Liberty and Order
“This is the list of…commanders…officers…stewards…”
King David was the leader of a very efficient and organized government. His peacetime army consisted of 288,000 soldiers, distributed among twelve divisions all across the land of Israel.
David was also blessed with faithful men, who supervised all the “business” of the king. There were also administrators, commanders, officers—in short, a full-fledged bureaucracy.
Was this kind of “ultra organization” necessary in his kingdom? Do churches need a bureaucracy?
Some say that organization is vital to keep a measure of order of God’s resources. They allege that an organized church gives glory to God and a good testimony to the world.
Other are persuaded that organization and order inhibit the flowing of the Holy Spirit’s power in our congregations.
Who is right?
In my opinion both order and freedom are needed to be effective Christian churches. A disorganized church is going nowhere, for the simple reason that there is no vision or leadership.
On the other hand, an ultra-organized church can easily become another cult, or another victim of rigid legalism
Liberty and order, how greatly needed are both!
