Labor Day Thought: Churches are Just Like Labor Unions

Labor Unions had their day back when. There was a need to band together to keep equity and safety in the workplace. Most people would agree that much of that has now passed. In fact some would say, there is no working class. As Unions have lost influence and power the parallel between unions and the western church is worth considering and perhaps see if there is a way to break the spell that is causing deterioration in both:

• Union members call each other brother...considered to be a brotherhood
• Church members call each other brother and consider fellow members to be brethren

• Unions are organized around particular disciplines, plumbers, iron workers, electricians
• Churches are organized around particular doctrines, Lutheran, Catholic, Oneness, Holiness, Pentecostal, Methodist and so forth.

• There is a fee taken from your paycheck for being a member of a union
• There is a fee given (Implied required) by Members for being a part of a church

• There are rules and regulations one has to follow to be a union member in good standing
• There are rules and regulations one must follow to be a Church Member in good standing

• Policy changes and action of a union is taken by membership votes. Only MEMBERS decide on these by VOTE
  
• Policy changes and action of a church is taken by membership votes

• Union leaders usually live far above the average wage earner's lifestyle. It's considered OK
• Church leadership (Pastors etc) usually live above the average lifestyle of it's members

• When an issue comes up for review, they always go back to the established rules in a union
• When an issue comes up for question, Churches always tilt backwards toward tradition.

• If you want to be a union member you start at the bottom. You take the menial jobs to start. You don't get called into the cherry jobs until you have paid your dues
• If you want to be a Church ministry member, you start out at the bottom. Clean toilets. Armor bearer. Usher. You don't get to do actual ministry until you have "Paid your dues".

• Decisions made at the senior level in unions often are focused on furthering an agenda that has nothing to do with the membership's well being. Building fancy new union halls. Getting a cushy pension for the Leaders. Union provided automobiles.
• The church does EXACTLY the same thing.

• The most feared movement in America is the increasing effect of Right to Work states where people's employment depends not on union membership and seniority, but on a person's ability gifting and skill. They do all in their power to stop those who use ability to find a workplace.
• The most feared movement in the Church world is the house church, the independent ministry, the break out leader that without the requisite schooling who makes a huge impact in spite of his lack of dues paid. The organized church does all it can to stop this kind of growth. Who knows, someone with a fresh anointing might demonstrate how that looks in building the kingdom.

• In a union you have to be certified and spend time in "Classes" to do certain jobs. Your level of certification is what qualifies you to do certain high paying work. Until you have paid your dues in time and seeking these qualifications you don't dare take a job you aren't certified for. Many very specialized uni0n workers are qualified to do one part of the job, but not another. That takes another union member with a different qualification.
• In the church we do exactly the same thing. We licence, send people to training, even seminary, we ordain, we award status to people who have gone thru the apprentice program. We then end up with certified altar workers, certified musicians, certified preachers, certified youth workers. Each of them is a speciality that by it's specialization seems to dis include any other.

• Union rules require that union workers only work on specific tasks using outdated procedures with an emphasis on keeping qualified workers well employed. For this reason we have Lead Pipe sewers in Chicago. There is no Plastic Plumbing. We use only romex when the non union states use 12/3 plastic wiring safely all over the world. Union rules always resort to old ways, old traditions, old policies in an effort to keep the new from change the requirement for Certified workers.
• The church does exactly the same thing. It resorts to old ways with an effort to maintain the hierarchy. The Pharisees were good at this in Jesus' time. They loved to follow the "Work Rules" and try to keep the "Unqualified Uncertified" from working.

Jesus came to destroy the religious systems. He came to implement a "Right to Work" form of discipleship. He came to mandate that EVERYONE should go out into the world, baptize, teach, disciple others to do the work of the ministry.

We have come to a point in our western church where the "unions" have stifled the church. We see the deterioration and drift from Unions in America, membership and influence dropping like a rock. We see the same thing happening in the Church.

Perhaps it's time to rethink our whole union hall mentality in the church...? Get to your local union hall next Sunday? OR NOT