Integrity-Church-Accountability
"integrity" - wholeness/soundness, conveys the idea that you are on the inside what you profess to be on the outside
George W. Murray, Chancellor, Columbia International University, recites the following true story:
Years ago I met an independent missionary couple from the USA, serving in the Caribbean islands, who had been ex-communicated by the national church there because of the "double life" they were leading. As far as their praying friends back home were concerned, they were sincerely and sacrificially serving the Lord as missionaries. In reality, they had convinced two separate church congregations in their sending country to financially support them at 100%, thus they were dishonestly living on a double salary. They lived in a huge home that was far above the standard of living in that Caribbean area, their teenage children were living wild, uncontrolled lives in the local community, and the missionaries themselves were spending all their time improving their personal property and lifestyle and engaging in no gospel witness whatsoever. The local national believers saw right through their lack of integrity and, rightly, ex-communicated them from the local church!
Integrity. Church. Accountability. What is the proper thing to do when someone in the church, some group, or some church lacks integrity?
Is it any of our business?
Let's think in terms of buildings.
Structural integrity.
The ability of the building to stand, to function safely.
Lack of integrity happens when the design is flawed.
Lack of integrity comes when the construction or materials used in the construction are flawed or improper for their use.
"The city's building department closed the Heritage Farmhouse and Museum to the general public this week after water and drainage issues affecting the home's foundation have rendered the building unsafe for occupancy."
Lack of integrity eventually shows.
Now apply that to Christian integrity - whether in an individual, group, or church. Lack of integrity happens when the design is flawed. Lack of integrity comes when the construction or materials used in the construction are flawed or improper for their use. Lack of integrity comes from damage to the building by internal or external forces. Lack of integrity eventually shows.
But that leaves two questions:
Is it any of my business?
What is the proper thing to do?
And that is where accountability comes in.
Ethics, common law, and, in most places, legislated positions dictate response to lack of structural integrity. In designing the plans, the designer assumes responsibility. When building, the construction manager and workers assume responsibility. Or, at least ethics and common law dictate their responsibility when the lack results from their respective work. Individuals in legislated positions carry responsibility as well. Building inspectors sign off on the integrity of what they see. Later, building inspectors identify flaws as they become apparent - whether from design, materials, construction, or damage from internal and/or external forces and are responsible to report the problems in order to begin the process of addressing those issues. And many ways exist for addressing structural integrity issues. Which ones apply are as individualized as the buildings or parts of a building that are structurally unsound, unsafe.
One common quip about Christian integrity says, "what you do speaks so loudly that I can't hear what you say." When this happens -- hopefully the integrity issue is identified before this happens -- something needs to be done.
In the story by George Murray, as gross as the double-dip salary support is, the lack of integrity showed itself in many other ways: the huge home far above the standard of living in that area, the wild, uncontrolled lives of the teenage children, and the missionaries themselves spending all their time improving their personal property and lifestyle, and failure to engage in gospel work.
The local, native church saw the lack of integrity behind each of these things and took action. To some of our American sensibilities the excommunication seems harsh. But was it?
Who should take responsibility if not the church? Paul basically asks the same thing in I Corinthians 5:12-6:13.
And what is the proper thing to do?
Do you have an answer?
In the story by George Murray, as gross as the double-dip salary support is, the lack of integrity showed itself in many other ways: the huge home far above the standard of living in that area, the wild, uncontrolled lives of the teenage children, and the missionaries themselves spending all their time improving their personal property and lifestyle, and failure to engage in gospel work.
The local, native church saw the lack of integrity behind each of these things and took action. To some of our American sensibilities the excommunication seems harsh. But was it?
Who should take responsibility if not the church? Paul basically asks the same thing in I Corinthians 5:12-6:13.
And what is the proper thing to do?
Do you have an answer?
No comments:
Post a Comment