OVERVIEW

Renewal Ministries Fellowship is a community of God's people fulfilling the mandate of "going into all the world preaching the gospel" and "equipping the saints for service". We focus on being Christ-centred rather than leader-centred so that the Lordship of JESUS is truly manifest in our Fellowship and all drawn to Him and Him alone. All of our policies and procedures are underpinned by the following scriptural principles that shape the structure and function of Renewal Ministries Fellowship.

Renewal Ministries Fellowship functions through servant leadership, believing this to be the most faithful way to represent Christ on the earth.

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28)

We are a body of believers who seek to work together in unity under the guidance and direction of God through the Holy Spirit.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.(1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

As a community of believers we value the differences between us. We recognise that every function and gifting is essential to the health of the body, there is not one member of the body of Christ who is unimportant or irrelevant to the health of all.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour. to the parts that lacked it,so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:14-27)

The body has one head, Christ, and all other members of it demonstrate their connectedness to the head through their love for one another.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us...God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. (1John 4:7-17)

We recognise one ultimate authority, God, who loves us and gave His Son to die for us.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

We acknowledge that each and every member of the body of Christ, regardless of function within His body (ie regardless of what position they may or may not hold in the church), knows the shepherd's voice and can follow His leading.

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me". (John 10:27)

We are all, regardless of function within His body, likewise capable of being led astray and need to be open and accountable to one another as we remain in Christ.

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.(Hebrews 3:12-13)

I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. (1 John 2:20-27)

Leaders are not separate to, but interdependent parts of, the body of Christ - the whole of which has been set apart (sanctified) for ministry under His headship.

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.(Ephesians 4:11-16)

This view of church life is not only Biblically based, but psychologically sound. Research has shown (Whetham, 2000) structures that set the clergy above the congregation are related to increasing incidence of burnout, extramarital affairs and sexual abuse among church leaders. Some benefits of this more holistic view of the body of Christ are:
1. An interactive environment is created where leaders and members can explore and develop their spiritual meanings together as the group seeks to hear what the Spirit of God is saying through and to the whole body.
2. Loneliness is reduced as leaders share reciprocally and meaningfully with the congregation.
3. There is less opportunity for abuses of power as leaders become more integrated; in allowing others to know them there is a more natural accountability.
4. Clergy workload is lessened as other members are encouraged to exercise their gifts and share more responsibility within the body.
5. The church will provide a powerful role model for effectively living with difference and dealing with conflict.
6. Control is not vested in one person but the Spirit of God is allowed to speak through the whole group, the unique contribution of each and every member is valued and facilitated.
7. Power is shared with the poor and marginalised - people who had traditionally been dishonoured, dependent and oppressed in society are now honoured, interdependent and liberated in the church. (1 Cor. 1:20-31)

(adapted from p100-104 of 'Hard to be Holy' by Whetham, 2000)

Under this servant leadership Renewal Ministries Fellowship have been established to serve and support all members by providing encouragement, resources, mediation, counsel and advice, and by promoting accountability and integrity in ministry. While servant leadership minimises the potential for harm and abuses of power it is recognised that there is no system of government that can totally prevent such and when these occur they need to be dealt with in an open, compassionate and accountable manner. It is for this reason that the following policies on Working with Children, Sexual Abuse, Spiritual Abuse, Bullying and Harassment, Disqualification from Ministry and Restoration to Ministry have been developed. The whole faith community is responsible to work together at such times to bring healing and restoration to those involved, with particular functions of that responsibility concerned with ensuring accountability and guarding against further harm to be carried out by specified individuals.

All scripture references excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved.