No Substitutions - by GTY Staff (Parachurch organizations)

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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It has been quite some time since the last time we commented on Dr. MacArthur or his organization. This is perhaps a good thing, suggesting they've been keeping their noses to the grindstone.

We also note the irony of GTY complaining about parachurch organizations while GTY itself is a parachurch organization. 

Also, in keeping with the practice of many of the Doctrinal Police, this article fails to reference, let alone quote, a single Scripture. We continually wonder how someone can teach the Bible but never quote it.

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In the last several years, the proliferation of specialized ministries and parachurch organizations has been astounding. Today there’s a separate ministry for every biblical viewpoint, theological perspective, or practical interest, not to mention all the pseudo-Christian groups focused on social and political activism. It’s likely that if you have got a particular spiritual itch, you can find a ministry that will scratch it, or you can find someone eager to launch a new organization to appeal to like-minded people.

The problem with the plethora of parachurch organizations is that so many of them exist outside the authority and influence of the church. (What is "the church?" Is it a local congregation, a denomination, or some sort of Christian governing body? No, the church is the worldwide Body of Christ, every person who has called upon the name of Jesus, repented of their sin, and been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus "parachurch" organizations are actually part of "the church," the larger community of believers, but they simply don't do "church."

Now, perhaps there are "parachurch" organizations who have no authority over them. That could be problematic. But that authority doesn't necessarily have to be a church or a denomination. Many of these ministries are accountable to some other organization.

And note again an irony. Grace Community Church does not list an accountability relationship with anyone. So we would wonder, who holds Dr. MacArthur and Grace Community Church to account?)

The term parachurch ought to indicate a cooperative relationship, but often that’s not the case. Some pay lip service to the church; others are openly indifferent to it. Few of them—perhaps very few—are actually accountable to the church, adhere to biblical guidelines for leadership, and have a strong commitment to biblical doctrine and theology.

That’s particularly dangerous as these organizations and ministries pull believers’ attention, loyalty, and financial support away from their local congregations. (What entitles the local church to the lion's share of peoples' attention, loyalty, and financial support?)

Rather than devote their time, energy, and support to life and ministry in their local body, believers are segmented off from the rest of the church, focused only ("Only?")

on the issues and concerns that appeal to them. (If a Christian is called to minister to widows and orphans, for example, it seems to us they should pursue God's call on their life an engage such ministry, particularly if it is with an organization with a similar calling.)

Too often, the parachurch organization becomes the central spiritual focus, while the church is pushed further and further to the sidelines. (Can a parachurch organization function in a way that advances the Kingdom and edifies those who connect with it? We think so.)

That defies the Lord’s design for His church (No Scripture documentation provided for this assertion.)

and cripples the Body of Christ, which can’t properly function if its members are all headed in different directions, pursuing different priorities. (Um, what? The Body of Christ is diverse and does not have a singular priority. The Holy Spirit gives varying spiritual gifts, He creates us with passions, preferences, abilities, and objectives. This is one reason there are denominations. This is one reason there are various ministries in each local church. And this is one reason there are parachurch ministries. 

Some people are empowered, gifted, and talented to pursue rescue ministries for prostitutes. Others are good a counseling. Still others are evangelists or pastors. It seems obvious to us that every Christian, every church, every denomination, and every parachurch ministry has a different set of priorities as they function within the Body of Christ. This is a basic fact of our faith:

1Co. 12:18-20 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.)

You see a similar trend on Christian college campuses, where many young men and women are preparing for lives of ministry without a strong connection to the church—if left unaddressed, that disconnect only deepens with time. In fact, much of the full-time ministry work going on in the world these days—whether in charity groups, missionary endeavors, Christian education, or some other parachurch activity—happens outside and apart from the church. (The author continues to attempt to create a dichotomy between "the church" and other organizations. This has not been established, only asserted.)

And while plenty of those parachurch organizations are doing valuable, necessary work, the trend away from the church—the only institution the Lord established and promised to bless—is still a serious cause for concern. (Again, the author never bothers to define "the church" or explain how a ministry dedicated to its calling is not "the church.")

The solution is to be thoughtful about the ministries you’re supporting, and aware of their influence in your life and participation in your local congregation. (If the point is that every Christian ought to be connected to a local group of believers, we agree. But we don't know if parachurch ministries are not providing this connection.)

One of the key points we consistently stress at Grace to You is that we cannot replace the church in the lives of our listeners and readers, nor do we want to. We can’t possibly fulfill your spiritual needs for worship, fellowship, accountability, and discipleship. We’re a complement to your local church—not a substitute. (Ahh, so the author admits that GTY is a parachurch organization. And he articulates its spiritual position, that it does not provide certain features like a local church does. Now, that is its particular view of its own objectives and practices, but that does not speak to other parachurch organizations with perhaps a broader view of its ministry.

And of course, making a statement about its limitations does little to ensure its participants have a connection to a local congregation.)

The same should go for every other ministry or parachurch organization, and you should be wary of the ones that are comfortable being disconnected from and unaccountable to the church. Instead, look for ministries that prompt you toward greater involvement and service in your congregation—that prompt you to be more committed and connected to what the Lord is accomplishing in your church.

Our series on the importance of the local church officially comes to a close today, but it’s clear this is a topic that will continue to come up throughout the life of our blog. The church is at the heart of every believer’s life, and it’s related—whether directly or indirectly—to everything we discuss in this digital space. In fact, we’re already prepping more in-depth series on some of the topics we’ve recently touched on, including baptism and the Lord’s Table.

For now, we want to give John MacArthur the last word on the importance of the local church. His words focus on attendance and membership, but they encompass the spirit of everything we’ve discussed over the last several weeks about the necessity of involvement in your congregation.