What are the Benefits of Being Independent?

Jehoram · #1 03-05-2008, 10:07 AM

Okay, there are already some awesome posts on this thread. It seems as though the greatest benefit is freedom and the greatest drawback is a dearth of fellowship.

How do you handle the lack of fellowship? Are there other independents close by? Do you fellowship Trinitarians?

ReformedDave · #2 03-05-2008, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alter Ego

Do you felloeship Trinitarians?

Every Sunday.....and even some other days.

Apocrypha · #3 03-05-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alter Ego

Okay, there are already some awesome posts on this thread. It seems as though the greatest benefit is freedom and the greatest drawback is a dearth of fellwoship.

How do you handle the lack of fellowship? Are there other independents close by? Do you felloeship Trinitarians?

It depends really, if you are in a area like Houston with alot of fellow independents its easy, if your in a harder area you need to travel to events like the AWCF convention or stuff the NCO puts on. Are you a pastor or minister?

Jehoram · #4 03-05-2008, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikwebster

It depends really, if you are in a area like Houston with alot of fellow independents its easy, if your in a harder area you need to travel to events like the AWCF convention or stuff the NCO puts on. Are you a pastor or minister?

Yes I am.

A_PoMo · #5 03-05-2008, 11:14 AM

I don't think there's much a down side to being independent. There is plenty of opportunity for fellowship if you will just make friends with other ministers in your area. There are usually lots of mens conferences, ministry conferences, etc.. to go if you want.

It is definitely nice not to have all the organizational politics to contend with.

The only downsides to leaving an org are, 1) If you're accustomed to having people kiss your ring finger and genuflect when you grace a pulpit then you're in a for a rude awakening when you go into an environment where nobody knows or cares who you are, 2) when you leave some orgs they brand you as a heretic and it's a bummer to have to deal with that, especially if some of them are old friends.

Other than that, my experience as an independent has been a good one. It's about to end as I'm most likely going to be ordained with a real live denomination in the next few months. All good things must come to an end.

mizpeh · #6 03-05-2008, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A_PoMo

I don't think there's much a down side to being independent. There is plenty of opportunity for fellowship if you will just make friends with other ministers in your area. There are usually lots of mens conferences, ministry conferences, etc.. to go if you want.

It is definitely nice not to have all the organizational politics to contend with.

The only downsides to leaving an org are, 1) If you're accustomed to having people kiss your ring finger and genuflect when you grace a pulpit then you're in a for a rude awakening when you go into an environment where nobody knows or cares who you are, 2) when you leave some orgs they brand you as a heretic and it's a bummer to have to deal with that, especially if some of them are old friends.

Other than that, my experience as an independent has been a good one. It's about to end as I'm most likely going to be ordained with a real live denomination in the next few months. All good things must come to an end.

What real live denomination are you talking about?

dizzyde · #7 03-05-2008, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mizpeh

What real live denomination are you talking about?

Yeah, huh???? Inquiring minds!!!

mizpeh · #8 03-05-2008, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizzyde

Yeah, huh???? Inquiring minds!!!

We won't stone you! Just curious. My guess would be AoG.

LadyChocolate · #9 03-05-2008, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alter Ego

Okay, there are already some awesome posts on this thread. It seems as though the greatest benefit is freedom and the greatest drawback is a dearth of fellowship.

How do you handle the lack of fellowship? Are there other independents close by? Do you fellowship Trinitarians?

Several years ago we were independent and our closest fellowship was 8hours away. Now, our preachers would go to some close by but those were not announced to the saints. It was hard for many of us who wanted to go to campmeetings because driving 8 hours away was not an option. The young people had it really rough because even if they met someone at a fellowship they knew that neither pastor would grant them permission to move if they decided to get married....

Even in the lack of fellowship, fellowshipping trinitarians was not and is not an option......

There were many times I would become aggravated because we could have fellowshipped other oneness independents but because their skirts were not as long as ours if the preacher didn't see eye to eye with our preacher, we were not allowed to fellowship.... But as long as I went there, I obeyed and didn't voice my concern..... I may not have agreed, but I did submit myself to that ministry and I did it willingly!