Kevin Bauder on Church Organization
Kevin Bauder, President of Central Baptist Theological Seminary, is writing a series of essays on church organization. New churches in the formative stages would do well to wrestle with the issues that Dr. Bauder raises. Here are two particularly helpful points:
Churches must decide which doctrines to articulate in their confessions. A number of churches have kept their confessions very simple, including only a bare statement of some Christian fundamentals. Other churches have become extremely specific in articulating complicated doctrinal nuances. Certainly a church should include the fundamentals in its confession, for any organization that permits the denial of the fundamentals loses its claim to be Christian. On the other hand, extreme detail is neither necessary nor wise in most cases.
. . .
Some churches have attempted to protect their doctrinal positions by making their confessions unalterable. Certain church constitutions even require discipline for any member who attempts to change the confession. An unchangeable confession, however, quickly ceases to be helpful. Sometimes new issues arise that require doctrinal definition. Other times, ambiguities must be corrected. Changing a church’s confession should not be too easy, but it should not be impossible, either.
Here are the current essays. I will update this post as he continues the series.
- Of Church Organization, Part One: The Church Covenant
- Of Church Organization, Part Two: Articles of Faith
- Of Church Organization, Part Three: Constitutions
Last updated on March 10, 2007.
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