Quote:
Originally Posted by The Closer
The best that I have been able to come up with is: Doesnt want to pay dues. Do you think different?
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Independents I've talked to compare district presbyterships to "having kings and lords over you."
That may be true, but when the Independent pastor goes ape-poo-on-the-brain (entertains deviant theology) his parishoners are without recourse. One guy losing it results in a whole church set adrift, if not worse.
At least with an organization, the lay leaders can petition the district. But it isn't as though a letter or two results in "district stormtroopers" evicting errant pastors from office and parsonage. UPC pastors serve according to the by-laws of their local assembly, and those by-laws can be modified to the benefit of a pastor.
It's more of an accountability group than tiers of management, at least what I've seen of it. And the good-ole'-boys club can come in to play with this and generate coverups and worse.
Neither system is perfect. Both have their strengths and weaknesses.
But organizational affiliation offers greater assurance of doctrinal continuity to the congregation, admittedly at the expense of the "job security" of the pastor.
So my take on Independents is that they are railing against an inaccurate construct.
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