Organized Christianity provides a meeting place for many people. Like any form of religion, organised Christianity offered people opportunity to connect with other people in the community. For most of us growing up church was more than just worshipping God together, but a source of support structure in case of death.
That is why becoming a member of the church was crucial. And to qualify to become a part of this organized Christianity you ought to undergo some kind of membership course.
Who will bury you or your relative should death knock at your door? But even if religion helps connect people, there are those in the churches that position themselves as Gate-keepers to stop others to access or practice their religion or church.
To be an outsider, unwanted Christian or blacklisted Preacher was such a painful thing. A source of mental breakdown for many who organised Christianity has blacklisted.
Today in 2021 the idea of connection is wider than the four corners of a church building.
People are finding friendship with people near and far through social media. Preachers have a wilder audience through online ministry reaching far more people than a traditional church building can accommodate.
DEFINITION
Gatekeeping is defined as; an activity of controlling, and usually limiting, general access to something.
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, surely the LORD is in this place, and I didn’t know it. And he was afraid and said, how awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16-17)
I love Genesis and I have done a lot of work in Genesis. Jacob had no personal relationship with God. Up to this point Jacob’s relationship with God is based on the revelation of his father. It is the God of Abraham and Isaac.
The God of his ancestors. But at this place Jacob meets God and calls the place the gate way to heaven.
Conscience is to human being a gatekeeper controlling and limiting what gets to your soul and spirit. To the nations gatekeepers are positioned by the border posts to give access to deserving people, and deny access to others.
The Immigration limit control, limit access into their country.
Spiritually gates are places where watchmen are positioned, decisions are made at the gates, strategies for war are discussed at the gates, and wars are won at the gates.
But not all gates serve the good of the citizens, some gates are established to hinder or limit good people. In this article I will therefore focus on spiritual gatekeeping that seek to maintain a status quo, and hinder anyone whom they deem a threat.
PASTORS’ FRATERNALS
Pastors’ fraternity position themselves as safe places for pastors. A place where pastors in the city meet to encourage and build each other up.
It’s a pastor’s fellowship where pastors are allowed to be open and help each other. On paper they do more than just fellowship, these fraternal meetings are places where pastors can hold each other accountable. A place where pastors who error in doctrine could be corrected in love.
There are also benefits of joining the fraternity. Some provide ordination to pastors running independent churches or ministries. They offer membership cards in case Government wants to regulate or close your church that card can get you protected. It’s a laughing matter because Government doesn’t ask for a fraternal membership card to register the church or function as a church.
But in practice most of these fraternal clubs are just nothing but Gate-keepers for their city.
Many years ago, I attended a meeting of pastors in our area then in Thulamahashe. They had a Guest Pastor who was speaking during this fraternal meeting. Knowing too well that I was a foreigner with another pastor, he went on to tell the fraternal never to allow foreign pastors in the area. “Do you know that some of these Pastors are married back home, but run away from their families?” He spoke. “We need to protect our people from these foreign pastors”.
The two of us foreign Pastors actually felt excluded. This is how Spiritual Gate-keeping now looks like. They become the authority to decide who they let in or who they stop.
In 2009 I planned a trip to Zambia. My Pastor then who is American wanted to join me. I was to be in Lusaka, in Nakonde, in Ndola and Chililabombwe. I realized I would take longer in Zambia, I asked him to join me later for ministry in Ndola.
He flew in from Cape Town, and we him met in Ndola. The church that hosted us was not influential but we put up some meetings. The hosts then decided during their area pastors fellowship meeting on Saturday we could speak to the local pastors.
During the said meeting a man they called ‘apostle’ turned up and commanded that Lawrence and his Guest won’t speak because the Pastors’ Fraternal in Ndola was not consulted.
The meeting delayed as the hosts and local pastors tried to beg the apostle to allow us to speak. Finally, they agreed on condition that he takes my spot as a first speaker, then I and my guest can speak later.
His message turned racist as he pointed at the American guest, “Just because you are White doesn’t give you the right to come in without permission by the fraternal” Pointing a finger at him he said, “Who sent you here?”.
