that we do as a church.
- The only way to keep the Bible at the center of our Church life is to make it the center of our personal lives.
- Prayer is our greatest spiritual resource; it should be employed before, during, and after all that is done in the name of Christ.
- Christian love should season all that we do as a community of faith.
- The best way to raise a new generation of powerful believers is to have strong families, the best way to have strong families is to have strong marriages, the best way to have strong marriages is to have husbands who love their wives like Christ loves the church, and to have wives who love their husbands like the church loves Christ.
- The raising of Godly children begins in the home, not at MCA, VBS, AWANA, Sunday School, or Impact.
- Mankind looks on outward appearances, but God looks on the heart.
- At the end of the day, it is not whether I am pleased with what has happened, or that you are pleased with what has happened, but that God is pleased by what has happened.

So despite this year’s ups and downs, we can see that God is still at work. May He (at the end of the day) be pleased. May He receive all of the glory for it.

Respectfully submitted,

David G. Eddy
Pastor
Soli Deo Gloria

2005

Pastor’s Report for the 2005 Semi-Annual Business Meeting

This is the sixth year for me to give a semi-annual pastor’s report, and I find it hard to believe just how quickly the time flies by us! What a strange and wonderful thing it is to be about the Lord’s business. It has been such a pleasure to shepherd Christ’s flock another year at Manchester Community Church. Once again, I am both awed and inspired by the hand of the Lord working in His church and through His people.

Why do I feel so blessed? Why should you join with me in thanking our God for His unmitigated goodness? Let me recount some of the highlights of the year from my own personal (pastoral) perspective:

Eric Blossey
Last year I wrote in my semi-annual report:
Please keep praying for our school and it’s need for an administrator, the Lord has made it clear that this is an important ministry for our church. He has also made clear that it is essential for our school be run right. It seems that the greater a program’s potential to do good, the greater it’s potential to have trouble. I look forward to see what the Lord is up to and am convinced that, with or with out the school, our church will be stronger because of what we have gone through this year.
What we needed was “the right man” to lead an essential part of our overall church ministry. Eric Blossey is that man. And our church is stronger because he has taken up the challenge of leading our school. We owe him our thanks (and our continuing prayers).

Tony Sanchz
Tony Sanchz has done a great job as Missions Chairman since taking over the position last year. He brings energy and enthusiasm to the job and the church has already greatly benefited from his ideas and leadership. Now would be a wonderful time for anyone who has (or would like to have) an interest in missions to get involved.

The Deacons
This year there was an extreme need for a reliable vehicle for one of the families in the church. Our deacons had the privilege of meeting this need. For me, this situation was a perfect picture of the Body of Christ in action. The generosity of God’s people, the wisdom of appointed leadership, special help at just the right time (thanks to Rusty), and an act of faith to spend more than the deacons have ever spent on any single project. Way to go guys (Gary, Joe, Don, Jim, and Mitch)! I’m blessed again every time I think about it.

Marta Faith
Numero ocho. Our newest lady. God’s wee sweet arrow for the Eddy family’s well stocked quiver. As I sit typing these words with one hand, so as to better use the other in pinning Marta, a squirmy (and upset) congregant, to my shoulder, I am well aware that many other churches would never countenance this extravagance of children. Thank you for putting up with (and loving) all ten of us. It is wonderful to be in a church where children are seen as a true blessing rather than a troublesome inconvenience (even though it is DIFFICULT to capitalize words with only one hand).

Max Dill
Just last month, Carol’s grandfather went to be with the Lord! This is no mere euphemism for death, but a proclamation of God’s grace and the power of persistent prayer.

Much, much more could be said. Frank has been putting our financial ducks into order as our new treasurer (or, perhaps, herding our financial cats into roughly the same direction would be a more apt metaphor). Don and Jan Jackson are back (with grandkids!). We will sorely miss Jim and Bonnie Riffenburg. The church’s generosity has been proven again and again with special needs at the school and a mid-year financial gift for the Cagle family. All of this on top of steady growth: numerically, financially, and spiritually. I hope you appreciate, as I do, what a tremendous blessing it is to be a part of this, your church.

