Silence is Fool’s Gold
Part 17 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority By Don Enevoldsen “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Why Do People Stay in an Abusive Church?
Part 16 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority By Don Enevoldsen “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone.’” (Genesis 2:18) Who would have thought that the first thing God identified as not good
Public Criticism of Leaders
Part 15 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority By Don Enevoldsen Risk is inherent in questioning authority. Jesus challenged the religious leadership of his day and they killed him. He openly taught contrary doctrine and publicly confronted directly those who
Enemy of the Human Race
Part 14 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority By Don Enevoldsen How things have changed. In 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville, a French writer and diplomat, published the first volume of his impressions of early American life, Democracy in America, a
Creflo Dollar and the Cult Culture
Part 13 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority By Don Enevoldsen “You’ve saved so many people,” a woman called out, her comment directed toward the preacher at the front of the large gathering. “I’ve saved them,” the preacher responded. “I
Question Everything
Part 12 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority By Don Enevoldsen A good leader will answer your questions. If you don’t understand something that is taught or preached, ask. If the purpose for a church policy seems inappropriate, question it.
Obey Your Leaders
Part 11 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority By Don Enevoldsen “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a
A Brief History of Hierarchy
Part 10 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority by Don Enevoldsen “He who honors the pastor has been honored by God; he who does anything without the knowledge of the pastor, does in reality serve the devil.” These words might
Paul and the Twelve Apostles
Part 9 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority by Don Enevoldsen Paul the Apostle is inevitably held up as the example of proper submission to church authority. He is the man who received direct revelation from God, performed great miracles
Deacons, Elders and Bishops
Part 8 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority by Don Enevoldsen In the beginning, church titles described function. Human beings quickly subverted them to denote status, particularly “apostle,” “prophet” and “pastor.” When speaking of leadership positions, however, there were three