In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, we find the familiar illustration of the church as a body (I Cor. 12:12-27). Paul mentioned the feet, hands, ears and eyes that belong to the body. He even contrasts body parts that are weaker with those that are stronger and those that are less honorable with those that are more honorable. This illustration captures the unity and interconnectedness of the church and highlights each member’s unique role. It’s a reminder that each of us is an integral part of the larger whole, contributing to our church’s health and growth.
When pieces come together to make something larger, characteristics and capabilities often emerge that didn’t exist in the individual parts. The apostle Paul observed this principle when he concluded that the church, “just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ” (I Cor. 12:12 NIV). People who study economics separate the understanding of the consequences of individual decisions and large-scale factors like interest rates. Conversations about church health do the same thing.
Whether in secular studies or the service of a local church, I get excited when I think about emergence. Nobody I’ve read or spoken with can explain what happens when individuals come together to make something bigger than themselves. People smarter than me make attempts to reverse-engineer and reconfigure these pieces, but they are forced to admit that a miraculous event takes place when they come together. I’m happy to acknowledge that when it comes to the church, “…God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be” (I Cor. 12:18). The miracle is the handiwork of our Creator.
If Missionary Baptists have any pet doctrine, it is what we believe about the church. The writings and contributions made by the leaders within our work have primarily focused on the nature and function of the church. Our Doctrinal Statement gives more specificity to no other system of theology. This focus has been the key to our strength and health as an association. I desire and pray that the BMA of America, and each state and local association, will be strong and healthy. My desire stems from appreciating this principle of emergence.
Associations are comprised of local and autonomous churches. Through associations, churches can do more than they could ever do alone. We are partners together in ministry. The small church I shepherd has the potential to raise a person with a desire to serve in missions without being limited by the provisions of one congregation. We can participate in ministries that our limited resources as a church couldn’t provide for on their own, like the Baptist Publishing House, Daniel Springs Camp, Lifeword, BMA Theological Seminary and Moral Action! This potential and power of the church should inspire us to strive for more, to reach out beyond our individual capacities and to make a greater impact in the world.
When we discuss the health of larger systems, we should learn from Paul’s illustration that the pieces make the whole. No one can make our associations healthier than they are today by focusing their attention on what needs to change. A healthy association is made up of healthy churches, so our focus should be on getting the individual parts healthy.
The church is the body of Christ. Unlike associations, Jesus has given the local church authority in this world. With that authority comes the responsibility of protecting the purity of the gospel and the church’s witness, extending the reach of the gospel to all the tribes of the earth and the ability to make decisions. There is no substitute for healthy churches in the ministry. These emerging properties that make the church what it is are breathtaking when we take the time to appreciate what God has built together. We want healthy churches, so we need healthy churches, which means we need healthy Christians.
That is where the rubber meets the road. Aristotle’s famous quote, “The parts of the whole are greater than the sum of all of its parts,” often gets misunderstood and misapplied. The Greek philosopher identified the property of emergence in systems. He wasn’t saying that the whole is more important than the parts. My desire for healthy churches means I need to focus on my church. Taken one step further, my desire for my church to be healthy means I need to focus on being a healthy pastor. Keep going down this train of thought, and we’ll find that I have to focus on being a healthy Christian to be a healthy pastor.
Our understanding of this, as an association of Baptist churches, makes being a member of the BMA special. Our missions department, through the ministry of Healthy Church Solutions, pays special attention to investing in the spiritual needs of pastors. Our seminary, which has been in operation for 69 years, makes advanced training attainable with affordable tuition costs. Our publications department delivers a quality, spiritually enriching curriculum for our churches. When we get the parts of the whole healthy, God works a miracle in what we become together.
