When I was a young graduate assistant working at Bob Jones University (learning publishing at BJU Press), like all the other employees I was given certain odious assignments to fulfill each semester, such as monitoring the “dating parlor” for a couple of hours on a Sunday.
One Sunday after I had finished that odious assignment, my replacement came along, a BJU lifer, Miss Potts. She asked me if I was going to obediently head on over to Vespers (the University’s drama program presented on Sunday afternoons).
“No,” I responded somewhat defiantly. “I’m going to church.”
Miss Potts was an old Southern lady with an absolutely perfect Southern drawl.
“The Univuhsity,” she said, “would want you to go to Vespuhs.”
And there a loyal generation and a . . . different . . . generation went head to head with the loyalty issue.
What does the entity-without-a-face, “the Univuhsity,” want me to do?
“Well,” I said, hoisting my bookbag to my shoulder, “I think the Lord would want me to go to church.”
And I left before she could respond again.
Now my point here isn’t whether or not going to church was the absolute best thing I could have done with my time at that moment. (As far as I know now, it still was.)
It’s a question of loyalty.
What in the world is it, why is it so touted in Christian circles, and why am I saying it’s not Christian?
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Wow, Rebecca. I’m sitting here crying. Thank you.
It affected me deeply, friend.
After reading this, I envision a long list of people, both lay and leaders, that I think should read it. But then I realize, this is for me. Breaking the chains that certain (non biblical) doctrine has held on to me for so long…this is for me. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much, Julie.
This is beautifully and powerfully said. Thank you.
This kind of truth is so desperately needed. Yes, blind loyalty defines a cult, while faithfulness is supported by evidence and mutuality.
Wow! Oh my soul, while I love to look up the definitions of words and their true meanings, I never really thought about loyalty vs. faithfulness. HUGE difference and loyalty isn’t a Christian virtue because it DOES mean that you keep your mouth shut and not ask questions OR keep anyone accountable, which we should! Thank you for this wonderful, timely post. In a world where “institutions” don’t even know which end is up any longer, we need to go back to God’s Word, the truth, as to what and how we should live our lives for the truth of Jesus Christ. Loyalty isn’t about Jesus, it’s about religion. Faithful is being full of faith to the One Whom died for you and me. Thanks again!
When we stood against an abrupt and unnecessary removal of funds/ support to a family for all the wrong reasons, we were accused of being too loyal. Having the audacity to question a poor decision that left a family broken meant we were “too loyal,”. Ironically, we were part of a group that was asked to have their back and care for them like a lifeline of encouragement. In the end, they had to make it right, but I was then accused by a wonan leader of being responsible for her husband missing his son’s sport event because he chose those dates to leave to repair the damage.
Later leaders within the same group were so loyal too each other that they brought havoc on many in heart wrenching circumstances. They left others questioning their beliefs because “God’s chosen leaders” became more loyal to each other than faithful to God. When you hear, “I believe this leader 100%” you may soon see evidence that such loyalty to leaders is more valuable than truth.
Yes, and I’m so sorry this happened to you.
Bless your heart Rebecca… very confirming and insightful… I’ve been encouraging people to focus on “one another” and the priesthood of all believers, instead of institutional hierarchy and power that we call leadership…
Here’s a partial list of the 100 “one another”s in the NT…
https://www.mmlearn.org/hubfs/docs/OneAnotherPassages.pdf
I found your blog after your interview with Brett Harris at the Young Writer’s Workshop and I’m glad I read this post. I’ve always considered myself a loyal person, even used the word to describe myself, but this gives me a new perspective. I’m so thankful for all I’m learning.
Thank you for coming by, Emily! It’s good to meet you. 🙂
Thank you, Rebecca, for saying this things. The unquestioning loyalty demanded in church world has covered so much sin and caused so much damage. It looks nothing like the faithfulness described in the Bible.
That’s awesome, Rebecca!! I’m mindful of ‘family loyalty’ that insists unswerving allegiance to spouses and other family members too, even among Christians, whose first allegiance is to their God, following Jesus’ teaching and choosing his character.
Yes, exactly.
. Wow. Thank you. That certainly clarifies the issue.
Thank you so much for this. Encourages me as I’ve faced this a LOT in my ministry.
I’m so sorry, and I’m thankful it was encouraging.
Returning here again after many months because new information has come to light on this subject:
It’s a question of loyalty.
What in the world is it, why is it so touted in Christian circles?
Would you believe that the “later years” teachings of Watchman Nee might hold a clue to the pervasiveness of this loyalty idea within Western Christianity? The cultic group which I escaped from in 2009 proudly claims Nee as it’s founder (Local Church Movement of Witness Lee – aka The Lord’s Recovery) and their current leadership suffers greatly from this loyalty delusion. This group has been quite successful at hiding the fact that in the late 1940s Watchman Nee had been placed under church discipline by righteous & God fearing Elders in Shanghai. My former group has spun this widely known fact of Nee’s prolonged absence from the Shanghai meetings as having been the result of an attack motivated by the devil.
If anyone would care to read more about this, I would recommend the following writing by a former leader of that group, Nigel Tomes, who is currently pastoring a church in Toronto: https://blendedbody.com/NigelTomes/LSMAuthority+SubmissionTampersWithTrinity.pdf
Thanks again Rebecca for writing on this topic.
Steve Nelson – Boise, ID
This looks like a very important contribution to the discussion! Thank you, Steve. This article about “loyalty” is also in the second “Untwisting Scriptures” book, about patriarchy and authority.
Faithfullness: When does the step of addressing an individual with their sin, need to turn to bringing others into the loop? When is it still being faithful to turn away from that person, that individual due to them choosing to continue in sin? When do you draw the line, when others believe the lies of the person you are being disloyal to but you choose to be faithful to God instead?
No longer an issue for me, but it was my concern for a long time with my abuser in the past. The church leadership still believes the lies and downplays the sins, but I chose to part ways due to the evidence of unrepentance that has yet to relent years later.
Thank you for all you do in helping others understand where they are, where they have been, and the joy of following Christ away from the darkness of abuse and control.
“You choose to be faithful to God instead.”
I would say, in fact, that if you’re walking in truth, you’re also being faithful to the individual in sin. This is what faithfulness looks like in the Christian life.
Depending on the kind of sin it is–that is, primarily whether or not it is criminal–you could do the step of bringing others into the loop according to the Matthew 18 process.
When they choose to continue in sin and those who should be confronting are instead enabling and defending, while blaming you, then that’s when you shake the dust off your feet.
Easier said than done, I know, when it’s family and friends. I’m so very sorry for what happened to you. And I’m thankful you found the joy of following Christ in spite of the unfaithfulness of those who claim His Name.