The Sponsoring Church Arrangement

Dick Blackford 1

Definition Of

Sponsoring ChurchLewis G. Hale: "There are churches known as

'sponsoring churches.‘ Feeling that they are not financially able to carry on a certain program single-handedly, they invite sister congregations to share the expense of that work. They receive funds from other churches and add these to whatever funds they themselves provide for the work and they become wholly responsible for the oversight of the work." (How Churches Can Cooperate, God's Work In God's Way, p. 3)

2Dick Blackford

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Definition Of

Sponsoring ChurchJ. D. Thomas: “Sponsoring Church

Arrangement”: “One congregation that especially oversees a project, such as a mission activity, in which other congregations have an interest and to which they voluntarily contribute regularly....The fact that other churches contribute to a project that is overseen by the elders of one church is the central idea.” (We Be Brethren, p. 255)

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Sponsoring ChurchArrangement

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Works Beyond AbilityOversees Work

Help Fund Work

Dick Blackford 5

Essential Elements OfSponsoring Church Arrangement

Sponsoring church assumes work beyond its ability

Contributing churches send money to sponsoring church

Sponsoring church has exclusive control of work

All churches bear equal responsibility to work

Work of many churches is supervised by elders of one church (Autonomy destroyed)

Result: Brotherhood elders in a brotherhood organization (Collectivity of churches)

Mark Roberts: “An illustration may help. If I take $5000 and invest it in a mutual fund I still have the right to pull my money out at any time. However, I have forfeited my right to manage my money. The fund manager now makes all decisions about what to do with my $5000. I cannot call the fund manager and tell him how to invest that money, or to buy a certain stock, or stay away from a company’s stock. The fund manager does the managing (overseeing) of the money, not me. All I can do is send the fund money, or get out of the fund. I have zero authority over my money while it is in the fund. I cannot control it, or direct it.” (Quoted in Mark Roberts, “Mutual Fund Christianity,” Abundant Life, Oct., 1996, 29:10:5)

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Mark Roberts: “The sponsoring church arrangement creates a church mutual fund. Churches pool their money together, and the elders of the sponsoring church manage that money. The key is that while a church is in the ‘fund’ they have no control or oversight of their money. The elders of the sponsoring church do all the deciding. They decide who to put on the TV program, or what to write in the mass mail-out brochure. In other words, they make all the decisions that each local church’s elders are supposed to make! All the elders of the paying churches can do is get in or get out, but while in they have given up their control and thus forfeited their autonomy. Remember, autonomy means ‘independence and self-control’. When you have lost your control you have lost your autonomy.” (Quoted in Mark Roberts,

“Mutual Fund Christianity,” Abundant Life, Oct., 1996, 29:10:5) 7

Elders in Every Church

Acts 14:23-- When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

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Ferrell Jenkins 9

Limited Oversight

Acts 20:28: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

1 Pet. 5:2-3: 2Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

Independent

Autonomous

Equal

Sufficient

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Elders’ Oversight

What work that congregation will do

When that congregation will do it

Where that congregation will do it

How that congregation will do it

Who the congregation will use to do it

NO AUTHORITY FOR OVERSIGHT IN MULTIPLE LOCAL CHURCHES

Biblical Authority

Direct Command (1 Cor. 11:24)

Approved Example (Acts 20:7)

Necessary Inference (Acts 20:7)

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Jerusalem Was

A Sponsoring ChurchRelief sent to the brethren in Judea (Acts 11:29)

Relief sent to “the elders” (Acts 11:30)

Only Jerusalem had elders at this time

After fulfilling ministry, Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem (Acts 12:25)

Paul was unknown to churches in Judea (Gal. 1:22)

Church in Jerusalem acted as a sponsoring church distributing relief to churches in Judea

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Jerusalem Was

A Sponsoring ChurchThis entire argument rests on assumptions– all the relief was sent to the elders in

Jerusalem– none of the other churches in Judea had

elders– Paul was unknown in Judea (Ref. Gal. 1:22) – Paul returned after only visiting Jerusalem (Acts

26:20)

Carl McMurray 16

Paul Preached Thru Judea(Acts 26:20)

Visit to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26)– With Peter 15 days (Gal. 1:18)– Unknown by face to churches of Judea (Gal. 1:22)

Relief visit (Acts 11:29-30; 12:25)

Third visit to Jerusalem (Gal. 2:1)– Passed thru Phoenicia & Samaria (Acts 15:3)– Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15:6ff)– Returned to Antioch (Acts 15:30)

Possible visit to Jerusalem (Acts 18:22)

Last visit to Jerusalem (Acts 21:17)– Arrested after 7 days (Acts 21:27)

Only Time For Preaching

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Who Were “The Elders”?(Acts 11:30)

