Saturday, April 18, 2009

Outsourcing the Faith

out⋅source /ˈaʊtˌsɔrs, ‑ˌsoʊrs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [out-sawrs, ‑sohrs] Show IPA verb, -sourced, -sourc⋅ing.–verb (used with object) 1. (of a company or organization) to purchase (goods) or subcontract (services) from an outside supplier or source. 2. to contract out (jobs, services, etc.): a small business that outsources bookkeeping to an accounting firm.

–verb (used without object) 3. to obtain goods or services from an outside source: U.S. companies who outsource from China.

The following definition for the word "outsourcing" was taken from the latest edition of the Random House Dictionary of the English Language. It's a word that has quickly become a part of our vocabulary in the United States. You may have heard it mentioned in speeches, news programs, and political blogs. Usually, this term is used in referenced to the ailing U.S. economy, but I'm concerned that the idea of outsourcing has worked it's way into the church. You may ask, "What in the world is this guy talking about and what does this have to do with faith?"

Bare with me as I explain. As Christians, there are certain God-given duties and responsibilities that we all share. Among them are, living what has historically been called "The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)," carrying out what the Apostle Paul called, "The Ministry of Reconcilliation (1 Corinthians 5:11-21)," and the list goes on. In the scriptures, the church was called to be an assembly of believers who would come together to encourage, correct, and extend grace to each other before being sent out to demonstrate to the world that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

My concern is that somewhere along the way, those within the church began relinquishing their God-given responsibilities to the professional paid and volunteer staff of the local church. Take a look at the typical evangelical church of today and what do you see? There is usually someone in a role whose sole job is to look after the spiritual development of a certain group of people. There is usually someone else whose sole job is to look after the spiritual development of another group of people, and so on. Each area is divided up and given to a "point person" or team of "experts" who looks after spiritual welfare of a given area.

Soon, ministries of the church become "services" and those who attend church become "consumers" or "customers" of the "services" the church offers. It's the youth pastor's job to provide the "customers" of the church with the "service" of a "good" youth ministry that will keep their children entertained while providing spiritual direction and maturity. Suddenly the responsibility of raising children to become mature disciples of Jesus shifts from the parents to the children's pastor and the youth pastor (The same can be said for areas of worship, Christian education, and other "services" the church offers).

While attending church and working in a paid staff positions, I have often heard the following statements verbatim: "I don't know what to think about that. Let me ask my pastor what he thinks." "It's not my job or my spiritual gift to evangelize. That's what we pay you for." "I need you to bring new students into the ministry or the church will fail." "It's your job to make something happen."

The scriptures have much to say about the role and identity of each believer, regardless of their employment status within the local church. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says that each of us are priests of God. This was a radical idea, one that helped ignite the Reformation and split the church in half. The idea that we all have equal access to God and bare equal responsibility when it comes to the details of our lives is revolutionary. This is why I refuse to use the term "full-time ministry" when referring to those in church staff positions. All believers are full-time ministers regardless of who writes their paycheck.

Please allow me to clarify: I am not against hiring people to work in the church full-time. I am against a way of thinking that places these people on a pedestal and outsources the joy and responsibility of our calling to these "chosen few."

What would a church look like if all people within decided to take responsibility for the work of the church instead of relinquishing responsibility? Maybe the world would look different. What do you think?

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