Home Church Movement

[Areopagus]

Is anyone aware of this new movement that believes the "church" institution today is corrupt? Thus, they have taken to meeting strictly in homes. Normally, from what I gather, it is fathers who teach their families only in the home and disassociate themselves from pretty much everyone. They seem to ignore the text of Hebrews and take very far out of context the book of Acts.

It seems very Amish.

Has anyone personally dealt with this? My best friend is now involved in this heavily. He just went to the pastor and stepped down as elder, worship leader, and said he is now going to do things this way. It was a shock to everyone.

Any info is appreciated.

In Him,

Dustin...

 

[Scot]

Are you referring to what's being called "the end of the church age?" If so, this site may be helpful:

http://www.familyradioiswrong.com

It's not like the Amish. The Amish do gather together and have elders and pastors. They just don't have a church building.

The "end of the church age" movement believes that now there are no longer to be any pastors or elders.

In Christ,
Scot

 

[Areopagus]

Thanks for your response.

Yes, it seems very similar. Let me explain his position. Please forgive me if this topic has been covered, or if my questions seem ignorant.

This friend of mine has decided that he has "been led" to remove his family from the fellowship of our local "church." He says that churches are no longer Biblical because they are not mirrored to Acts 2:48. Although I took him through Scripture and exegeted the context of that passage, spoke of synagogues as a meeting place, went through Hebrews, Titus, Timothy, and a bit of church history, he refuses to listen (although he had no answers to my Biblical questions other than "I don't know&quot. He says that his family shouldn't hear anyone, [i:8855f33479]anyone[/i:8855f33479], but him teaching. He does not want anyones influence other than his. He has spoken of starting his own type of "church" out in the woods where he would build a house and "till the land" sort of a thing.

His position doesn't mesh with Scripture. He is ignoring the elder, overseer, leader roles. He is ignoring the body of Christ as a unit. He is ignoring a lot, obviously.

I will continue to research that link. I do appreciate it. Please let me know, anyone, if you have any other information. I care greatly about this friend. Ultimately, he is in the sovereign hand of my Lord. I know this. However, I do feel an obligation to stand for the truth in contrast to this falsity.

Dustin...

 

[blhowes]

Dustin,
That's too bad about your friend. I can imagine how much of a shock that must have been to those in the church. I'll keep him in prayer and also that he doesn't influence others (perhaps unknowingly) in the church to follow his example".

If you or the man's church are somehow able to help this man, I hope you'll share how.

It seems like it would be very hard to reach people who are in this movement. If this is the same group I'm thinking of, they have it in their mind that they have seen the abomination of desolation in the churches and have obeyed God's command to flee. There is no command to return to a church. They believe that we are in the great tribulation period where the Holy Spirit has been taken out of the churches and some believe the churches are now controlled by Satan!

Keeping your friend in prayer,
Bob

[Edited on 6-30-2004 by blhowes]

 

[Scot]

Ask your friend where he got this idea from. It's sounds very similar to the movement that Bob and I are thinking of but yet a bit different in some ways. The "end of the church age" teaching does teach that you should fellowship with other believers. They just think it shouldn't be in a church setting (pastors, elders, deacons). It sounds like your friend wants to cut himself off from everyone so I'm not sure if he's in the same movement that I'm thinking of.

 

[blhowes]

[b:a6562b4b35]Dan wrote:[/b:a6562b4b35]
Ask your friend where he got this idea from. It's sounds very similar to the movement that Bob and I are thinking of but yet a bit different in some ways. The "end of the church age" teaching does teach that you should fellowship with other believers.

Yeah, that's the part that threw me. If at all possible, they find other like-minded believers (who have also left the church) to fellowship with. If not in person, then in forums on the internet.

Bob

 

[Areopagus]

It may be that this isn't precisely the same movement.

He wants to sever himself from any and every church. He believes that is what God has called him to do. He has said that absolutely [b:2831a52ae8]no one[/b:2831a52ae8] is to influence the thinking of his family, but him. Ironic when I know that they view movies I refuse to watch. Ironic when I know that they are sinners, like the rest of us, who are under the authority of God's sovereignty.

He claims he will open up his home to neighbors, regardless of demoninational differences, etc, with the purpose of fellowship, prayer, and worship. Ironic, yet again, when you think of the previous notion that no one is to influence his family.

Fellas, I fear it is simply a running from God. He has wrestled with the doctrines of God's sovereignty for some time. Suddenly, this. I'm just not sure.

Yes, I did mean to cite Acts 2:48. It is his belief that the true church should resemble that. Again, ironic, no? The Acts 2 church is an institution, of sorts, that has specificity to it.

Prayer is appreciated and any knowledge on this sort of thing is useful. The reason I posted this on the forum, in this section, is because it does seem to me to be a movement that he has read about somewhere. I know that his wife, who sits at home all day long on the Internet, is VERY into the www.titus2.com stuff.

Dustin...

 

[Areopagus]

Right now I am using my Jedi forces to make everyone of you forget that I said Acts 2:48 rather than Acts 2:42. So, in light of my Jedi powers, all of you have forgotten the blunder, realizing that I have been studying Acts 13:48 and this is the reason for the mishap.

Now, that wasn't so hard was it?

 

[blhowes]

[b:bbcc330fc1]Dustin wrote:[/b:bbcc330fc1]
Right now I am using my Jedi forces to make everyone of you forget that I said Acts 2:48 rather than Acts 2:42. So, in light of my Jedi powers, all of you have forgotten the blunder, realizing that I have been studying Acts 13:48 and this is the reason for the mishap.

That's amazing. Not only that, but the Jedi forces even edited one of my posts and deleted another one! How'd they do that????

The force be with you,
Bob

[Edited on 6-30-2004 by blhowes]

 

[Areopagus]

Good man!

 

[Ianterrell]

Dustin the Home Church Movement isn't the same as the Harold Campin error. Many of its adherents do not believe in eldership, liturgy, and other common church practices. The Lord's Supper is also scrutinized and replaced with a community meal. Some of these practice foot washing as a normative ordinance.

 

[D. Paul]

Emergent Church

Areopagus, the "movement" called the Emergent Church sounds to be what you have described and encountered. I have two friends, both of whom are pastors but who have sought to establish small "church plants" which are basically no more than home churches without the formal structure and leadership of a pastor. It would be worth looking into! I sense the Emergent Church is yet another aberration wrought out of a disillusionment by the young toward what American church has become.