The pope claims infallibility because he has been divinely appointed by God to fill a position of authority -- a "divine right" absolute leader A committee of men claims infallibility because there are more of them than of you -- a "majority rules" form of government, a dictatorial majority, a benign dictatorship (benign since they would claim to consider your own good and wellbeing in their decrees as well as the mission's goals)
Since when does the Church make authority (the giving of orders and *ownership* of others) its primary business? As an outsider who knows nothing of NTM except what I have read here daily since the GRACE report came out, I would say NTM is obsessed with issues of authority, and power. Is this the primary model of how we are to relate to each other as Christians? Who's got more power, less power, who rules and who obeys?
As far as the "majority" ruling, being less likely to be wrong since there are more of them and they all agree, didn't Paul have to confront Peter et al. (Barnabas, "the rest of the Jews") b/c Peter and company were teaching and practicing something that was wrong?? (Galatians 2). Peter himself had literally walked with Christ for three years, and his confessions of faith (walking on the water, recognizing Jesus as the Son of God) certainly gave him "credentials" in terms of "fellowship" with God. And yet Paul was right when he rebuked him.
And how does being in fellowship (i.e. loving God, following him, and turning away from your sin) mean you can't be wrong, fallible, human? Peter was. Peer pressure ("fear") got to him. Simple as that. We're human and fallible ... even when seeking to follow God and lead others towards God.
I am deeply disturbed. I'm an MK. I grew up in the mission world. But I have to question whether NTM doesn't truly bear too much resemblance to a cult through its obsession with power structures and being obeyed. Members go through training at NTM's own school, it appears: not just new member training, but a whole Bible school -- not counting the boot camp? Members are cut off from family and their former support group by the nature of their work, working in remote locations. The organization becomes all to them. A couple of commenters talk about having been "new Christians" when they first joined NTM. New christians aren't usually sent out as missionaries.... (Am I missing something, misunderstanding? I am generalizing from a couple of comments, but is this indeed a trend?) And how long does the first missionary term last? I saw six years somewhere. I can understand the rationale for it, but talk about being absorbed deep into an organization, cut off from former ties, etc. ....
There is real danger there, and checks and balances don't seem to have been put in place. Missionaries aren't there to do the mission's work. Missions facilitate and provide oversight. But they don't own.
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