Neuhaus chapter
four, “Authority for Ministry,” brings us back to the image of a
minister as an ambassador of a disputed sovereign. Often the Church
is seen primarily as an organization. This idea has been confused
with the idea of the Church as an institution, that which was
appointed by God. So the “institutional” Church is viewed rather
as a human organization than a divine mission. Neuhaus observes that
we have a divine mandate to proclaim Christ. That is the heart and
center of the institution. It comes from God, not from social
acceptance or from our business savvy. While some of the attributes
of professionals can be applied to ministers, the Christian minister
serves Christ and the community. The profession serves his own
particular clients. These are fundamentally different concepts, which
must be remembered.
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