Spinning out of control

Common objections to church planting movements:

#4 Without denominational structures, CPMs spin out of control.

I caught up with an old friend who happens to be a member of the clergy. He happily confided in me that he no longer believed in hell. I was surprised. That's nothing! he told me. His bishop no longer believed in heaven. He wasn't joking.

I find it strange that denominational structures are so highly valued when they appear to be absent from scripture.

The truth is church planting movements have their problems. That's why much of the New Testament was written. Respectable denominational systems have their problems too.

The question is, what set of problems do you want to deal with?

Best practice CPMs have at their core a determination to empower ordinary believers to obey God's Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul warned the Ephesian elders (Acts 20) that after he left wolves would come and distort the truth in order to gain a following.

What was Paul's solution for a CPM out of control? What new structures did he impose on the life of the church? None. He committed them to God and the Word of his grace. Paul told these leaders to remember his example, and trust God in the battles ahead.