An alert reader e-mailed a story from the Wall Street Journal (Note: This link will expire, at which point you'll have to Google the Allen, Michigan church and their "pastor" Jason Burrick) about a church that has become abusive. I had been following the story - a tragedy by any definition - and now that its reached the WSJ, I thought it worth commenting on (though not at length) from a Biblical perspective. You can read more about it here on a blogosphere site dedicated to church discipline. This link in no way implies endorsement of the blog, but I did find it to be fairly well documented. It also is consistent with first hand accounts of certain fundamentalist personalities by men I attended seminary with who were recent graduates of Hyles Anderson College. As interns with Jack Hyles they observed first hand the abuse that can and too often does occur when a church turns septic.

(1) All churches have some level of sinful dysfunction. With one or two exceptions, depending on how you read them, all of the New TEstament epistles record churches that needed correction because of their sin. Philemon is one that could be read either way - We never hear that Onesimus was taken back as Paul requested, so the jury's "still out" in a manner of speaking on that one. The rest - whether from Paul, James, John or the enigmatic author of Hebrews, all deal with problems in the church.

(2) Church leadership generally is placed in a position (they do not attain it because of their innate goodness or quality) by God of watching over the flock and protecting it from those who would harm it or individuals within it. 

(3) The only reasons (and here I'm making a broad statement which reflects my understanding) for church discipline are sexual immorality and doctrinal heresy. Personal preferences are not an occasion for discipline. When guitars are introduced it is not heresy or immorality, though personal preference may mean I REALLY miss the swelling notes of the organ as it opens a hymn rich with theological truth. 

(4) Leadership is not ALWAYS correct. Plurality of leadership (notice this is an issue at the Michigan church in the WSJ article) is a needed corrective, though not a guarantee that their decision reflects the heart of the Father for the church. Scripture does not look on them kindly (a mild understatement). Though faithful teachers are worthy of double honor, they also are counseled ".... be not many masters" (forgive me - I first memorized in the King James and its a hard habit to break when quoting Scripture from memory) because their condemnation will be greater (James 3:1)

Interestingly enough, abusive, septic leadership will almost always quote copious amounts of Scripture to defend their actions. See John 5:37-40. Quoting Scripture does not mean they are right - it only means they know Scripture. (This could be commented on at length, but that's not my purpose here)

(5) Some leadership can become so abusive that the entire church goes "septic" - hence my coining of the term "ecclesepsis". In ecclesepsis, like the physical body, a part of the church that should be guarding the body fails in its duty and actually begins harming the body. It can go so far as to cause the death of the body. The leaven of the Pharisees can be so permeating that it infects the entire body. It can go so far and be so pervasive that the 'church' does not deserve to be associated with the cause of Christ. See the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 for examples of septic churches and churches that are in danger of turning septic.

(6) There is a cure for this kind of sinful dysfunction. It is painful but it is the only thing that will cure it. It is repentance by the entire leadership. See among other Scriptures, Nehemiah 1 and Deut. 9:16 and 1 John 1:7-9, which shows that repentance and confession are to be an ongoing part of the Christian walk and not a one time event at conversion.

I wish I could tell you that I've only seen this on rare occasions. Unfortunately I cannot. As I write of leadership that has infected the church and the body has become septic, examples come to mind. Churches in Arizona, Texas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Washington, New York, other churches in Michigan..... the list is long. I'm praying for them. God the Holy Spirit is still in the business of convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment to come. And many (though by no means all) of there people in habitual sin are believers. Thankfully there are places in the Kingdom where leadership is characterized by godliness that leads to repentance and confession. When I've seen it, it has moved me beyond description. I pray you're part of a  body like that.