“When we do come together as His assembly, let it be that He may work as He will, and by whom He will.” –William Kelly
“The Holy Spirit is the One Who should be allowed to lead the people of God in prayer, praise and worship. He should have liberty to speak through servants of His own choosing according to the spiritual needs of God’s people. In 1 Cor. 14:26, we have a picture of a meeting of the early church in which there was this freedom of the Spirit. When the Spirit is thus free to lead, there will be spontaneity in teaching, preaching, worship and intercession.” –William MacDonald
“Whether we wish to admit it or not, most church meetings are centered on one man known as ‘the Pastor.’ He alone preaches and teaches from the pulpit. So many congregations are centered upon this one man that when the members are asked about what church they attend, they usually reply, ‘I go to pastor So-and-So’s church.’ But should one man so dominate a church service? Does the New Testament support our one-man orientation? Is our practice of focusing on one man and his gifts a denial of the priesthood right of the believer? The entire tenor of the New Testament is upon the functioning of all of God’s people, not merely one person. Thus we find a ‘one another’ theology which emerges from its pages.” –Darryl M. Erkel
“Christ should be the gathering Center of His people (Matthew 18:20). We should be drawn by His presence, not by a man. There are potential dangers when all or most of the teaching in a local church is done by one man. People tend to accept his word as authoritative. If they are not studying the Scriptures for themselves, they are not in a good position to discern error.” –William MacDonald
“The process of group discovery of the Bible, group processing, and group accountability to obey God takes more time than teaching and preaching, but it yields remarkable transformation of whole families and communities with it is coupled with obedience.” –Jerry Trousdale
“The majority of church meetings are still structured in the old-school format of a paid professional speaking at rows of passive spectators. Only the ‘expert’ is entitled to speak in this model of ministry. Our universities, schools and businesses used to be like this too – until recently. In the 21st century, this approach doesn’t make sense anymore. Theologically, it never did make sense. It’s a very Old Testament approach. How can God’s people take part in actively loving one another if they are positioned to sit silently and passively whenever they gather?” –Kathleen & Kevin-Neil Ward
“When we place people in rows and preach from a pulpit, we accidentally communicate these hidden messages;
* You are consumers, not participants.
* You are an audience, not a community.
* You learn best by passively listening, not actively engaging.
* You are here to take, not to give.
* The pastor is the performer; you are the audience.
* We encourage superficial socializing, not deep connection and honest sharing.
* The pastor’s knowledge and training outweigh your opinions and life experience.
* You are not qualified to direct your own learning, or to teach others.
* The best way for you to teach others about God is to lecture at them and perform for them.” –Kathleen & Kevin-Neil Ward
