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Recovering church as organism

William Cram

The “body of Christ” may be one of the most important ways of thinking about the church. Yet, we are losing sight of this important teaching as we drift from “organism” thinking to “institutional” thinking. We may not even have noticed. Just as we remain “evangelical” yet are becoming less effective in evangelism, many of us continue to talk about the church as a body, or living organism, while we increasingly drift into business and institutional models of church life.

In 1973 Jerry Wofford and Ken Kilinski wrote, “The church of today is failing to fulfill its purpose largely because it has ceased to be an organism. A church in which one person preaches, a few teach, and a few others work in an administrative ministry, but the vast majority simply listen, learn and follow without becoming functioning members of the body, is not an integrated organism.”

Institutional imagery focuses on organization, definitions and structure. It assumes the work will get done if the administrative structure exists, designated leaders are in place, bylaws are adhered to and appropriate meetings are held. In contrast, organism thinking demands attention to the inter-relationship of the various “parts” of the body and the degree to which they function as a community.

Institutional thinking assumes that once one is elected to office, one is automatically doing ministry. But just holding the office of deacon, for instance, is a far cry from actually carrying out the ministry required of deacons. In many churches, being a deacon only requires meeting once a month and serving communion. That is classic institutional thinking. The New Testament organism model views deacons as one of the most active parts of the local church – not unlike the hands in a human body.

Institutional thinking assumes that “ministry” takes place by having a meeting. We laughingly recognize our tendency to form committees, yet that tendency indicates the demise of “organism” and the rise of “institution”. We assume that to have an evangelism committee in a local church or in a denomination is the equivalent of doing evangelism, or to have a youth committee is an adequate response to the needs of youth. Organism thinking involves every member in the vision and task of sharing the love and good news of Jesus to the various people he or she meets. Such evangelism often happens most effectively without an institutional committee.

Institutional thinking, even when it draws in the ministry of the laity, assumes that most ministry takes place within the church building, or within the group of people normally thought of as “the church”. Organism thinking would place the church “in the world”. Wherever people are alive and active then becomes a place of ministry. Organism-based ministry takes place not only when the church is “gathered” for worship, education and training, but even more significantly when the church is scattered – into the home, the marketplace and the places of recreation and civic involvement.

Institutional thinking calls for theological education that is intensely academic and somewhat remote from life in a local congregation. Organism thinking calls for theological education that is intensely practical, where lessons are learned by practical application in a dynamic setting.

Institutional thinking requires that the pastor and people of a church “attend” and see each other only on Sundays, with little or no social, emotional or spiritual interchange, and no real caring, sharing or mutual learning. By contrast, organism thinking requires that life be lived in close inter-relationship with at least a few other significant people of the congregation.

Institutional thinking can be indifferent to the fact that some churches become independent or socially isolated from the denominational body life. Excuses are made for such isolation on the basis of geography, theology or some other seemingly valid institutional reason. Organism thinking on behalf of the denomination will insist that personal interest, care, resources and effort be invested in that isolated church. Organism thinking will also require that the isolated church no longer behave in isolationist ways towards other churches.

Institutional thinking gives little attention to the relationships between the various parts. It says, “I don’t care how you feel about it; just get the job done.” Organism thinking sees every member as a valuable, integral part of the whole and puts a very high priority upon the attitudes possessed by the members, as well as the personal relationships that exist between them. That is the reason why the New Testament seems so highly focused upon attitudes and relationships within the church.

May Jesus, the Head of His church, find us more and more open to “thinking” the way He thinks.

William Cram passed away Aug. 31, 1998 in a traffic accident. He was then serving as an associate pastor in Westwood MB Church, Prince George, B.C. This article was written in 1991, when he was serving as executive minister for the Baptist Union of Western Canada. It is reprinted, with permission, from The Canadian Baptist.

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Last modified May 4, 2000.

© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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