What am I to believe about church government and discipline? I believe that those people who are appointed, anointed or elected to leadership in a local church bear a heavy responsibility for maintaining the strength and holiness of their portion of the body of Christ.

The seven churches of Revelation show that local churches have a number of serious responsibilities if they are to keep their “lamp stand.” These include not only removing people who practice a sinful life style or teach false doctrine but also keeping their witness to the community burning bright in spite of persecutions and temptations to conform to cultural influences.

Just as the Shekinah glory was not in the temples built by Zerubbabel and Herod, I believe that Christ’s glory is not present in every local church. I think it is a sad thing for Christians to be in a church where the glory has departed and all that is left is the operation of an institution.