The Assembly Part 1
When I was attending a local church, one of the concerns I had about “house churches” was that they could deviate into error. What was there to keep them from going off the rails and turning into a cult? Mainstream Christian denominations had their statements of faith and hierarchies of clergy to keep their assemblies on their particular version of the straight and narrow, but when one moves out from under these control mechanisms, what do we have to keep us in line with Kingdom principles?
My concerns broadened somewhat when reading the book The Four Major Cults by Anthony A Hoekema. In chapter 6 titled The Distinctive Traits of the Cult, I read the following:
“…as we shall see, certain undesirable cultic traits are also found, to a lesser degree, in the church.”
The author went on…
“…what are some of the basic traits which differentiate the cult from the church? It is extremely difficult to answer this question since there are a number of characteristics found in the cults which are also found, to a lesser degree, in the churches.”
The chapter then points out some commonly accepted characteristics of cults and shows that churches and denominations have engaged in similar behaviours albeit to a less extreme extent or sometimes even the same extent.
One example is:
“We may, for example observe that there is in all cults an abrupt break with historic Christianity, and with its confessions… and (because) God has given to the members of the cult new light on saving truth, it has severed itself from the church and has become completely independent of it.”
This characteristic describes not just cults but also the beginnings of mainstream Protestantism and of many of today’s denominations. So as I read through example after example it became clear that churches and cults aren’t as far apart in practice as I first thought when it comes to cultic behaviour. Well that raised something of a dilemma!
Which leads me to the point of this article. No one is exempt from deviating into cult-like activity. Everyone from home-based fellowships all the way to mainstream churches, whilst operating with the best of intentions, can make poor decisions and inadvertently set themselves on a course towards cultic behaviour. It isn’t necessarily any one act or the degree to which it is carried out, it is more an overall combination of factors which leads to e.g. cult-like control. So rather than picking on any one thing, we need to look at the totality of our practices.
Sincerity is not the same as truth, it is possible to be sincerely wrong. Truth can always stand being questioned and anything not true needs to be questioned. God tells us not to blindly accept everything which seems to be of Him but to test it (1 Thess 5:21, 1 Cor 14:29 & 1 John 4:1). The only acceptable standard for all behaviour in or out of the assembly is Scripture, unadulterated by our cultural norms, expectations or good ideas. The real tragedy of spiritual deception isn’t just that it leads to destruction – but to living a life without serving Yeshua.
So it’s in every fellowship’s best interest to every once in a while take a Fellowship Health Check and see how they’re aligning with scripture. We may have put things in place with the best of intentions, but if they are unscriptural or have cultic, controlling or man-made elements, we risk seeding our own demise. It would be great if at least once a year our assemblies took time out to check they aren’t bedding in practices they will later come to regret.
There’s a great Fellowship Health Check on Jubilee Resources International’s website. It’s a free download entitled “Would you Choose to be Deceived?”
Its section on How to Identify a Cult outlines 24 cult-like practices. It recognises that no one characteristic on its own necessarily makes your fellowship a cult, however if you have 10 or more of these characteristics, you might want to start paying attention to how your assembly is operating. If you raise these issues in your assembly and get shut down with no one prepared to honestly address the issues you are raising, you may have a bigger issue on your hands than you first realized. Refusing to self-assess is in effect choosing to be deceived.
This is not sowing discord amongst brethren, it’s a way to keep our assemblies biblically safe and open about how they operate. If our assembly isn’t prepared to honestly reveal and review itself, we’re already in trouble.
If the sorts of things named in the Fellowship Health check are occurring in your assembly, regardless of the label on the door, you have some praying and thinking to do. I believe it is valid for you to ask the Lord if He wants you to remain in that group. God doesn’t want you hurt, although He may have a purpose for your staying if that is His direction.
If you feel condemned because you have considered leaving a group, you need to know it is not a sin to change assemblies, just don’t go to the other extreme of looking for the perfect assembly and end up constantly “church-hopping.” I am not writing about those who have left an assembly (for good reasons e.g. moving town, etc.) and who may visit a few assemblies in their area to find one that suits them. That is quite legitimate.
Look for a genuinely biblical congregation that doesn’t put people into bondage, but rather equips and sets them free to serve Yeshua. Showing you how to depend on God, and not the organisation, is the key. If they’re not completely open about how they operate or who’s in charge, that’s a pretty clear warning sign that you might want to keep looking. Ultimately leaving any group is a decision between God and you, and others should not interfere with or manipulate you.
Shalom and God Bless