Besides reminiscing on times past, I would like to take this opportunity to think about the year to come. How can we as a body prepare to be better, more effective servants of the Lord? At previous semi-annual business meetings I have written to encourage hospitality, friendliness, personal Bible study, and stronger families (to name just a representative few). I take this moment to remind you of these themes because they are all tremendously important. But this year we are beginning a study of the book of Acts on Sunday mornings and so I draw today’s “word of encouragement” from what we will be studying in depth through the upcoming year: The Witness of the Believer. There are three areas in which “witness” should play a part in the daily life of the Christian:

1. Have You Witnessed Christ in Yourself?
The greatest danger of the Christian walk is not apostasy, but stagnation. When was the last time that you met with the Lord? When was the last time He confronted you about your life choices? When was the last time you did something for God or man and realized that what had been accomplished was not you but Christ in you?

2. Have Others Witnessed Christ in You?
We are epistles written, not with ink, but by the Spirit of the Living God. How clearly is the gospel written on our hearts? When we proclaim Christ do our lives back up our words? Or, are we afraid to proclaim Christ because we know they don’t?

3. Do We Witness Christ to Others?
When was the last time you told an unbeliever about the need for a personal relationship with Christ? The seed that fell on good soil produced some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, and some a hundred-fold. Every day we pass by multitudes of white fields…has the Lord of the Harvest opened our eyes to the harvest?

I would like to have at least seven events this year that are specifically targeted at our unbelieving neighbors. Will you help in this emphasis? Dare we twiddle our spiritual thumbs while the world is rushing headlong in its mad dash towards an eternity in hell?

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21-6:2

Respectfully submitted,
David G. Eddy
Soli Deo Gloria

2006

Pastor’s Report for the 2006 Semi-Annual Business Meeting

First, let me begin my report by saying that I do not know if I will ever get used to the way that the Lord works in our lives! I wish that I did, because it would make my job as pastor (and our job as a church) much, much easier. It is good to remember that God is dependable but not necessarily predictable.

A part of my mind recognizes that God’s thoughts are well above our thoughts and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55); that God’s “foolishness” will always far surpass man’s greatest “wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1). As Paul puts it in Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Because this exclamation is true, our best plan is to recognize that God exists beyond our feeble desires to box Him into a corner, and not get worked up in our attempts to know and understand everything. We truly need to “be still and know that He is God.”

And yet, another part of me glories in the struggle of searching for the unsearchable. Realizing that God’s wisdom and knowledge are both infinitely deep and immeasurably rich makes the process of knowing Him worthwhile. The joy of the Christian walk is not found in plumbing the depths of God and His ways, but in knowing that they are immeasurable. Although it is impossible to completely understand God’s vastness, I am comforted that we can find complete rest in it. So, though I wish that I knew all of the answers to the questions that come up in church life, I can find contentment that my job is not to know the answers, but to strive to know and serve the One who does. “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;/Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).

Why do I begin my report with this somewhat philosophical thought? Because it is natural when we encounter change and uncertainty to want to know all the facts and to have all the answers. We, all to often, bring our great ideas and wonderful plans to the table for discussion and assume that God must already completely agree with us. My report this year is going to be a little different, because I believe that our church is at a critical point in its development; and in a real sense, the choice is ours whether we will follow God’s agenda for our church or our own. Here are some of the decisions we have to face:

- Do we continue to have a private school?
- Do we want to have a Hispanic ministry in our church?
- Do we need an Assistant Pastor immediately?
- If so, who? If not, when?
- Who do we replace the Dalton family with as supported missionaries?
- How do the Elders, the Executive Board, and the Congregation relate to each other in the nominating and electing of new leadership?
- If we need money for MCA from whom do we take it?
- Does the recent budget shortfalls indicate a trend that we need to do something about, or is it just a seasonal blip?
- Do we allow electric drums in our services for special music type performances?

