Accountability

Who has your back?  Is there someone in your life who takes responsibility to make sure that you are living your life in obedience to Christ and to the glory of God?  What about your church?   Are you just doing your own thing, or are there others who watch over you and hold you accountable?  Personally?   As a church leader?  As a church?

For some, being answerable to another for who you are and what you do is unheard of.   In the first pages of the Bible we read about Cain, who was asked by God:   "Where is your brother Abel?"   His response:  "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4)  In other words, "Don't ask me how others are doing!  I don't worry about them.   I just worry about myself."   As churches in the CRCA we would say that we ARE our brothers and sisters' keepers.   As churches we have the backs of other churches.   We hold one another accountable.

We have been considering the Biblical values that shape the culture of the CRCA, a contemporary, Reformed, gospel-focused denomination.   One of our core values is 'Local Church Empowering'.   By this value we are saying that as a denomination we are light on structures and hierarchy, and high on support, partnership, mutual accountability and encouragement.   We have already considered the aspects of support and partnership.   We now turn to the aspect of mutual accountability.

In the CRCA we desire to have thriving churches, churches that are faithful to Scripture, effective in gospel ministry, that nurture believers, and reach the lost for Christ.  When it comes to believers, the Bible clearly teaches that as Christians we must live holy lives that reflect the holiness of God.   (1 Peter 1:13-16)   Our concern should not simply focus on how we live, but also what we believe and teach.   The apostle Paul writes to Timothy:  "Watch your life and doctrine closely." (1 Timothy 4:16)   Or as Paul writes to Titus:  "You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine."  (Titus 2:1)   When fellow believers do not watch their life or doctrine closely, then we as Christians have a responsibility to go to them, point out their error, and help them to return to holy living and sound doctrine.   In Matthew 18 Jesus tells us how to address the sins of fellow believers.   If a brother or sister in Christ is at fault, we are to go to them and point out their sin.   If they listen and turn from sin, we have won them over.  But if they refuse to listen, then we must take another fellow believer with us along.  If that still does not produce repentance and faith, then we are to tell the whole church -- so that together we can pray, encourage, seek to correct, and help those who have strayed return to the fold.  We are to "carry each other's burdens" and seek to "gently restore" those who have fallen into sin.  This is how we fulfill the law of Christ of having love for one another. (See John 13:34; Galatians 6:1-2)   For this reason, as Reformed churches, we value church discipline - a means by which lovingly restore people back to faithful life and doctrine.  (See Belgic Confession, Article 32)   In our CRCA Church Order we stress that "all members of the church are responsible to watch over, encourage, and admonish one another in love." (Article 77)  As fellow believers we have the backs of other believers.   We hold them accountable in terms of how they live out their lives and what they believe and/or teach.  This mutual accountability used to take place through elders making home visits with church members.  While this practice is slowly fading with the passing of time, the rise of Life Groups, Growth Groups, Small Groups, and the like provide an excellent opportunity to practise mutual accountability.

We also desire to see thriving church leaders:  pastors, elders, deacons, and ministry leaders.   This is another reason we value mutual accountability.   In the words of James Estep, Jr., "Leaders must hold themselves accountable for their performance and hold others likewise accountable....  In short, accountability for one's efficiency and effectiveness must always receive concise, targeted feedback with an accompanying plan for developmental initiatives when necessary....  A lack of accountability will lead to institutional crisis and failure."  (Management Essentials for Christian Ministries, p. 363)   In Reformed churches we have this regular practise (at least four times a year) called "mutual censure".   Through mutual censure, the life and duties of all office bearers are evaluated. (CRCA Church Order, Article 33b)   This is all about mutual accountability.   As church leaders we have each other's backs.

I am thankful that in my denominational role I receive regular and targeted feedback about my life, ministry, and doctrine.   This is done through both formal and informal evaluations.   Throughout my four decades of gospel ministry, including serving three churches, I have insisted on regular evaluations of my ministry.   I welcome feedback. Every pastor ought to do the same.  If not, this could easily lead to personal ministry crisis and moral failure.   For those of us in ministry, if we truly desire to run our race with perseverance (see 1 Timothy 4:16; 6:11-12; 2 Timothy 4:7-8), there needs to be accountability.

As churches we value mutual accountability among believers, among church leaders, and also among churches.  While we insist that "no church shall in any way lord it over another church" (Church Order Article 86), this does not do away with mutual accountability.   Through the regular meetings of Classis, as churches we "carefully watch that the churches discharge their calling and task faithfully."  (Church Order Article 44)  This is all about helping one another thrive in ministry, so that we will faithfully do what God has called us to do as local congregations.   As churches we have each other's backs.

So who has your back?   As a believer?  As a church leader?  As a church?   Who is watching over you?   This is all about mutual accountability.