The Changes We Have Made 

Recently, we received an “anonymous” snail mail letter referring to all the changes in teaching that we have recently made. The author went to great lengths to try to keep his/her identity anonymous, including the lack of a return address on the envelope, a typed vs hand written letter, and even going so far as to have it mailed from another State. 

However, we are confident of the identity of the author and the purpose behind the letter, but to respect the author’s desire for anonymity, we will respond to “anonymous” in an indirect fashion. As the author references this website, we will use this method for responding. 

With that said, we thought we would enumerate “all the changes” that we have made in one convenient location for the benefit of the author and for those persons who might be otherwise interested. So, unashamedly, here they are: 

1. Rather than a one pastor traditional governing approach, we have adapted the eldership model of government. Is this new teaching? No, we openly brought this to the saints in May 2005, nearly three years ago. It is certainly no secret as to where we have stood on this teaching and we believe it to be more scriptural (no one has proven otherwise). We put the teaching in writing, we put it on our website (www.BiblicalElders.com) , and we distributed both paper copies and CDs of the presentation to whomever wanted a copy. This teaching is as old as the New Testament church itself. Interesting enough, we have not taught on this subject since May 2005. Rather, we have been simply operating in an eldership fashion. It works, and WE LOVE IT! 

2. At our assembly meetings we sometimes sit in a circle or semi-circle instead of rows. Why? To allow for better face to face communication among the saints. Better to look at someone’s smiling face than the back of someone’s head! Now we get to see all those smiling saintly faces and perchance there is a bad look given by someone in the audience, the preacher is not the only one who gets to see it! 

3. But wait, there’s more. Some of us don’t believe in systematic 10% tithing. That’s not to say that it is a sin to tithe. Certainly not. If one chooses to tithe, got for it! In fact, we have never told anyone not to tithe if they so choose. It was not until publicly forced to provide an answer that the subject was even brought up in the first place. Upon being openly questioned three times within a couple of minutes, a brother was asked directly during a message to give a "yes or no" answer as to his belief in tithing. He answered the question honestly according to his understanding of the scripture. Do we believe in financially supporting the work of God? Yes, wholeheartedly! However, tithing was for Jews. Giving is for Christians. 

4. What else? We no longer pass an offering plate, beg for money or “take” up an offering at our assembly meetings. With the focus on taking people’s money in the religious world, we chose to focus on the good news of the Gospel rather than temporal affairs (besides our weekly conference room rent, we have no bills).  For those who wish to support the work financially, we have an offering box available. God has abundantly supplied for all of our needs in this manner and no high pressure giving campaign speeches, guilt trips, building funds, or threats of "robbing God" have ever been necessary. 

5. We stopped referring to a brick and mortar building or a certain group of people as “the church”, although we still occasionally slip up from time to time (old habits die hard, pray for us). God had a church long before man had a steeple house or formed a religious sect. The church consists of all the saved and redeemed. We don’t ever “go to church”. Saints ARE the church! 

6. Let’s see. What else have we changed on recently? Oh yes, the women. We allow the sisters to freely participate in our open meetings. On a few occasions, they even lead the group discussion! And we have discovered that they have some good things to say and some pretty deep insight into spiritual matters. May God give us more sisters like Priscilla and Phebe! 

7. And speaking of our meetings, we no longer have spectator meetings where one person does all the speaking and the rest sit and stare (or worse yet, sleep). Our assembly meetings are now open, active meetings where the entire body is free to contribute as the Spirit leds and every member is free to exercise their spiritual gifting, edifying and strengthening each other. In the past couple of years, we don’t recall seeing anyone sleep through a single meeting!! At our meetings, if you snooze, you lose! At some other church meetings, we actually recommend sleeping.

Well, that’s about it.. Are these so terrible as to merit such uncharitable and harsh judgment?

Other than these few changes, we are pretty much the same people who we have always been. Still loving God supremely, loving each other more than ever, and loving and living the truth that He shares with us through the witness of His Word and His Spirit.  

Despite the human threats of impending doom and destruction, and all the fear tactics being employed against us from those who are without, we’re making steady progress in our spiritual journey. In spite of it all, God’s still blessing! Praise the Lord! 

And for the record, anonymous writer, we’re not interested in ever going back to your religious system again. We're not even looking back, nor do we miss the system or the formality of it.

So, the next time you are tempted to send another anonymous letter to us with harsh judgment and controlling threats, do yourself a favor,... save your stamp.