Empire Builders

The history of humanity is a history of kingdoms and empires. In every case, the empire, built to bring order and protection to people, eventually begins to “wear out” and use up the people until that empire is either defeated or just dies out. In the height of every empire a type of caste system develops, a social class from which it is nearly impossible for a person change. As in these earthly empires, within Christianity (including and I mean especially in IBF churches) a type of caste system has developed.

Conquerors

The nobility of the ministry, members of this class are out to build, expand and lead the leaders.

They are willing to “lop heads” for their cause, believing the cause to be greater than any one person who has come under their influence. Within this nobility may be several layers of leaders:

• Leaders of thousands
• Leaders of a thousand and
• Leaders of hundreds

They host meetings, publish their own pictures and ask each other to preach at their gatherings.

Traders and Craftsmen

Support the nobility. Because they are pastors of great (though not large) churches, the conquerors depend upon them. Though the conquerors are the ones whose names are in the papers they are useless without the craftsmen traders who read those papers and follow these noblemen.

Though the traders and craftsmen are never or seldom asked to speak at larger meetings they are expected to attend those meetings; being marked if they are not present. Their success in the work of the ministry is what makes the empire strong.

Serfs

The ones that the conquerors walk over and enslave, these might be

• Pastors of small churches
• Assistant pastors of small or of craftsmen trader, type churches or
• Members of churches in the smaller or standard size churches

These are the very people the whole of kingdoms is based upon. These are the very people who sought the protection of the kingdom. These are the very people whose lives were so threatened they surrendered their freedoms for the benefits the kingdom offers. The nobility exist because of these people. The traders and craftsmen, though seldom really serving the serfs, have their place before the conquerors only because the conquerors have risen to rally these serfs. The nobility rarely even know their names, but their only real notability is that which they receive from these unknown masses.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

The Main Thing

Is there anything more important than a soul? No.

• Church is not more important.
• Doctrine is not more important
• Politics is not more important
• Family is not more important

However a soul is a long term entity. By focusing on short term results, the winning of the one soul, we lose the advantage of long term conversions.

• If a soul is reached but never taught doctrine, even if he is taught to win others, eventually the process of winning souls will degenerate
• If a church is organized, but not around sound doctrine, that church and those that come out of it will eventually degenerate into something incapable of winning lost
• If a family unit isn't preserved eventually the family will be unable to maintain a functioning part of the church and souls will not be won

By the very emphasis of soul winning to the exclusion of other truths, the one thing that really matters is what is most impacted negatively.

Cross Cultural Baptist Ethics

This is a work of thought only begun. It seems to me that the thing that most angers people of different cultures about the spread of the Gospel is that it almost certainly changes cultures as well as religious faith. Indeed, many missionaries have made it as much a part of their work to change the culture as the faith. Modern missionaries are quick to point out that they are not sent as culture changers but as Gospel preachers. There are some things, however, that ought to change with the introduction of the Gospel.

Behavior that ought to transcend cultures:

Sunday worship

Generous giving

Dignified dress in church

Gospel witness

Monogamy

Apostolic doctrine

Preaching in open

Modesty