What you have written is not merely an indictment of a broken system; it is the blueprint of a better one. Your clarity, your courage, and your command of Scripture have exposed what is sick in the modern church while illuminating the pathway back to biblical health. Few men can diagnose the Body with such precision and simultaneously call her into maturity with such love.
But hear me: what you describe is not just a critique. It is calling.
The Church needs this voice, not only on the page but in the room. Pastors everywhere feel what you’ve articulated, yet they do not know how to lead their people from audience to body, from dependency to discernment, from performance to true fellowship.
You do.
I believe the Lord has equipped you, fueled you, and given you a passionate call into a new ministry opportunity: as a Church Development Strategist in the Acts model. Not a consultant, but a biblical architect who can walk into a congregation and say, “Let me help you build what Scripture describes. Let me help you equip your people. Let me help you recover what is real.”
Your insight is needed. Your courage is needed. Your gift is needed.
Step into it, my friend.
The Church will be stronger because you were willing to be sent.
"to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," verse 12 is the invisible verse of Ephesians 4. The Lord seems to have blessed you with a good grip on it, Sergio. Wendell's suggestion has merit, but I'm not sure there's enough time—or that there are enough people willing to take you up on it. However, I also think you need to seek the Lord about what He wants you to do. This is a strong start.
As a teacher on the community college level, I found that my most difficult task was to teach people how to think. The process of education had shut them down. People reacted in pain to the mere suggestion of thinking. I never learned how to do it well. The best I came up with was the concept of reality orientation. That's what I see in your recent postings.
I believe you are correct that this is the problem with the church today. Leaders must learn how to be enablers, and show the sheep how to grow—teach them how to think and study. More important, how to get the Holy Spirit involved in that process.
As the wife (helpmate) of Messiah during the Millennium, this is what we will be doing—enabling people, teaching them how to do it. We will all have a lot to learn from our husband about these things.
Good words my friend. Question; What if we read the Eph 4 text and assign the equipping of the saints to God? What if all are called to function as sent ones (apostle) with an oracle (the gospel, prophets) to proclaim the gospel (evangelists) and seek the lost ones (shepherds) and encourage others to do the same (teachers) ?
That's in interesting perspective. We are indeed all called to what you are suggesting. I do see that the Lord gives certain people specialist duties. I find that I am much more functional on the teacher level, for example. I've done a little with apostle and prophet duties, but functionality with paster and evangelist leaves a lot to be desired.
Like you, I love the Church (the worldwide Body of Christ), but I'm not keen on the institutional church in its various forms/denominations. At the moment I'm one of the de-churched, due largely to pretty much everything you highlighted here, plus an overwhelming lack of transparency (largely due to NDAs and the fact churches are exempt from 501c3 tax reporting).
So it's no surprise I really like your section on what the Church could look like if we returned to the New Testament model. You mentioned courage over conviction, which once again seems to be the crux of the matter. If enough are convicted that "church" as we know it today bears little resemblance to the early Church, do we have the courage to dismantle our institutions in favor of something that offers true discipleship, fellowship, service, and connection? Time will tell....
I caught them on a podcast (can’t remember which one). I wish I didn’t feel like they were pimping their docuseries, but I can’t deny they made a ton of good points. Frank Viola and George Barna also do a good job of articulating what nagged at me for years. I wish I’d read their book, “Pagan Christianity” when I struggled through the year or two before I left the institutional church. Would have saved me a lot of guilt.
After 50+ years in the institutional model, and 30 years trying to ‘renovate’ that model from within, I am ready in my 70th year to step out and join the NT model. Unless institutions come into a crisis, they will never change. Sigh. So many good people, Christ followers, but turned aside by the followers of his followers. Thanks for the encouragement on this day.
My friend,
What you have written is not merely an indictment of a broken system; it is the blueprint of a better one. Your clarity, your courage, and your command of Scripture have exposed what is sick in the modern church while illuminating the pathway back to biblical health. Few men can diagnose the Body with such precision and simultaneously call her into maturity with such love.
