church autonomy a fundamental doctrine?

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On Thu, 8 Aug 1996 14:07:59 -0700, you wrote:

>You might be right that the district board does not have any business or
>right to impose its will on a pastor or church ( although you are
>misinformed about it being a fundamental doctrine). 

I quoted the relevant section of fundimental doctrine and cited the
applicability. We will have to leave it at that.

>All I am asking is
>that that right be enjoyed by church members also (except for the
>articles of faith, personal morality and any other heaven-or-hell
>issue). The same way the districts don't have the right to impose on the
>pastors is the same way pastors should not have the right to impose on
>their members. 

Again, theres a misunderstanding here. The MINISTRY is given by God.
Without it, we got no pastors, we got no teachers, we got nothing.
Church goverments operate by gifts given of God but are peopled by
men. Unless pastors have freedom to serve God in conscience, there is
no need for government, unless Romanism looks attractive.

By the way, fellowship is voluntary and by conscience also. Fellowship
and license holding do not equate to salvation or God's approval,
except iun the ideal world. However, MOST of the time it does. I made
this point before but that would quickly change if district government
stood between a man called of God and his genuine convictions.

Also, addressing the "rights" of saints (who incidentaly are ONLY
affiliated with the UPC in that they attend a church but themselves
only have secular membership, including rights in a local church),
they are free to leave and go to any church they want to, including
the Roman Catholic, Baptism, Assemblies of God, or whereever their
conscience is best met, or, there may be other critera .. such as
whether the preacher teaches a message that *I* want him to, and all
else is surpressed. All Im sayings is it will be a good many moons
before totalitarianism reigns in the UPC.

If your pastor doesnt please your ears, and you disagree with his
teaching, thats not all that strange. Thats why God made pastors.

-mwb