Corporate Worship, Masculinity, and Leadership

“For the past 30-50 years, the church has been infatuated with keynote Christianity where infotainers crack jokes and sprinkle in Scripture. As a result, these pulpiteers have left thousands of congregations with a Christ the people want but not the Christ that God sent. In truth, we have made a Jesus in our own image…We have traded the fire and brimstone preaching of the early 20th century for the soft and encouraging Ted-Talk style infotainers of today. We have moved from classic hymns about doctrine and sacrifice and piety to emotional love songs where people sway their hips to ‘Jesus is my boyfriend.’”

Dale Partridge

“…what do we call a person who shepherds and exercises oversight over the church of Christ? We call that person an elder. What is clear when we recognize the ‘building up’ significance of corporate worship is that planning and leadership within the context of a church’s corporate worship is a pastoral teaching function. Therefore, the leadership of a church’s worship, including the planning of services and leadership within the service, ought to be performed by God-called, spiritually qualified elders. Biblical worship is led by the Great Shepherd and his under-shepherds.” 

Scott Aniol