Unity is a Decision

If there is one thing I have learned over the years about church growth it is that unity is vital to the health of the congregation. It is so important that Paul spent much time writing letters to congregations about it. The majority of the New Testament has unity as a foundational concept.

Unity is vital to any team

One of the major factors for unity lies in the principle of power. In any group there is power. The more united the group the more power that the group possesses. That is one reason small armies can defeat much larger ones. The less unified a group is the less power it has. The idea, “Divide and conquer” is popular because it works. Therefore, how powerful do you think this congregation is? Can we improve in that area? 

It is natural that power-centers fluctuate inside an organization. Power struggles are unfavorable, but common in any organization. Power (or perceptions of power) may shift from one group to another inside a congregation. It’s a natural process based on many things. Sometimes it is because of physical changes to the group. (Some people leave and others enter.) Sometimes it is because people become limited in their abilities while others find more time to devote to activities in the church. If power is “the ability to get things done” as someone put it, then power will naturally shift across the church. If we keep this in mind it will be easier for us to accept our limitations and roles and we will be less likely to feel the need to fight to maintain our perception of power.

If we look at power as something to obtain and hold, then we will have nothing but wars and fights among us. If we look at power as influence, then our perspectives change on how to have it. How do you try to gain influence? The answer to this determines your relationship with God.

True power belongs to Jesus. He is the One who has authority over heaven and earth. There is a transferal of power to the elders of the church to a degree, but even that is dependent upon the willingness of the congregation to allow that power. Think about that for a little while. 

I’ve seen churches where the elders assumed more power than the church allowed. They had “power” but they forgot that people could leave and go somewhere else. The people took advantage of that freedom and left. So the men could control everything to whatever degree they wanted, but they had no one in the flock to “control”. That’s not power at all. At the same time, elders who do not abuse their position should be allowed the power to lead us. That is exactly what the Bible teaches in Hebrews 13:17.

As followers of Christ, we are not to seek power but unity. We need to all be on the same team. We need to line up behind our elders and allow them to lead us in the way. We need not fight against the direction we are going or fight against the activities they provide, but we need to accept their instruction and guidance, get on board, and follow their lead--and that includes the activities they allow in the church (as long as they are Scriptural practices of course). They are our shepherds. Can we say that we support their leadership? Can we honestly say that the activities of this congregation have our full support and participation? Can we say we are following them if we don’t support them and their decisions? Unity is a decision.