I do not have all the answers to these questions, nor should I (although I have some opinions). We must decide these things as a body, and we must do it right, if we want God to bless us. Before we answer these questions, I believe that we need to be reminded of some principles that we will need if we are going to truly pursue God’s plan for our church:
1) We must be biblical. If God’s word speaks clearly on a subject, we must follow it. It is more important than our opinions, our traditions, our constitution, or even the laws of our nation.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Acts 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

2) We must be loving. If we do not exhibit the love of Christ in all that we do, we are no more than a social club meeting for our own convenience to fulfill our own agenda.
1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
1 Peter 3:8, 9 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

3) We must be growing. Not numerically (although it’s nice when that happens), but spiritually. When King David stopped going out to war to fight the Lord’s battles, he laid himself open to temptation, and the sin that would forever mar his spiritual record.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

4) We must be about the work of evangelism. The task of the church is to make disciples (which involves growing in Christ), but discipleship begins with salvation. Christ came to seek and to save the lost. We must have the heart of Christ in this, or we will not be achieving the full goal God has for His church.
2 Corinthians 5:21-6:2 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

5) We must be orderly. God’s business is too important to be done in a slip-shod manner.
1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
Part of this orderliness is to know the direction God wants us to go as a church and follow it in a focused and timely manner. As we face several decisions tonight, I believe that it would be good to assess some of the activities that will (or would) practically increase our ability to move forward positively as a church, activities that will take effort now, but will be a substantial help to our church in the future. I also believe that considering these will help us as we assess the current issues and attempt to make God-pleasing decisions.

Foundational Activities That We Are Now Doing
These can always be improved, but I would say we are at least “adequate” in the following areas:
1) Bible Study and Application
2) Prayer
3) Worship
4) Fellowship
5) Maintaining our Facilities (almost adequate)

Foundational Activities That We Are Not Adequately Doing
We may be doing some of these a little, but I would say that we are “inadequate” in the following areas:
1) A Functioning CE Board
2) Specific Leadership Training (for those already in leadership positions)
3) General Leadership Training (for those who should be in leadership positions–esp. men)
4) Evangelism Training
5) Worldview Training
6) Tapping the Potential of Homeschooling Families*
(* a note: from 2006 Picture Directory based on next year’s plans: Public Schooled: 4 Families/
Private Schooled: 1 Family/Home Schooled: 14 Families/Mixed: 3 Families)
7) Time to Finish My ThM Degree

One of the trends that I have seen is the tendency for our leadership (in which I include myself) to spend more time putting out fires than building a foundation for the future of our church. This is not a criticism, it is just one of those things that naturally happens when you don’t actively keep it from happening. It is also what happens when those not in leadership are more ready to shout “Fire!” than to ask “How can I help?” We are all partly to blame and therefore can all be a part of the solution.

We are at a point where several critical decisions have to be made one way or another. If we do not follow the guidelines that we know are good and right in making them, there will be (to use a phrase that the world has badly misused) hell to pay. Brothers and sisters, we owe hell nothing and heaven everything. I am convinced that together we can make the right decisions, if we look to God and not to ourselves for our direction.

As I finish my report I have one last scripture passage for your consideration. It is Psalm 32:8, 9 which says:
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,

The faithful beast of burden does what the master says but does not care to understand why. The faithful servant leaps to do his masters desire with the slightest look because he understands what will be wanted next. How does the servant know? He has been taught the ways of the master by years of thoughtful obedience. God’s word admonishes us to be more like the servant and less like the beast. It is true that we will never fully understand God because He is too great for our finite minds, but what a glory it is to learn from Him and what a privilege to struggle and grow to be more like Christ our Lord.

