Institutionalism
Defined

Anyone reading and studying religious history soon learns that man has seldom been satisfied with the Lord's arrangements. Human wisdom is forever seeking to improve upon the Lord's plans, and it seems that in every generation men will rise up to say, (in actions if not in words), "Lord, I think I can improve on your plan." This inevitably leads to a departure from "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3). Human wisdom is clearly seen in the development of Institutionalism.

Coming from the old school that teaches one should never assume everyone in the audience understands the subject under consideration, I feel it necessary to define "Institutionalism." Meriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, (10th ed.) defines it as an "emphasis on organization (as in religion) at the expense of other factors." An older edition defines it as, " a belief in and support of the usefulness or sanctity of established institutions." The suffix "ism" suggests "a devotion to" the thing. And this certainly describes our society today. Probably no society in history has been so institutional minded.

This love of institutions has spilled over into the Lord's church. Today, we see a proliferation of institutions far beyond that which could have been foreseen in the 50's when I began preaching. Since we are dealing with spiritual affairs that affect the church, the secular definition above needs to be expanded. For this study, "Institutionalism," as I understand it, is "the belief that the Church of Christ is an organization, composed of individual congregations. These churches, either individually or acting collectively, have the right to organize, build, promote, and maintain dependent social organizations - such as schools, benevolent homes, welfare agencies, etc. - which aid in fulfilling society's social and spiritual needs. Since these organizations perform 'good works' sister congregations and individuals are to support them (at least in word, if not in practice)." To this mindset, loyalty to these human institutions determines one's (individual or church) loyalty to Christ. Institutions are necessary to the "institutional church," and the "institutional church" is necessary for such human institutions to exist.

From a purely human standpoint, supporting such institutions might be commendable, and thus deserving of our approval. BUT, from a divine standpoint they exist without God's approval (authority) and are deviations from His divine pattern for the church. There is only one religious institution that exists with God's approval, and that is the local church (Phil.1:1). The existence of human institutions deny the wisdom of God and the all-sufficiency of the Lord's church. The church cannot, with divine approval, transfer the work of the local church to some humanly devised institution, nor does any human organization have the right to promote and solicit funds from churches to do the work God has given the local church to perform. Read and study Col.3:17; 1.Cor.4:6; 2.Tim.1:13; Phil.4:9; 2.Thes.2:15; Heb.8:5.

Institutional perversions in church organization and function take place because people fail to understand the nature of the church, and/or fail to comprehend the word "church" is used in two senses, (1) universal, and (2) local. They view the universal church as an organization, rather than a relationship. The Church of Christ, universally, is not an institution, but a living organism (people not things). It is composed of God's saved people (Acts 2:47), related to Christ and one another, as members of His body, the church (Col.1:18; Eph.1:22-23). The church, (universal or local) always denotes people in the right relationship to God. They are "called out" of the world to be "His own special people" (1.Pet.2:9-10). The failure to grasp these concepts leads to institutionalism.