“And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there would be great dearth throughout all the world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea, which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.” - Acts 11:27-30.
For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to
make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It
hath pleased them verily and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have
been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister
unto them in carnal things. - Romans 15:26-27.
For as
touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to
you: For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them
of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked
very many. - 2 Corinthians 9:1-2.
And whether
one member suffer, all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured,
all the members rejoice with it - 1
Corinthians 12:26.
Because the Lord’s Church is universal: what concerns one congregation affects other congregations, either positively or negatively. Church of Christ anywhere is Church of Christ everywhere. It takes cooperation of local congregations to harness the Church’s collective power to advance the Cause of Christ. Gone were the days when each congregation played the “Island.” Time has come for congregations to mobilize resources to advance beyond their frontiers without compromising their local autonomies.
EXORDIUM
About fifteen years ago when I hosted MOMENT OF
TRUTH Radio Broadcast on LION FM, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, lack of
cooperation was our bane. While the broadcast tormented Hell and depopulated
it, our denominational neighbours were not at ease and sought every opportunity
to see that we were bought out of air time.
While Brethren were fighting over whether we should cooperate to keep
the broadcast afloat, our neighbours were mobilizing resources to see that we
were kicked out. While we were arguing whether to cooperate or not, the
broadcast died. Till date efforts to resurrect it remains futile because we
failed to do what we should have done when we needed to have done them. Charles T. Dudd wrote:
“Some want to live within the sound of church and chapel bell; I want
to run a rescue mission shop within a yard of hell.”
It seems to me
that we cooperate more when it comes to mourning than when it comes to
rejoicing. We cooperate during burials, but less when it comes to what will
enlarge the borders of God’s Kingdom, increase our individual and collective
capacities. To me, we often major in minors and minor in majors.
As we page through Scriptures, beautiful tapestry of cooperation amongst God’s people are woven for us to appreciate the beauty of unity of purpose that prevailed amongst God’s people as they sought to accomplish God’s Will and strengthen themselves; to weaken, and if possible, destroy their common enemy. At Exodus 17:8-13, we find this example of three men of God cooperating to accomplish a purpose and to defeat their enemy:
“Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, ‘Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.’ So, Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side, and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.” (KJV).
These men of God cooperated with one another to accomplish God’s Will. No one would have done it alone without the contributions of others. By cooperation, they brought their respective strengths to bear. The result was victory for the Lord and to His people. Isaiah 41:6-7 paints a picture of what cooperation entails:
“They helped everyone his neighbour; and everyone said to his brother, ‘Be of good courage.’ So, the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he who smoothed with the hammer him who smoothed the anvil, saying, ‘It is ready for the soldering,’ and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.”
CONCEPTUALIZING COOPERATION
By simple definition, Cooperation is the act of joining forces together to achieve a purpose. It is act or practice of one person or a group of persons complementing the deficiencies of another person or others. This is the essence of the message, which Apostle Paul sought to convey at II Corinthians 8:14 – 15:
“… Let your abundance at this time make up for their shortage, so that their surplus may go toward your lack, and thus conditions may become equalized, as it is written, ‘The one who got much had nothing over and the one who got little did not lack.’” (Revised Berkeley Version)
Charles Osgood told the story of two ladies who lived in a convalescent center. Each had suffered an incapacitating stroke. Margaret’s stroke left her left side restricted, while Ruth’s stroke damaged her right side. Both of these ladies were accomplished pianists, but they had given up hope of ever playing piano again. One day, the director of the Center brought them together and encouraged them to cooperate with each other. So, the one whose right hand was alive cooperated with the one whose left hand was alive and they became a great band of pianists.
The beauty of cooperation is seen among sports men and women, especially in the field of play. No team which ever desires to win ever trifles with cooperation. In the world of business, business men and women often cooperate to win contracts and to execute them successfully.
On Monday, September 26, 2022, Evangelist Dr. Imoh Atakpa, Minister, Church of Christ, Kubwa, Abuja called me to follow up on a man who had viewed the television Gospel program aired on a television channel here in Abuja and needed to be followed up. Because I live in Enugu, I had to contact Evangelist Felix Aniamalu, Minister, Church of Christ, Okpoko, Anambra State to complete the evangelistic work initiated by the Brethren here in Abuja.
Just
imagine the web of activities that led to this prospect’s interest in the
Gospel Message – started by Abuja Brethren, conveyed to me in Enugu and then I
relayed it to a Minister of the Gospel in Onitsha, Anambra State. How was this
possible? COOPERATION! Who benefited from this web of activities? Our Lord
Jesus Christ! Did we sin when we cooperated? Obviously, NO!!!
God has not called Congregations to Compete with one another, but to Cooperate with one another.
Throughout Scripture, God’s desire has been that His People should demonstrate high sense of responsibility towards the needs and concerns of one another either as individuals or as body corporate. When God’s people cooperate by pulling their resources (human, material, theological and spiritual) together, they do exploits. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 affirms:
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him who is alone when he falls; for he does not have anyone to help him up.”
In God’s economy, no one is an island. Collectivism is preferred above individualism. Painting a picture of the power of cooperation, Leviticus 26:8 says:
“And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.”
In God’s scheme of things for His Church, His desire is that Congregations should be autonomous in leadership, but should bond through cooperation. In other words, Congregational autonomy should not constitute a hindrance to Church cooperation. Any teaching that seeks to divide the Brotherhood by emphasizing that each congregation should not extend her hands of fellowship in moments of needs or celebration, is a doctrine from Hell. Even though congregations are self-governing, they are not altogether islands unto themselves.
PATTERN: HEART OF SCRIPTURAL TEACHINGS ON COOPERATION
Writing on the need for Pattern, Reuel Lemmons, former editor of Action (a World Bible School publication) in an article published in “One Body” (Summer 1988, page 4) wrote:
“We must go
to pattern theology for our very concept of the church…. Everything we read in
the Scriptures enforces the pattern concept… Redemption follows a pattern or it
doesn’t. Worship follows a pattern or it doesn’t. Church government
follows a pattern or it doesn’t. The Christian life follows a pattern or
it doesn’t. If there is no pattern, then one way to be saved is as good
as another; one may worship anyway he pleases, govern the church anyway he
chooses and live any kind of life he wishes to live.”
Pattern theology simply establishes for us how things should be done. At Hebrews 8:5, we read:
“Who serve as example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern showed to you on the mount.’”
To
prove any statement as Biblically true, as well as to establish a given
Biblical pattern, we must show that it is taught in God’s Word. To isolate one
truth against the rest is a grand redefinition of theological rascality and
recklessness. In his article, “Departures
from the Faith,” published by Grace
and Truth Magazine (June, 1999:16), T. M. Clement, Jr. observed:
“Those who set a truth apart, have truth in part and
from the Truth depart.”
Isaiah 8:20 says:
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
Sound Biblical
Hermeneutics demands that as those who are willing to do God’s Will, we should
stick to what we are told, not live by our own assumptions. To this end, I
Peter 4:11 says:
“If any man speaks, let him speak as the
oracle of God; if any man ministers, let him do it as of the ability which God
gives; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be
praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
There
are three distinct ways in which Bible teaches:
§ By direct command or
prohibition.
§ By approved example (in this
case the example must be exclusive).
§ By necessary (essential) inference (implication), that is, logical conclusions reached from a Biblical text or texts.
IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC PATTERN OF CHURCH COOPERATION?
I
must admit that there is lack of specific command
or prohibition in regard to
church cooperation in evangelism or edification. The absence of such a command
proves at least that church cooperation is not forbidden. Second, there is no
exclusive pattern of church cooperation taught in the Bible. The following may
be properly considered examples of New Testament cooperation:
1.
Cooperation Between Individuals. At II Timothy 4:9 Apostle Paul said to Timothy:
“Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me.”
This is a case of cooperation between two
individual preachers.
2. One Individual
and Several Other Individuals. At
Romans 16:1-2, Apostle Paul wrote:
“I commend to you, Phoebe our sister,
who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea: that ye receive her in the Lord, as
becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of
you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla
and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own
necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the
Gentiles.”
This
is an example of an individual Christian cooperating with other Christians in across
spectrums to accomplish God’s Will in their climes.
3.
A Christian Family Cooperating With Individual
Christians. 1 Corinthians 16:15 says:
“I beseech you, brethren, (you know the
house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have
addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.”
4. “Disciples”
Cooperating With “Elders” (Acts
11:27-30).
“And in these days came prophets from
Jerusalem to Antioch. And there one of them named Agabus stood up, and
signified by the Spirit that there would be great famine throughout all the
world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples,
everyone according to their abilities, determined to send relief to the
brethren who lived in Judaea. This, they
did and sent same to the elders through Barnabas and Saul.”
5. Several Congregations
Cooperating With One Another. II Corinthians
8:1-11 tells us:
“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of
the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great
trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded
unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea,
and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much
entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the
ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave
their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Insomuch that we
desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same
grace also. Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and
knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in
this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness
of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. And herein I give my advice:
for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also
to be forward a year ago. Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there
was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which
ye have.”
6. A Congregation Cooperating With Several Other Congregations
(Acts 15:4-23; 16:4-5).
7. Individual churches supporting a preacher in the field while he labours with other brethren. II Corinthians 11:7-8 say:
“Have I committed an offence in abasing
myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of
God freely? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.”