Respectfully Submitted,
David G. Eddy

2007

Pastor’s Report for the 2007 Semi-Annual Business Meeting

It has been a privilege to serve another year as the pastor of Manchester Community Church. It has been an even greater privilege to serve (to use Paul’s phrase) as a “fellow-laborer” together with you in the work of the Lord. This may seem like a strange distinction, but it is, I believe, a necessary one. I am honored that the members of this church called me to be a pastor and (more or less) look to me for leadership, listen to me when I preach, and come to me when they need encouragement. To study God’s word, to proclaim God’s message, to pray for God’s people, and to spend time with you in the home, at the hospital, or at church, is not just a privilege, but the joy of my life.
Honestly, being a pastor is often a very difficult job; but I am convinced that it is the best job in the world. What makes my own job as pastor so wonderful is that we as a church have a wonderful ministry. I hear weekly from those who are blessed by our church, either as a member/regular attendee or as a guest. What an encouragement it is to see newer fruit planted and older fruit come to maturity, laboring in the Lord’s vineyard. By far, the greatest number of the things that make this church great are not what “I” do as a pastor but what “we” do as the Body of Christ. It is this idea, of us working together, that I want to use as a backdrop for my report this year. I want to look at where we are today as a church in order to see how we can grow as a body to be more like Christ. With this in mind, there are a few topics that I have grouped my report around for easier presentation. They are: Ministries, Youth, Changes, People, and Places.

Ministries
You have heard many reports tonight. There are many opportunities in which to be involved in the life of our church. If you are here tonight (which I assume means you are interested in our church) you should be involved in some of them. Make sure that your ministries of service are in balance with those of being served. God did not save us to pickle us and put us on a shelf to look at us. Instead, we were saved for good works Paul tells us, “…we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Youth
I have heard some say that we are an “aging church.” I would like to give you some statistics from history by way of our church directories:
In the 2007 directory there are:
79 “families”
241 “faces”
24 families have kids/80 are kids (or 30% of the families 33% of the people)
In 2001:
75 “families”
220 “faces”
28 families have kids/86 are kids (or 37% of the families 39% of the people)
In 1994:
59 “families”
210 “faces”
27 families have kids/97 are kids (or 45% of the families and 46% of the people)

Though we have fewer children involved in our ministry today than 13 years ago (as a raw number as well as a percent), they still make up a third of our church. To me, this tells us two things: first, we do not need to despair (we have and will have many kids for years to come); and second, we need to make sure that we continue to have a family friendly church that respects, nourishes, and encourages our young people and their parents.

Changes
As always, there are many changes to be considered for our church. Some changes will be implemented, some will be thoughtfully rejected. We have on the agenda some changes to consider tonight. When we change things we need to keep in mind that change is always hard and that with the perfect balance of change, half the church will say we have changed too much, while the other half will say we did not change enough. Or, (more realistically?) everybody will say we change too much in some areas, but not enough in others. When we consider change we need to remember not to change just for change’s sake, nor to keep the status quo just for comfort’s sake. All change should be made if and only if it betters the spiritual growth of our church as a body.

People
In the midst of everything else we need to remember that we are a body of people, not a calendar of programs. God works in and through people to accomplish His ends. Jesus said that man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man and the same could be said about programs in the church. We are here for people. As you come to church (or go from church) remember it’s people that matter most to God. What kind of people?: hurt people, stressed people, sick people, angry people, sad people, happy people, overly enthusiastic people, discouraged people, joyous people, victorious people, defeated people, emotionally numb people, emotionally sensitive people, kind people, giving people, taking people, loud people, quiet people–but all of them people: made in God’s image, marred by sin and rebellion, destined for an eternity with or apart from God. To love God without loving people is like trying to clap with just one hand.

Places
So where do people change? Where does ministry take place? You know the answer: it is wherever Christ is, which means wherever the Christian is. How then can we use the places Christians find themselves to touch people?
In the Church: Our facilities need to be maintained, or better: lovingly cared for as an expression of our love for God and His people. There are two main ways that this can happen: large investments of time or large investments of money. Either way, it requires sacrifice. When at church, try to greet visitors and “newer” people. Seek out those who need encouragement. Love one another.
In the Home: Be a family if you have a family. As a nation, our families are far too segmented and fractured. How can we raise our children to love God, or love our spouse as Christ loves the church (or vise versa) if we do not spend significant time together? Turn off the TV, unplug the computer and enjoy one another. Also, we need to be practicing hospitality as a way of being kindly affectionate to one another (If you don’t believe me, look up Romans 12:10-13).
In the World: We are to be in the world but not of the world. We are not to be conformed to this world, but instead we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). When we are changed, we can see the world transformed too. The world desperately needs hope. God uses us to show the world true hope in Jesus Christ.