Then he went on to call me a hired pastor being fed by a white man. My Pastor was shocked because I was not a paid-up pastor, I was working as a waiter at café-Pescados in the Navy headquarters. We were humiliated, but I didn’t want to walk away, when my turn came up, I finished the apostle just with the scripture on the Great commission.
I told the Pastors that these hands of mine have been providing for my family. It was so strong that I received a standing ovation.
Because the local Pastors in that township are not as rich as those in the city, they felt abused many times. If you know anything about Americans they don’t like to be humiliated.
When he came back to Cape Town, he had no kind words for Zambia. He vowed never to visit Zambia. But the Zambia I know is very hospitable towards foreigners. Why this experience? Because it was Lawrence Musunte. The Spiritual Gate-keepers in the city didn’t want Lawrence in their city, period!
CONSEQUENCES OF GATEKEEPING
The desire to belong, to be accepted, to be given opportunities to flourish in your gifts and calling depends largely on Gatekeepers. If they love you, thank God. If they don’t love you, they will never accept you. You are out!
Now this is how Gatekeeping works in organized Christianity; Perhaps you were invited as a guest on the radio, television, in a conference or Sunday service. Whether you are a singer or preacher it doesn’t really matter.
After ministry you receive overwhelming compliments. Your host wants you to come back again. He wants this event to become a yearly thing. Off you go back to your city or country.
As days go on the man who hosted you gets cold towards you. The problem with Christians is that instead of calling the brother and tell him what you heard after the meeting you had, you simply become awkward.
You can sense that something doesn’t add up with the man who genuinely loved and enjoyed your ministry. What has happened is that the Gatekeepers called your host to warn, instruct or even command your host never to host you again.
Our ministries have been destroyed by Gatekeepers who don’t really like us. Your ministry can be destroyed with a simple ‘but’ and you are out.
I had this experience in looking for a church to serve under. I called up this brother and asked if I could work under them. His honest response was; “Lawrence we can’t work with you because your ‘brother’ might be upset with us”. It was at this point I realized there are brothers literally holding a remote and patrolling anyone who dares gives you a ministerial opportunity.
At another point I was told your success will only come if you find a spiritual Father. I am not the Papa kind of the person, but hey I need opportunity, I need a big break for me in ministry.
I went back to the brother and said to him, I want my Pastor in Zambia to be my spiritual father. His response was; “he will want to be your spiritual father, but the guys around him don’t like you so much”.
Up to now I don’t know why, but true to his word the people surrounding the man are awkward around me.
When a minister faces so many oppositions and disappointments from fellow ministers’ trust is destroyed. So why beg to belong when the people don’t want you?
WHAT GIVES GATEKEEPERS AUTHORITY?
It is organized Christianity that encourages gatekeeping. The idea that without the organisation I can’t practice my Christian faith.
Opportunities are found in organized Christianity. Because Gatekeeping is about control, it doesn’t end when you are allowed in. You are only accepted as long as you agree to be controlled.
IAM THE CHURCH
I am the church is a realization that Jesus Christ didn’t build denominations, and he never instituted organized Christianity. “I will build my Church.” Singular church, not plural!
That accepting Jesus Christ is the gateway to a relationship with God the Father. That joining or becoming a member of a local church is not a Biblical requirement.
Some will talk about membership in terms of administration. But there is no requirement for secondary membership after you have become part of the Body of Christ. Good didn’t trust a man to be the Gatekeeper in salvation. His Son Jesus Christ became the gate, the door and the way.
Instead of membership classes you must focus on discipleship. Imagine to be part of the body of Christ, and not a local church with a life size picture of your spiritual father and spiritual mother as if they exchanged it with the picture of the virgin Mary.
Spiritual gatekeeping has demoralized many gifted people. Knowing you are not accepted among fellow ministers.
And constant negative referrals when you get a prospective ministry opportunity. If you believe ministry only happens within that context of Gatekeeping you will die lonely, miserable and you might actually give up on God.
The only Gatekeeping, we should have been about is preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
We have lived in a season where false prophets are celebrated, given access and highly funded.
So, we step aside, and find another way of doing ministry differently. Therefore, suffice to say, I left organized Christianity, I have not left God, and God has never left me. I just had to cut the cords of Gatekeeping; I am free indeed!
Lawrence Musunte
+27845517018
lmusunte@gmail.com
Comments