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Church Unification

Not long ago, I was asked my opinion regarding the best ways to establish unification within House Churches. I’d like to hear YOUR opinion as well. I responded (in BLUE) and was CC’d the response of a friend of mine, Robert Fitts (in BLACK). Your thoughts? WARNING: I may use them in a related article. If you prefer your name NOT be used, just say so. Please…no longer than what you see here. Thanks!

MY RESPONSE…

…My opinion? Water runs downhill. The oil ran down Aaron’s beard down to the rest of him. We need to start at the proverbial “top.”

If you haven’t already done so, you might want to include Robert Fitts in the loop. When he and I visited recently here in Texas, he asked if I’d be interested in helping him with something he referred to as A.I.M. (Association of Itinerant Ministers). These church planters, coaches and apostle-types would be able to discuss issues that only THEY as Itinerants can relate to [Pray for this initial meeting coming May19th in California]. They would be able to find each other. A guy named Peter, for example, could email Timothy, “Hey, Tim, I was asked to speak in Cleveland next Friday and Saturday but my mother-in-law’s coming to town. Are you available to pick up my gig?” If Timothy’s bio informed Peter that he was against women in eldership, for example - something Peter was in favor of - he could call Paul instead. We MUST raise up these types from within the ranks of HC’s…

Secondly, a “Renewing of the Mind” campaign might help, letting as many HC groups as possible know the importance of Itinerant Workers - then and now and in the future - and our responsibility toward them - and that many are now available to HC’s at one website. Each Itinerant could post a profile, listing their strengths, beliefs, a brief bio, territory preference…

Before all that, I’m a believer in “Relationship before Function” and I love the concept of cross-pollinating and gathering in smaller regional conferences (gatherings of the clans). I’d love to see “Times of Worship” made available where we could gather en masse on a quarterly basis or more as the participants catch the vision and put on their own events. I also love Revivalist Larry Silverman’s “Meetings of the Work” a la Paul at Troas (he spoke at our Jan 27th conference in Dallas).

These things will take time, I know, and effort..and prayer. But if we write down the vision and make it plain, those who read it will run with it…at least, those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying…

By “connected,” we may only be referring to our mutual website and use of the same apostolic types and simultaneous gatherings in some stadiums for worship. We need not fear becoming another denomination; we need to embrace the possibility, however, of becoming a Body fitly joined. Moses’ father-in-law had a great idea for getting his army of Jews mobilized. We can do the same. Joel 2 describes an army of locusts, none jostling for position. We can do likewise.

But there has NEVER been a tidy move of God. EVER. All we can do is the best we can do.

Not sure if this helped at all. BTW, I’m opposed to becoming a 501c3 myself as A) I’m already tax-exempt under the constitution and B) few people give enough to my ministry to itemize and therefore don’t need the deduction. Maybe a large-scale ministry might need that, but too many small ministries see it - and are wrongly informed - that it somehow “legitimizes” them.

Michael Tummillo

FROM ROBERT FITTS…

I am in agreement with your sense of the need for more coming together of house church people all over the USA and the world. More networking, more working together, and more fellowship.

I see the work [that House2House Ministries* is doing] to be the most significant thing going right now, at least in the USA, and I am praising God for what is happening!

As long as we can plan and present National, Regional, State, and Local gatherings to teach, share, testify, encourage, guide, comfort, and stimulate one another, I believe God will show us how to make this movement even stronger in the days, weeks, months and years ahead!

As a part of my input on this matter, I need to point to the words of Jesus, “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.” This means that He is watching over how we build in response to His directions. He is aware of all that is going on, worldwide, and will help us avoid the pitfalls and snares that are always there in such a work as this. He is overseeing the entire operation, so it is not as if we were scattered, isolated groups without an All Wise Overseer directing us at every turn! Amen?

The problem with going too far and too fast in making connections nearly always tends to take on the nature and outworking of denominationalism and exclusivity, which flows sooner or later into hierarchy. (top down). For example, if I were to seek to connect a large number of churches under OFI [Robert's Outreach Fellowship International], and start calling them OFI churches. I have immediately erected a fence or a wall . . . with some inside the fence and some on the outside. We all want to avoid that…

At the same time, I do not badmouth those who may be heading in that direction. I do pray for them that they will not take on the spirit of “Us and Them.” I believe you can be a denomination without breeding a spirit of exclusivity. I could name some as well as some Missionary Organizations who are highly organized and yet continue to embrace all that God embraces worldwide. I believe unity and exclusivity are both attitudes of the heart. We can change our attitudes without necessarily having to change our structures. Israel was one nation and yet they were twelve denominations! (tribes with different names). God never faulted them for that…

Robert Fitts

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
*House2House Ministries will be having SIX Regional Conferences this year, including their NATIONAL CONFERENCE in Dallas on Labor Day Weekend. There will also be a European Conference in Germany in June! As for me and my house, see y’all in Dallas!