“It takes a village to raise a child,” so the proverb goes. It certainly takes local congregations to raise future leaders who will shepherd Christ’s church.
As the vine flourishes and discipleship grows, some of the fruit is leaders given by Christ to enable further growth (e.g. Ephesians 4v7-16). And there’s a distinct role to play too for organisations and teachers able to bring additional theological expertise. Importantly, it all happens in the context of the vine (John 15) or, to switch metaphors, in the body of Christ.
That’s also the place in which life-giving theology, needed by the church for its long-term health, must be produced as well. After all, theology is about knowing God through His word (or logos). The large-scale movement of theology away from local churches and the body of Christ into secular universities has inevitably weakened theology, and this in turn has weakened the theological foundations and health of the church itself.
