INDEPENDENT CHURCH
Biblically shaped and gospel driven
Compiled by John Stevens
10publishing. 349 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978 1909 611 658
I loved this book, but at the same time felt somewhat uncomfortable with it.
I loved it because it marshalls a fine, biblical and robust, argument for the truth that all local churches should stand freely as autonomous entities accountable through the Word of God only to Jesus Christ as their head. The dead hand of denominational hierarchies has wreaked and is still wreaking (e.g. Church of Scotland, Church of England, etc.) enough destruction on gospel churches.
Independent churches are not to be isolationist, but should be in association with one another, free to participate or withdraw (or be excluded) from fellowship according to the agreed basis of faith. Written by a variety of church leaders, there are chapters which explain why independency is best fitted to address the spiritual needs of our nation, generate gifted gospel workers and pursue mission in the contemporary world. There are sections on how independency can relate to the state, support pastors in their trials, and be confessional churches. The most outstanding chapters for me were those on church discipline by Graham Beynon and church leadership by Ray Evans.
History and politics
What made me feel uneasy? First, there is an awful lot of history in this book – a bit too much really. Second, the book is very much a tract for promoting the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC). There’s nothing wrong with that per se. But there are places in the text where I felt the writers had been constrained more by the politics within FIEC than by their own convictions and reading of Scripture. The area where this was most apparent was where the chapters touched on the internal government of a local church. I was left with the impression that although God has been very clear in Scripture that local churches ought to be independent, he has left things very unclear as to what constitutes a church and how it ought to organise and govern itself internally under Christ. Really?!
But having said that, I believe the new look FIEC under John Stevens et al is doing a terrific job and is set to become an increasingly great force for good in our land. This book will clarify the thinking of many churches and help things along.
