When the Walls Came Tumbling Down

"If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36)." Jesus Christ addresses his listeners with this marvellous promise. His message of the Gospel brings people into communion with God and frees them from the bondage of sin, guilt, fear, and despair. At the same time, he establishes the fellowship of believers and unites them by his Spirit and his love: "Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above (John Fawcett, 1782)." Therefore it is not surprising that people throughout the centuries have been attracted by communities marked by Christian faith, love, and hope. The expectation to believe, live, and serve together within a group of fellow Christians has inspired countless people to join these organizations, some of which have therefore grown to an amazing size.

Obviously, these organizations – like all others – need a certain structure. For whatever reason, this structure is often strongly hierarchical, giving a lot of power to the leader(s). Due to the comprehensive spiritual setting of these organizations, the position (and decision) of the leadership is normally justified by spiritual arguments as well: The leader(s) have been intrusted by God with their responsibility for the group and therefore the members should respect them accordingly and obey their instructions. Unfortunately, there seems to be a tendency that such leadership breaks away from its biblical basis and turns into a kind of authoritarian rule substantiated by Bible verses.

This means that the freedom of the Gospel and the rules of the structure often enter in conflict. If aberrations from the basis of faith in Jesus Christ are detected, they should be corrected. This presupposes, however, that the teachings and rules of these organizations are known and can be verified on the basis of the Bible.