“Accountability”

“Accountability”

While pastoring in New Hampshire I had a call from a church in Florida asking for support for a church planting effort in our area. Since we received funding requests from many missionaries and ministries and it wasn’t possible to honor them all I asked for some information from the lady who contacted us (the church secretary if I remember correctly). One question concerned accountability. The response was that the man being sent would answer to the pastor and no one else. Since our policy was to adopt only those endorsed by and responsible to a board of some type the discussion went no further. (As far as I know this venture never materialized.)

I thought about accountability at the time of Billy Graham’s recent Homegoing. During his long national and international ministry both he and his organization maintained a high degree of integrity and effectiveness. I believe God blessed the work at least in part because early on he and his colleagues established accountability with each other before the Lord. As I’ve gotten older I’ve seen this need in my life and have participated in various men’s groups for this purpose as well as for fellowship and growth.

I once received a four page letter from an individual saying I’d misused my office and calling on me to leave my pastoral position. While I was aware of the incident in question my recollection of the events differed significantly from his. He was a good witness in our community but identified with no local church. I never responded to him as I felt it inconsistent to imply that I was accountable but he wasn’t.

Accountability has a biblical basis. Paul saw himself and his team as answerable to the church which sent them on their mission (“…They sailed back to Antioch…On arriving there, they…reported all that God had done through them…And they stayed there a long time with the disciples—Acts 14:26-28, see also Acts 18:22-23). Even Jesus did so with His Father (“…I always do what pleases him.”—John 8:29). And ultimately, “…Each of us will give an account…to God.” (Romans 14:12).

We have responsibilities not only to our earthly families (see Ephesians 6:1-4) but also to our brothers and sisters in Christ as shown by the many “one another” admonitions in the New Testament. These are commands, not suggestions. As we obey, both our families and Christ’s Body will be strengthened for the work God’s called us to do.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan