Why Churches Must Unite To Fight Against Clericalism (2)

In the Part One, we defined clericalism, discussed its negative impact on the Church, the concerns raised by some church leaders to fight it and methods believers may use to uproot it.

In this Part, we wish to continue with the strategies churches must adopt to fight the cultural canker in Christianity and the positive impact they will make.

It is important that Christians pray for their pastors to take bold and pragmatic measures to stop wearing or using anything or adhering to any tradition that makes them appear superior, important or distinctive from them.

Secondly, Christian believers must stop playing a role in creating the clerical culture by relating to leaders as people who are superior over them or important than them. Thus, they have a role to play in solving the problem.

Essentially, the saints need to understand that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors (bishops) and teachers are not set in the Church as first-best Christians and them as second-best Christians.

All believers are equal before God by baptism. Thus, they are not different from their overseers in terms of their common status as children of God.

They also need to realise that they have a part in the ministry of Christ Jesus by using the ministry gifts and spiritual gifts the Lord and the Holy Spirit dispense to them to serve God’s purpose of advancing the Kingdom (1 Peter 4:10).

On the last day, Christ will require every believer to give account of how they used their gifts.

This should warn churches not to remain silent but speak up against the evil of clericalism which has robbed them of their ministries thereby making them function merely as passive spectators in the Church of God.

However, there is no doubt that this transformative process will certainly not happen overnight. It will take some time.

Moreover, naturally, it will be met with conflict and resistance. Leaders who have held onto these practices for decades will struggle within themselves as they try to reform.

However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, success will be eventually achieved through a few dedicated, committed and anointed ministers who will keep on preaching and teaching against the sin of clericalism with zeal.

Again, we should not just teach or preach about it, we should actually act and live a Christian life free from all forms of clericalism.

In other words, we must not be seen to be using the things or upholding the man-made traditions that clericalise the Church.

This, as George Wilson suggests, will require individual Christian leaders to risk throwing away old habits and behaving within a new way of life.

Successfully fighting against clericalism will promote oneness of the community of Christian believers as God purposed and designed.

It will advance the gospel of Jesus as all believers will be empowered to use their ministerial gifts dispensed to them by the Holy Spirit.

Finally, it will also minimize the problem of corruption and unaccountability in church leadership as people will have the boldness to expose evil things pastors do in the secret.

By James Quansah.