Reason #1: The first reason is because staying a member of UBF in my situation means supporting single-family church-planting (called pioneering in UBF terms). My leaving is a rejection of the lone housechurch pioneering idea.

Living as a single-family housechurch in America causes severe dis-unity. It is an arrogant way to live. It presumptuously tells other Christians that I am God’s gift to this city. Perhaps there have been times in history where single families could be a blessing, such as in jungle or remote communities of unreached people. I reject this method as a viable way to serve God in America because it adds to the mutlitude of splintered factions of Christian denominations.

Certainly someone will ask, well why did you go to Detroit in a single family pioneering effort? In 2003, after much prayer and discussion, I was willing to leave Toledo and go to Detroit to pioneer a new church. I did not want to go out alone however. I requested help from a committee of fellow believers. I was willing to wait until someone could be sent to join us. In the end we did indeed leave by ourselves, in hopes that someone would come soon. And by that time, my speaking up had shown me clearly that group communication and group pioneering efforts would not be tolerated in UBF.

Someone did come to Detroit that first year. A missionary I had never met before was introduced to us. He said his name was Matthew. After one year, he suddenly disappeared. I found out later his name was Paul. He himself was in the process of leaving UBF. Also one Bible student from Toledo came to Detroit because of her job. She and her family have become dear friends to us. But neither of these people’s coming to Detroit constitutes an intentional, motivated, organizational effort by UBF to plant a church in Detroit. Nothing was done in 8 years to purposefully build a community of faith.

Personally I am a hermit-type person, one who naturally likes being by myself. But even I know that I need healthy relationships with other people: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the one who falls and has no one to help him up!” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

As a Christian, I and my family need a place where we can use our gifts: “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you…” – 1 Timothy 4:14

We all need a place where we can grow: “They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, sharing in the breaking of bread and prayer.” – Acts 2:42

And we need to belong to something bigger than ourself: “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” – Romans 12:4-5

Why is my leaving UBF for the sake of Apostolic unity in 1 Corinthians 12?

Reason #2: The second reason is because staying a member of UBF in my situation means supporting a director-style leadership model. My leaving is a rejection of the benevolent dictator leadership model.

Most people love power. Imagine having the power and authority to build any kind of church you wanted! As the Director of Detroit UBF, I had almost no accountability. Once a year someone would email me to make sure all my numbers were reported for weekly Sunday service and Bible study attendance. Once a year someone would remind me that we had not sent any offerings to the central chapter. As long as I attended two or three staff conferences a year, I was deemed to be fit for service.

As a director I was expected to build my church by ambition. Numerous times I was encouraged to be ambitious, to go to a campus and find some students. I was directed to pray for and identify 12 families to join us. Yes, I knew how to get coworkers: I had to ask. I had to demonstrate personal ambition by publishing good things about my city. I had to do something to attract missionaries, making them want to come to us. The thing is, I am in Detroit. It is rare to find someone wants to come to Detroit, often named the most miserable city and the most dangerous city in America (Note: I have come to love Detroit and its people. It is truly an amazing and friendly city!). I also found that Koreans (and Asians in general) would rather do just about anything besides come to live in an African-American city like Detroit and build a church where it would most likely be filled with African-American students. I now want to stay in Detroit as long as possible because I love the African-American community.

I resigned as Director of Detroit UBF mainly because I do not have the selfish ambition required to be successful at such a leadership model. Apostle Paul once rejoiced even if some do preach Christ out of selfish ambition: “15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” Philippians 1:15-18 (NIV)

Yet in the very next chapter, Apostle Paul also warned: “3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:2-4 (NIV)

I am willing to be a pastor, shepherd, missionary, coach or mentor, but I will never be a director.

Why is my leaving UBF for the sake of Apostolic unity in 1 Corinthians 12?

Reason #3: The third reason is because staying a member of UBF in my situation means supporting the idea that the Holy Spirit is an energy source as well as further grieving of the Holy Spirit. My leaving is a submission to the Holy Spirit, who is the Third Person of the Triune God and an act of repentance for resisting and grieving Him.

I truly belive the Reformed idea that the church can teach and exhort, but the matters of faith and practice are matters of individual conscience before God. No church governing body can compel or bind a person’s conscience.

As I look back on my Christian life, I see that I have resisted and even grieved the Holy Spirit by my actions. My leaving UBF is an act of repentance, a decision to submit to the Spirit and strive to no longer resist Him.

The following Bible study about the work of the Spirt and the sins against the Spirit continue to be most helpful to me. (http://executableoutlines.com/hs/hs_12.htm)

The Holy Spirit works in the following ways:
a. Revealing and confirming the Word of Truth – He 2:3-4
b. Convicting hearts of sin through the Word – Jn 16:7
c. Regenerating those who respond to the gospel – Jn 3:5
d. Indwelling those who obey the gospel – Ac 2:38; 1Co 6:19
e. Leading those who walk in the Spirit – Ga 5:16-18,25
f. Producing the fruit of the Spirit in those so led – Ga 5:22-23
g. Strengthening those seeking to please God – Ep 3:16
h. Serving as a seal, marking Christians as God’s own – Ep 1:13
i. Serving as an earnest (guarantee) of our inheritance – Ep 1:14

It is possible for us to sin against the Spirit:
a. We can resist the Spirit – Ac 7:51
b. We can quench the Spirit – 1Th 5:19
c. We can grieve the Spirit – Ep 4:30
d. We can insult the Spirit – He 10:29
e. We can blaspheme the Spirit – Mt 12:31-32

Uniformity is defined as “the quality or state of being uniform; having always the same form, manner, or degree: not varying or variable (uniform procedures); consistent in conduct or opinion (uniform interpretation of laws); of the same form with others: conforming to one rule or mode: consonant”

What did Apostle Paul mean when he wrote these often-quoted words? Ephesians 4:3-6 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called– one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

As with all Scripture, we must be so careful to understand the context of what God is saying through Scripture and the meaning God wanted the author to convey. To do this we need to keep reading. (By the way “keep reading” is something I am doing a lot these days. I never want to quote just single key verses, but two or three or four verses so I can grasp the full meaning of the Scriptures.) If we keep reading, Apostle Paul writes: Ephesians 4:7,8 “7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”

When we talk about unity in the Christian faith and in Scripture, we are not supposed to be talking about uniformity. If we all become the same, we will be in danger of grieving the Holy Spirit because we are not putting our unique gifts to God’s service. We would not be following God’s plan and God’s purpose so clearly communicated through Scripture. The great adventure that is the Christian journey of faith has a lot to do with knowing what gifts we have been given, understanding and developing those gifts and ultimately putting those gifts fervently into action!

The Biblical metaphor for the Christian community is not a business model. We are not in the “business of saving souls”. That is God’s business, the “master’s business” (read John 15). One Biblical metaphor (not the only one) for the Christian community is the body. 1 Corinthians 12:27,28 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.”

We are the body of Christ. Grace has been given as Christ determined it, in the way Christ distributed it! I do not have certain gifts, I do have other gifts. My joy is to find my gifts, my role and my contribution to the body of Christ, and to facilitate other Christians in finding their gifts, roles and contributions.

Christians are not called to uniformity of procedures, opinions, convictions, manners and conduct. We are called to unity of purpose, unity of mission and unity of faith. Indeed, if we keep reading: Ephesians 4:9-13 “9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”