Submission under authority

[Eucalypt]

I’m looking for a new church currently and recently attended an independent church. They were very friendly and welcoming but I was a bit alarmed that their focus seems to be more strongly that I am used to on connections to particular church leaders (the link with the original founder church actually describes their leader as ‘Apostle’) and a passage in their statement of beliefs stating that all in authority must be under authority. ‘Therefore the church membership is under authority in matters of doctrine, personal behaviour and governance.’
I don’t have the same beliefs in entirety that they do (eg I am a universalist in my views in heaven and hell and believe in evolution as Gods method of creation) and am used to a church where discussions about different beliefs can be held freely and challenged. Their description of small close groups of Christians is really appealing to me but I have done some reading and feel wary that it might feel quite pressurising. I’ve had enough other situations in my life of people telling me to suppress my own values and don’t want to end up somewhere else where this might happen. Has anyone got any experience of church’s with this sort of statement about beliefs? Am I just being paranoid because of my precision experiences?

Sorry last bit was meant to read ‘previous experience’

I think within any church you will find a very broad range of people and beliefs and you may need to just give it a go and see what it is like. You could ask to meet up with one of the leaders and ask any questions and concerns you have. I am a bit wary of churches with what I would call heavy eldership who feel they can dictate how people live.

Mainstream churches are usually less prone to this kind of thing. My own (church of Scotland) is certainly not authoritarian- we are presbyterian, so no bishops, and the minister in each church is simply the “teaching elder”, ie the member who has the divinity degree and knowledge.
My own parish has always been welcoming and inclusive - our previous minister was a lesbian and feminist!

I think you are sensible to be wary.

Thanks for the advice. I think I will see what other churches are around - your church sounds lovely Babdoc - although sadly Scotland would make for a very very long drive every Sunday!

In England the United Reformed Church might be similar in feel to the Church of Scotland.

I’ve been to Methodist services when on holiday in England, which were broadly similar to our church of Scotland in style, too.
I hope you find somewhere that is a good fit for you, OP. Remember that you always have a personal relationship directly with God - church merely helps to facilitate that and provide you with a community of fellow worshippers.

I would be very concerned. The potential for controlling behaviour by the leadership is high. They may justify it by saying it is in the bible but it usually revolves around sex and what the leadership thinks is wrong. This might include divorce, women in leadership, homosexuality, women leaving abusive husbands and so on. Independent churches tend to be conservative on these matters. It isn't just about doctrine and that penal substitionary atonement is likely to be the only correct understanding of the cross.

In the mainstream churches there is oversight from national organisations that look after the selection and training of its minsters, priest or elders. Independent churches may not have that and anyone can work their way up into senior positions.

It might be fine but it might not.