No mention of elders in any church before this

Churches in Judea (Acts 9:31; 1 Th. 2:14; Gal. 1:22)– Lydda (Acts 9:32)– Sharon (Acts 9:35)– Joppa (Acts 9:36-38, 42-43)

Elders in every church (Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5)

Elders’ oversight limited to local church (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)

Context: Does not indicate needy brethren or elders in Jerusalem, but in Judea

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Philippi Was

A Sponsoring ChurchPaul received funds only from Philippi (Phil. 4:15-17)

But other churches contributed to his support (2 Cor. 11:8-9)

Therefore, these other churches must have sent their funds to Philippi, who, acting as a sponsoring church, sent them on to Paul

This argument hinges on whether or not the funds sent by Philippi was the same support that Paul robbed

from other churches.

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“When I Departed”(Phil. 4:15)

H.C.G. Moule: “hote ekselthon… ‘On my leaving Macedonia;’ not ‘when I had left,’ for he proceeds to refer to an incident at Thessalonica, in Macedonia. He means the general period of his removal from Macedonia into Achaia. For the narrative see Acts 17:1-15. He is looking back now over some ten years.” (“Epistle to Philippians,” Cambridge Greek Testament, 87)

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“When I Departed”(Phil. 4:15)

R.C.H. Lenski: “So also the clause ‘when I left from Macedonia’ does not mean ‘when I had left’ or ‘after I had left.’ It simply notes the time, and there is no need to insist on the imperfect: ‘when I was leaving.’

“`Hote = at the time when I left, before I got entirely away. For Thessalonica is located in Macedonia, and there the two gifts that were sent from Philippi reached Paul. That is why kai ‘even’ is added: ‘even in Thessalonica,’ before I actually got farther away.” (Interpretation of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 892)

• Paul establishes church (Acts 16:11-40)

• Paul establishes church (Acts 17:1-9)• Support from Philippi (Phil. 4:15-

16)

• Paul establishes church (Acts 17:10-14)• Silas & Timothy remain behind (Acts 17:14)

• Paul commands Silas & Timothy to join him (Acts 17:15)• Paul sends Timothy to Thessalonica (1 Th. 3:1-2)• Paul preaches at Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34)

• Paul “makes tents” (Acts 18:3)• Silas & Timothy come from Macedonia (Acts 18:5; 1 Th. 3:6) • Paul robs other churches (2 Cor. 11:8-9)• Paul “began devoting himself completely to the word” (Acts

18:5, NASB, NIV)

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Church-Sponsored Evangelism

Col. 4:16; 1 Th. 1:8

Acts 11:19, 22-26; 13:1-3; 15:22-35

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1 Cor. 9:11-14; 2 Cor. 12:13

Phil. 1:3-5; 2:25, 30; 4:14-18

2 Cor. 11:8-9

Dale Smelser 23

A “Fuss About Methods”?

Issue Does Not Involve Method of “Go,” “Teach,”

“Care,” But Scope Of Organization

Go Teach CareDrive Car

FlyWalk

PrivateTractsClass

HouseClotheFeed

All “Go” On The Same Train, Etc.

PREACH RELIEVE

Ferrell Jenkins 24

Limited Oversight

Acts 20:28: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

1 Pet. 5:2-3: 2Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

Independent

Autonomous

Equal

Sufficient

“Autonomy”: “1. The condition or quality of being

self-governing. 2. Self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination;

independence. 3. A self-governing state, community, or

group.”

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Autonomy in EvangelismLocal church selected preacher (Acts 11:22-24)

Local church defined territory of labor (Acts 11:22-24)

Local church sent out preacher (Acts 11:22-24; 13:3)

Local church paid preacher (Phil. 1:3-5; 4:15-16)

Local church sent support directly to preacher (2 Cor. 11:8-9; Phil 4:15-16;)

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Church-Sponsored Evangelism

Col. 4:16; 1 Th. 1:8

Acts 11:19, 22-26; 13:1-3; 15:22-35

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1 Cor. 9:11-14; 2 Cor. 12:13

Phil. 1:3-5; 2:25, 30; 4:14-18

2 Cor. 11:8-9

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Church-Sponsored Evangelism

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This Not This

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Sponsoring ChurchArrangement

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Works Beyond AbilityOversees Work

Help Fund Work

In Denominations

The Board or Association Decides– WHAT work the congregation was to do, – WHEN the congregation would do it, – HOW the congregation would do it, – WHO the congregation would use to do it.

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Sponsoring Church Arrangement

The Sponsoring Church Determines– WHAT work the congregation was to do, – WHEN the congregation would do it, – HOW the congregation would do it, – WHO the congregation would use to do it.

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Interdependence

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Dependent ForOversight & Work

Dependent ForFunds