Comments on: Sojourn Elders: Why We Believe Our Multi-Campus Plan Is A Biblical Model

By: Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: Sojourn’s Worship Liturgy, May 17, 2009 | Sojourn Music

Sun, 17 May 2009 23:11:22 +0000

[...] Following this we engaged in the Passing Of The Peace. Then Teaching Pastor Daniel Montgomery led our Old Testament sermon series into one of my favorite sections of the Bible, the time of the Kings. He taught on “Give Us A King” from 1 Samuel 8, where Israel says they want a king “like all the other nations.” As always, you can catch our pastors’ further reflections on the Old Testament in the B.C. Blog section of our online journal, TravelBlog. You can also read up on why and how we’ve decided to launch a second campus and become a multi-site church …. [...]

By: BrianD

BrianD — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:03:25 +0000

Guys, I appreciate the apologetic for multi-site church. It is well-written, and easily understood, and helpful in the ongoing debate in the body of Christ over multi-site.

By: Jared Kennedy

Jared Kennedy — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:36:31 +0000

Drew, thanks for commenting, but I think this is different from proof-texting. Certainly it is a “systematic theology” read of the passage rather than an exposition of the passage. We’ve come to the text asking questions that the text itself isn’t necessarily asking. But, what the hey, this is what a theologian has to do sometimes. The elders ask the question, “What was the Jerusalem church like?” It was a group of house churches under one body of elders/apostles. Then, they asked, “How is a multi-campus church like it?” This is a group of believers meeting in multiple locations with one common leadership. They conclude, “They are similar–similar enough to warrant some support for what we’re doing.”

We’re concerned about raising up faithful gospel preachers as well. You should read part 3 of the series. I pray that we’ll be humble enough to turn from any approach that keeps us from that goal.

Blessings,
Jared Kennedy

By: Drew

Drew — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:48:42 +0000

Brothers:

Just a comment about using JD Geear’s argument for the multi-site church from Acts 2, it is a stretch of scripture and tends to apply the idea to the scripture rather than expose the idea from scripture. In other words it is “proof texting.”

For years the “home church” people used the same scripture to validate their ideas about church.

The irony is I am neither against multi-site churches nor home churches. To me the small intimate body of believers is where the work of ministry really gets done. It is where flesh presses flesh and needs are met.

The only thing I am against are men promoting themselves and not raising up “faithful men” who can teach, as Paul instructed Timothy to do in his second letter.

Keep on spreading His word so that “we might believe!”

Blessings to you and your church body.

Drew

By: Paul Butterworth

Paul Butterworth — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:03:01 +0000

Thanks brothers. Well thought & well said.