8. A preacher receiving support from an individual. Galatians 6:6 says:
“Let him who is taught the Word
communicate to him who teaches him in all good things.”
Which of the above
is the exclusive pattern?
Since there is no
exclusive pattern of church cooperation taught in the Bible, church cooperation
in evangelism and other expansion programmes cannot be forbidden on the grounds
of an exclusive, approved example. The basic principle of cooperation is found
in Romans 12:15:
“Rejoice with those who are rejoicing and mourn with
those who are mourning.”
If we can
cooperate with other congregations when it comes to burial, it is also
imperative that we should cooperate with them when it comes to evangelization
and other value-adding activities. At Acts 16:9-10, we read:
“And a vision appeared to Paul in the
night; there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, ‘Come over into
Macedonia, and help us.’ After he had seen the vision, immediately we
endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called
us to preach the gospel to them.”
Two major
obstacles when it comes to cooperation are laziness
and selfishness. Unfortunately, we
often hide under autonomy to display these.
In Nigeria, all Congregations of the Lord’s Church are cooperating with one another to ensure that the Church remains. About twenty years ago, Churches of Christ in Nigeria were threatened when the issue of Registration and Board of Trustees cropped up. Initially, Congregations of the Lord’s Church across Nigeria cried blue murder, pointing that cooperating to have a Board of Trustees would impact negatively on Congregational Autonomy. The Church was caught between the rock and a hard place – would She cooperate to remain alive in Nigeria or refuse to do so and be banned from existence in Nigeria? Some persons even suggested that the Church should join Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). In fact, the Church was already tinkering with that idea. I remember that it was at a meeting held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State that Brother Barrister Dr. Christian Chukwumankeonyeneme Churchill Obeagu, former Head, Department of Law, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) rose to the occasion and told Brethren not to. It was at that meeting that lawyer-brethren who were present were requested to come up with a policy document. They did and today, there is a Board of Trustees and the Church is in existence. Thus far, no congregation’s autonomy has been violated. Without this effort at cooperation, it would be against the Law to exist as Church of Christ, Nigeria.
Sometimes we are afraid over nothing. Some of us believe that because the Church is not centrally organized, we would be running foul of Scripture if we should cooperate to undertake huge projects initiated in one area of the country or the other. What should concern us is whether the name of the Lord is glorified and His Cause sustained.
In
2022, all congregations of the Lord’s Church in Southeastern Nigeria overcame
the pettiness of autonomy to cooperate to recover Trans-Nkisi, off, 3-3 area
near Onitsha, Anambra State. For over forty years, the Lord’s Church received
seventeen (17) plots of land from Anambra State Government under the administration
of His Excellency, Jim Nwobodo. “Should
the Church cooperate or not” to take advantage of this provision? We were
dilly-dallying until some Brethren took the bull by its horn, initiated moves
and today, Churches of Christ in Southeast, Nigeria have cooperated to recover
what belongs to her. This is a location where a plot of lands sells for between
N25 million and above. A number of
Projects have been planned for the Trans-Nkisi Project.
REPOSITIONING THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST
CENTURY AND MINISTERS’ COOPERATION
There is no gainsaying the fact that as preachers go, so go their respective congregations. Preachers are catalysts. An empowered minister is an empowered congregation. A weak minister will always have a negative effect on the congregation he serves.
Most times, we talk about congregational cooperation and leave behind cooperation amongst ministers. Preachers can cooperate in various ways to empower themselves. This is what we do in Enugu State. In Enugu State, we have set up what we call, Progressive Preachers’ Forum. Our motto is: “Preachers for Preachers.” In PPF, preachers are cooperating to take care of their welfare. We pool resources together to buy plots of land to resell and engage in various productive economic activities such as farming, etcetera. This is a classic case of cooperation amongst preachers. Our guiding Scripture is Genesis 49:14-15:
“Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.”
This cooperative efforts are yielding great dividends for preachers in Enugu State. In Ogoja area of Cross River State, preachers are cooperating to establish a school. Nothing stops preachers in Abuja and its environs from beginning to cooperate amongst themselves to empower themselves economically and materially.
In Eastern Nigeria, most of the landmark institutions associated with Churches of Christ are efforts of cooperation and collaboration amongst Brethren. One of these is Nigerian Christian Hospital, Nlagu, Abia State.
A
preacher who is economically empowered is a preacher who can take care of
himself and his family without unnecessarily depending on his congregation and
others for sustenance.
IN WHAT AREAS SHOULD PREACHERS COOPERATE TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL?
Acts 17:6 tells us,
“…These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”
Even though the above comment was intended to malign the Brethren who were labouring in Thessalonica to advance the Gospel, it was a powerful comment on their cooperative dexterity. This feat would not have been possible were it not for cooperation.