As I conclude I want to mention that this has been a very tough, stressful year for me, personally. Many people don’t think pastors have bad days, much less bad weeks, or bad years, even though somewhere in the back of their mind they recognize pastors are people too. Yet, this has also been a year of much growth as I learn to rely on God’s strength, and not my own. We don’t have to be perfect people (or a perfect church) but we do need to be available to let the Lord lead us as He sees best. I look forward to another year of the Lord working among us as we work together for His glory.

Respectfully Submitted,
David G. Eddy

2008 ....coming soon to an AWANA room near you.... (but will probably receive its own blog)

Home Grown

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:49:39 -0800

One of the questions that I am commonly asked is “How long have you been at Manchester Community Church?” Because I grew up in our church, this poses an interesting dilemma. Do I say, “just under 30 years”: which would seem weird when probably the question they are asking is “How long have you been Senior Pastor?” (and I am only 36 as of this writing). Or do I say “since 1993” which was when I started seminary and became an “Assistant Pastor in training” (sometime ask me why the lower case “t” was important at the time). Or perhaps I could go back to 1996 when I was ordained...or 1999 when I became Senior Pastor. All good choices, depending on what the real question was.

Inevitably, this brings up a second question: “Isn’t it really tough to preach and lead at the church where you grew up?” The more biblically grounded have even asked, “doesn’t the Bible say that a prophet is without honor in his own country?” I have even known those who feel it is inappropriate for a pastor to shepherd the church that he grew up in and use this text as their justification in reaching this conclusion. It is this concern that I will try to answer in this blog.

The fullest version of this saying is found in Mark 6:4: But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
Why did Jesus say this? What does it mean? I want to begin with what it does not mean:

1. This does not mean: “It is not honorable to be a prophet in his own country…”
Jesus spent most of his years of ministry in and around Nazareth where he grew up. If being around those who already knew Him was less than the best, Jesus would not have done it.

2. This does not mean: “Ministry is not possible among a prophet’s own people…” either.
In John 4, Jesus performs a notable miracle just after mentioning the lack of honor for a prophet in their home town.
Although Jesus was ignored and at times even slighted by his family, after His resurrection, Jesus made a special appearance to His brothers, one of whom (James) became a great leader in the early church.

3. Perhaps most importantly: This does not mean: “A pastor is not without honor except in his own country, among his relatives, and in his own house.”
There is an important difference between a pastor (elder/bishop) and a prophet. The prophet was to be the mouthpiece of God – to proclaim new revelation to God’s people in a specific situation. When the people did not want to hear this message the response was usually persecution, sometimes death. Add to this the natural feelings of “who does this whipper-snapper think that he is…I’ve known him since he was in diapers! (or the New Testament equivalent)” and the result is a lack of respect: “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:54-56) Unlike the typical prophet, a pastor is called to explain and to live (an important form of explanation) the word of God to his people.

A prophet (in the Old Testament sense) mostly declares the judgment of God to people who do not desire to follow Him (note Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc.) A pastor mostly declares the desire of God to a people who love Him and desire to follow Him. These are two completely different roles. A prophet in his own home may not have the best reception, but a pastor at his home church has a unique position of knowledge and trust.

For me personally, ministering at the church in which I grew up has been a huge blessing. There has never been a “me” vs. “them” attitude between myself and the elders (translate “deacons” in a Baptist context). I already know most of the people’s strengths, weaknesses, gifts, desires for the church, and expectations for their pastor. Plus they trust me because they know me. My history is their history.

One last consideration, in the New Testament the passages that discuss the ordination of elders/pastors, the assumption appears to be that these men will be chosen from the church that knows them and that they will remain there (Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:22; Titus 1:5). “Missionary” appointments (e.g. Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:2,3) are never called pastors/elders; and when they are set apart they are set apart to go, not stay.

This does not mean that everybody has to go the route that I have chosen and stay at the church where they grew up. I am sure that many really good things could be said for going where no one knows your past (especially if it demonstrably detracts from your present). I believe that the wise pastor will do whatever he can to hear God’s special call to a specific location and to diligently and lovingly serve wherever God puts him.