Accountability Structures For IND. Churches.
 

Suppose someone pastors an independent church ,how can a ind. church be set up for accountability?
What some good working models for ind. works ?
Just because someone is ind. doesn't mean they are a loose cannon or they don't want to have accountabilty.

I have been involved with several independent churches over the years and they all seem to have their own unspoken organization. A group of brethren of like faith that they fellowship with.

I am saying that to agree with your statement about the fact that they are independent does not necessitate that they are also a loose cannon.

At this juncture, I really don't have time to have much input on an accountability system but I do believe that it is important.

Everyone should be accountable to someone.

As a matter of fact... we all should be accountable one to another.

The reason I said that D4T is some folks out therethink all inds. are not accountable to anyone and are agains't accountability because they are ind.

Most of the gib's have an "open pulpit".

The church i attend is independent and my pastor has elders from other places that he has made himself accountable to. If something happens to him physically or spiritually or doctrinally there is going to be someone to step in, I'm not exactly who it would be. Bro. Steve Pixler is Indep. and he has Bro. Gary Howard as one of his elders. Says so on his website. Most Indep. that I know of have some kind of accountability structure.

You're only accountable to somebody if you submit yourself to them.... Just because somebody might belong to the UPC or etc. it doesn't mean they are accountable to anybody by default.

Another excellent point.

Gooooood point!!!!!

Ok what about a form of church govt .for a local church that has checks and balances that is Biblically based ?

We say we're independent, but we really aren't.

And one would hope not...

No man is an island but independents get accused of being one sometimes. :)

Yes sir...

The apostles thought a lot of it.

How our independents function like an org.
We have a ring of fellowship
We have fellowship meetings every other month with the churches in our fellowship ring
We have conferences
We have an accountability structure
We have a campmeeting
The pastors within our fellowship ring often have meetings to discuss varies things

Financial accountability -

Create a Board of Directors. Don't allow the CFO, Secretary or any other position relating to finances be filled by family members.

Hire an independent financial consultant or accountant to periodically go through the church records several times a year. Keep the books open and transparent to the board and the members of the church.

Sounds easy enough . . . but most Pastors crave control, and they don't like opening the books for everyone to see it. Instead, most just print out an edited copy of what he's willing to show.

You can do it like alot of the mega churches that are independant. Set up a board of ministers. One from the local assembly then the others from other assemblies in the same town, organization, or friends from other denominal organizations. That is a common practice.

You are right. There are ministers you and I know that use the church account as it is theirs then either replenish the funds or that persons case just put more money in it when a new offering is taken.

That is true.