2010-04-07T18:31:29Ztag:blog.limedaley.com,2018:/isso/thread/post/total-church-world-mission-and-discipleship-and-trainingtag:blog.limedaley.com,2018:/isso/602/26392010-04-07T18:31:29ZSursumCorda<p>The Chesterton quote reminds me of Janet's experience in her church in Japan -- ask her sometime about how such a very diverse group of Christians functioned as not only a church but a community.</p> <p>The second part brings up something that has long bothered me. I'm not against professionals in churches, because that is often the only way to get, for example, the knowledge that comes through a seminary education, or certain other skills. But I'm convinced that many (most?) of our churches are clergy-heavy. And certainly one of the great dangers of working for a church is that, in effect, you have no church. When the congregation pays your salary, and your pastor is your boss, it's hard to be open and easy to get burned.</p> <p>While I really do think it's important to have at least one person in a church with a solid grounding in most of the subjects taught in seminary, I admire those churches with congregational involvement that includes preaching sermons. (Janet's current church would be a good example, except for the stiff physical requirements they impose.) It works both ways, too. In our church, just before the service on an important day, the rector took time off from his preparations to fix the air conditioner. When someone suggested that the man in charge of such things would arrive soon, he replied, &quot;He doesn't have the 14-year relationship I have with this thing.&quot;</p>