Sydney Anglican churches are famously independent and local:
- Getting rectors to work together on anything is like herding cats;
- The Archbishop has pretty limited powers in any parish;
- Each parish pretty much stands or falls by itself financially; and
- lots of parishes have a very clear sense of self-identity and proudly define themselves over and against what ‘the diocese’ (or even their current rector) is doing.
Its very Australian - the egalitarian suspicion of potentially tyrannical bishops who might tax the local parish and impose strange schemes or doctrines upon it.
Reading Romans 15 and 16 recently though made me less confident we’ve got this right. In those chapters there is a very very strong sense of partnership and unity between churches that come from a right understanding of the gospel. (I know its tricky working from Paul’s missionary methods to ours - he’s an apostle, we’re not, there are first generation issues etc. But bear with me) Consider the following:
- Paul has a plan to evangelise the Gentile world. He proclaims the Gospel in the east until he sees churches established that will take the gospel beyond themselves. Mission is therefore in the DNA of the churches. He also longs to head west to where Christ is not known. The dynamic of the gospel means he keeps moving on, and encourages an outward movement of the gospel from each church he establishes. But these churches are never seen as independent.
- The roll call of Romans 16 shows an enormous number of gospel workers in Corinth and Rome who are partially known to each other and engaged in a common cause. This is remarkable given their separation over the sea. The depths of affection are not just between Paul and ‘his’ people - all the churches send their greetings to Rome.
- There is no sense of a small vision here - no parochial or diocesan boundaries which constrain. God wants all the nations to believe in Jesus and obey him. The Romans are to play their part in this global mission as they pray and speak, give and live for Christ and his honor.
- This unity in mission is not triumphalistic: false teachers will arise, Satan will oppose them, opposition and persecution will await them - we should expect no less.
Only the gospel creates both mission and unity among churches. That is why Paul is at such pains to spell it out to the Romans. We should do no less. And as we do, maybe we’ll discover it drives us to work together more closely in mission. Maybe we’ll even pray for each other, think about giving to see the gospel go to those that haven’t heard. I’ve been persuaded I need to spend 2010 teaching though Romans so that we can better transformed by the gospel of God’s grace.