Cooperation is a critical factor in the advancement of any Cause. If Brethren in the First Century could cooperate to positively upset their environments without the technological advancements at our disposals today, then we owe the Gospel a better deal.
The Church can cooperate to establish a media organization. Why be a SERVANT when you can play BOSS? The Church can cooperate to establish an estate. Why play TENANT when you can play LANDLORD?
Philippians 4:8 provides guidelines of where and how the Church should cooperate:
“… brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
CONGREGATIONAL AUTONOMY AND CO-OPERATION
All
congregations of the Lord’s Church are under the Great Commission of Christ (Matthew
28:18-20; Mark 16:15). This Commission specifically authorizes us to “go” and “preach.” We are not told how to “go” in any particular fashion (train, air, sea, land, mail, etcetera)
or how to “preach” in any specific way (print or electronic media, one-on-one,
open-door, etcetera). We are at liberty to go in any expedient manner and we
are at liberty to use the best possible avenues of evangelistic opportunities. Hence,
Church Cooperation in evangelism cannot
be prohibited on the grounds of necessary inference. In fact, we may
necessarily infer that churches of Christ in Bible cooperated in evangelism
BECAUSE cooperation is practical, expedient and scriptural!
Since Church Cooperation in evangelism is not
specifically forbidden in the Bible; since it is not excluded by means of an
approved example and since we cannot necessarily infer from Scripture that it
is wrong, we conclude, therefore, that Churches of Christ should cooperate in
evangelism, edification and benevolence when they are considered expedient to
the advancement of the Gospel.
PURPOSE OF
CONGREGATIONAL AUTONOMY
Local churches were the only medium through which early Christians carried on their religious work, whether in missions (Acts 13:1-3; 14:25-28), charity (Acts 11:28-30) or education (Hebrews 10:24-25). Each community of believers was sufficient to do its work. No larger organizations, such as characterize Christendom today were put in place in apostolic times when there were problems affecting more than one congregation, representatives of one congregation went to the church whence the problem arose to discuss the matter (Acts 15:1-2).
This independence by the local church is often called “Congregational autonomy,” that is, self-governing congregations. In regard to Faith and Practice, the church is a monarchy as she is subject to her Lord. But in matters of opinion, expediency, and human judgment, each congregation is an independent, self-governing unit. In his book, Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ, Leroy Brownlow wrote:
Autonomy is defined as “right of
self-government; a self-governing state; an independent body.” In the First
Century each congregation was independent of every other congregation. The Church
in Rome or Jerusalem had no authority over the churches in other communities.
Men outside the congregation had no right to exercise authority and power
within the congregation. The elders and deacons in one congregation had no
authority to exercise any other kind of rule over the elders and deacons in
another congregation. Each church was free and independent, under the teaching
of Christ and the Apostles, to govern itself, carry on its own work, and manage
its own affairs. There was no system of church government larger or smaller
than the local congregation. All congregations had the same head, foundation,
and mission; preached the same Gospel; constituted the one body. But each was
independent to direct its own work!
The wisdom of God is seem in such an arrangement for His churches. If one became corrupted in doctrine or affected by evil practices, other churches would not be so affected. If dissension arose in one, it would not spread to the others; if one perished, the others would not be dragged down. If a window is made of one large pane, a break injures the entire pane; but if it be made of several panes, it is not so bad to break one. The independence of the churches is a protection for each one.
Autonomy is not Isolation. Early congregations practiced a fullness of fellowship, cooperation, mutual assistance, and communication. There was a sense of being One Body under One Lord (Ephesians 4:4-5). There were to be no dividing barriers between believers, whether racial (Ephesians 2) or cultural (Romans 14 -15). Examples of local churches cooperating together are seen in Acts 11:28-30; Romans 15:25-26 and 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. Such mutual cooperation is evident throughout the pages of the New Testament.
It is wrong, therefore, to hide under autonomy to teach and practice what are not in line with plain teachings of the Bible. It is also wrong to hide under autonomy to deny other congregations of our cooperation towards enlarging the borders of God’s Kingdom in hearts and communities of men through evangelism, edification, benevolence, etcetera.
CONCLUSION
Congregational autonomy was not designed by God to divide the Brotherhood and make them islands unto themselves, but to protect the system from total collapse and corruption. Cooperation was also designed by God to bring Brethren together and accomplish things that will bring praise and glory to Him.
Since we cannot do anything against the Truth (II Corinthians 13:8), let us come together and cooperate to become Helpers of the Truth (III John 8)!
Cooperation is God’s idea for His work to progress. Let us become co-labourers in God’s Vineyard! At Matthew 13:30, our Lord says:
“He who is not with me is against me and he who does not gather with me scatters.”
May God richly bless us all in Jesus’ name!