But hear me: what you describe is not just a critique. It is calling.
The Church needs this voice, not only on the page but in the room. Pastors everywhere feel what you’ve articulated, yet they do not know how to lead their people from audience to body, from dependency to discernment, from performance to true fellowship.
You do.
I believe the Lord has equipped you, fueled you, and given you a passionate call into a new ministry opportunity: as a Church Development Strategist in the Acts model. Not a consultant, but a biblical architect who can walk into a congregation and say, “Let me help you build what Scripture describes. Let me help you equip your people. Let me help you recover what is real.”
Your insight is needed. Your courage is needed. Your gift is needed.
Step into it, my friend.
The Church will be stronger because you were willing to be sent.
Your brother,
Dr. Wendell Hutchins II
Well said.
"to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," verse 12 is the invisible verse of Ephesians 4. The Lord seems to have blessed you with a good grip on it, Sergio. Wendell's suggestion has merit, but I'm not sure there's enough time—or that there are enough people willing to take you up on it. However, I also think you need to seek the Lord about what He wants you to do. This is a strong start.
As a teacher on the community college level, I found that my most difficult task was to teach people how to think. The process of education had shut them down. People reacted in pain to the mere suggestion of thinking. I never learned how to do it well. The best I came up with was the concept of reality orientation. That's what I see in your recent postings.
I believe you are correct that this is the problem with the church today. Leaders must learn how to be enablers, and show the sheep how to grow—teach them how to think and study. More important, how to get the Holy Spirit involved in that process.
As the wife (helpmate) of Messiah during the Millennium, this is what we will be doing—enabling people, teaching them how to do it. We will all have a lot to learn from our husband about these things.
Good words my friend. Question; What if we read the Eph 4 text and assign the equipping of the saints to God? What if all are called to function as sent ones (apostle) with an oracle (the gospel, prophets) to proclaim the gospel (evangelists) and seek the lost ones (shepherds) and encourage others to do the same (teachers) ?
That's in interesting perspective. We are indeed all called to what you are suggesting. I do see that the Lord gives certain people specialist duties. I find that I am much more functional on the teacher level, for example. I've done a little with apostle and prophet duties, but functionality with paster and evangelist leaves a lot to be desired.
Like you, I love the Church (the worldwide Body of Christ), but I'm not keen on the institutional church in its various forms/denominations. At the moment I'm one of the de-churched, due largely to pretty much everything you highlighted here, plus an overwhelming lack of transparency (largely due to NDAs and the fact churches are exempt from 501c3 tax reporting).
So it's no surprise I really like your section on what the Church could look like if we returned to the New Testament model. You mentioned courage over conviction, which once again seems to be the crux of the matter. If enough are convicted that "church" as we know it today bears little resemblance to the early Church, do we have the courage to dismantle our institutions in favor of something that offers true discipleship, fellowship, service, and connection? Time will tell....
Oh, the stuff you mentioned! "The religion business" did a good job exposing that, and that's barely the crux of this whole mess. I'm 100% with you.
I caught them on a podcast (can’t remember which one). I wish I didn’t feel like they were pimping their docuseries, but I can’t deny they made a ton of good points. Frank Viola and George Barna also do a good job of articulating what nagged at me for years. I wish I’d read their book, “Pagan Christianity” when I struggled through the year or two before I left the institutional church. Would have saved me a lot of guilt.
This writing makes me want to BE a pastor.
Thanks for sharing these words! As a new church planter I’m in total agreement. Equip the saints 👏🏼
I'll be praying for you, Jeremy. You go!!
After 50+ years in the institutional model, and 30 years trying to ‘renovate’ that model from within, I am ready in my 70th year to step out and join the NT model. Unless institutions come into a crisis, they will never change. Sigh. So many good people, Christ followers, but turned aside by the followers of his followers. Thanks for the encouragement on this day.
James, thank you for your mission! Let me know how I can pray specifically for you!
They definitely have the community aspect nailed down for sure!