Canfield on the Ground of Locality

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by aron

This idea of ranking ourselves, on this side of the Judgment Seat of Christ, seems to me to be straining of both christian faith and human logic. And the supposed one-city-one-church solution, that you can give the keys of the kingdom to one special minister of the age ("the oracle"), who then can pick all the administrators in each city to bring all the faithful into one's idea of practical unity, seems to be an exceptional exercise in hubris and folly.

Oh ... but there was a time when it all made so much sense.

The Recovery paradigm of only apostles can appoint elders based on connecting Titus 1.5 and Acts 14.23 is so short-sighted. With that mindset the door is left wide open for the most aggressive of men to take over unchallenged. Determine who is the apostle and just do what he says! I have rarely seen an appointment made with the congregation in view, rather the needs of headquarters always comes first.

My last elder-appointee actually told me "sometimes we have to shock the saints." Is that how the new guy is supposed to establish his new found authority? Via tasers? Where did they learn these bad habits, unchecked for decades? And this new guy is over the whole city? To maintain the oneness of the Spirit, in the uniting bond of peace?