tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18950992.post6153656284287138125..comments2009-01-31T14:05:48.246-05:00Keith Schooleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06328169815024415532noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18950992.post-57022771818187591432009-01-31T14:05:00.000-05:002009-01-31T14:05:00.000-05:00Hi Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>First of all, thanks for dropping by and commenting.<BR/><BR/>Just so we're clear, I'm not a member of the Calvary Chapel fellowship and never have been, and I have no firsthand knowledge of Chuck Smith's authority over those churches. As the post states, I actually disagree with Wagner's designation of Pastor Chuck as an "apostle." So I'm not in any way trying to support (or, for that matter, to denigrate) any authority that Pastor Chuck may assert or that other people may attribute to him. My post really has nothing to do with that question at all, and I'm not in a position to be able to comment on it.<BR/><BR/>With regard to the "movement" vs. "denomination" thing, well, I am a member of a church body (Assemblies of God) that prefers the term "fellowship" to "denomination." Personally, I think the distinction is pointless: to "denominate" something simply means to name it. By that standard, the Assemblies of God have been a denomination ever since they chose the name at their first General Council in 1914.<BR/><BR/>The Church as a whole has always struggled with the problems of centralized leadership vs. the problems of decentralized leadership. There are significant problems on both sides, and even splitting the difference by having some kind of shared (e.g., Presbyterian) structure doesn't solve it: at some level, God has chosen to bestow on us flawed human beings the job of managing His Church. Neither all of us doing our own thing nor one person imposing his will on all will accomplish God's will for His people.<BR/><BR/>Once again, thanks for dropping by.Keith Schooleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04078256877683382439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18950992.post-24223817239870383182009-01-31T12:20:00.000-05:002009-01-31T12:20:00.000-05:00So if so does Chuck have power over all the churches and if so how then is that not a domination? I can understand the movement thing, but many take this to mean he is right about everything and the ones he sends out are out of a direct line, if so what happens when they mess up real bad and hurt people? Not being attacking, just trying to get a grip. <BR/>Thank youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com