Freedom Church Structure - Simple and Local

The Freedom Church model is simply that all churches should be local. Not papal. Not episcopal. Not congregational. Not denominational. Not incorporated. Local and Free. 

Led by a preacher who is called by God and leads with a clear vision of God's will and a firm grasp of God's Word, the local church lives and dies in the natural order of creation according to the health and well being of the people it serves, unites, and empowers. 

And unlike institutions which are established to preserve their own longevity, local churches should strive to live in the present without dwelling in the past or fretting about the future and without aspiring to or pursing control of other local churches. Local churches should function as cash economies. They should not even own property or establish capital assets (beyond working capital) -- instead thriving on the cash flow they receive in donations like the manna from heaven which is like honey on the day it is given, but becomes worm-ridden and disgusting if it is stored for future use. And when God blesses a group with more than enough, they should freely give from the plenty they have freely received to support new ministries, accomplish missions, and build the kingdom in any way God shows them is possible -- no strings of control or expectation of repayment attached. Truly free.

When looking at the Christian movement as a whole, beyond the context of a local community, its soul and identity is not to be found in books of doctrine, or in codes and creeds, councils or orthodoxies. The soul of the church which creates it, unites it, and directs it is Jesus Christ. And He requires no vicar or mediator, because He is Himself immediately present and active throughout all of creation, with every person, and in every situation. Even the scriptures themselves, apart from the living God, Jesus Christ, are dead. And for this reason, the church as a gathering of believers is not to be structured as an organization or an institution, but as an organism -- the living, breathing, reaching, working, teaching, healing, effective and powerful body of Christ -- which is the form of heaven and is the presence of heaven on earth. For although the believers who have died live in heaven and populate it; the soul, body, and structure of heaven is Jesus Christ Himself. And to be Christian is to aspire to be like Christ and so to each pursue our unique callings as members in His body with integrity so that His will can be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven.

No matter at what level you look at it, the human body which is in the image and likeness of God, is not a command and control system, it is a system of influence and balance. Although at times the control of a surgeon's scalpel or chemical manipulation by means of prescription drugs may be necessary to remove a malignant revolt or intervene to drive back an invader, at the end of the day the balance and mutual support of the various body systems and their differing influences is what determines the ultimate outcome and health before, during, and following any intervention. The healthy body does not require a back brace, or a continual flow of drugs, or visits to the emergency room to maintain and establish its well being. Neither does the body of Christ require man made traditions, dogmas, institutions, or hierarchies to establish or preserve its life. 

Jesus structured a very simple church -- send a preacher to call together followers who wish to hear the good news and live it. If the people hear the good news from the preacher and support their mission, then the preacher is to stay with them. If not, the preacher is to move on to a place where the people will hear, accept, and support. There are countless professions in the life of a healthy church -- doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, farmers, musicians, counselors, preachers, etc but if the church is Christian, all of its believers are priests because they have unmediated and personally responsible relationships with God and are invested with all of the rights and responsibilities that this entails. The entire core of heaven, and so the church, is said to be the priesthood because everyone who loves Jesus is a priest, and although there are professional preachers in heaven, being a priest is simply a way of life resulting from each believer's closely held relationship with their God.