“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (LSB)

Christians need one another. I state that knowing that there are still a lot of Christians who have not returned to church since they left during the COVID restrictions temporarily closed churches in 2020. Christians who somehow function without other believers are as unnatural as people who live in total isolation. It is spiritually unhealthy and among many consequences, I would say that it will eventually lead to the spiritual demise of anyone who continues in this state for extended periods. My quick response is simple–if you have stopped attending church “in person,” get back to church!

With that said, my main focus for writing today is not concerning the need for the average Christian to be involved in church, but rather that the leaders of the church need to stop behaving in similar ways by forsaking assembling with other Christian leaders because they are “independent.”

Look, I believe that the Bible supports the understanding that a local church is supposed to function under the authority of the Spirit, the Word of God, and godly, biblical leadership, namely elders, within the local church context. I admit that there may be problems when a pastor or church “goes rogue” since there isn’t an overarching synod, or denominational structure to hold them accountable, but my conviction is that since these man-made structures aren’t seen in the New Testament, they shouldn’t be present in the church today.

Having been a part of independent churches my whole life (as a member and a leader), I can say that our strength of independence can also be our greatest weakness. The pastor of an independent church can become so independently minded that he refuses to seek wise counsel and encouragement from other men who are like-minded in faith. Like the church member who thinks that he can get all he needs from his study, online articles, podcasts, and YouTube videos, some independent pastors do the same regarding their own spiritual needs. It’s a “me and Jesus” mentality that can lead to loneliness, discouragement, and warped unbiblical ideas. We need to get out of our echo chamber and allow others to hone our swords through good Christian relationships.

Pastor Alex Montoya has reminded independent pastors of this danger for many years by pointing to the romanticized idea of a lone wolf howling alone in the light of a full moon. The reality, he says, is that a lone wolf is a dead wolf. Wolves are pack animals, and they need each other. The strength of the wolf is the pack. We cannot be “solo lobos,” Montoya says. If one of our members told us that they were going to be fine all on their own and didn’t need the church, we would scoff. We would warn of the dangers of a solo Christian. We would point to the reality that there is no such thing as a solo Christian that is outside of the local assembly in the New Testament. And we would be right. But we must also look at our own isolation. Are we guilty of being a “solo lobo?”

Before Covid struck, our society was already rapidly moving toward self-imposed isolationism. Before iPhones were invented, there was the Sony Walkman, a music device that removed listening to music from a group experience to a personal one. Then came the Walkman, allowing teenagers all over the planet to retreat to their own little world. The iPod replaced the Walkman, and then the little computer in our hands moved the whole world’s focus to one foot in front of its face. This internalization of attention has possibly been one of the most destructive changes our society has faced because it provides a false sense of social interaction for people. Social media has made us increasingly isolated and lonely.

Pastor, you can see the effects this has had on others. Where are you being sharpened and honed? Do you have a group of godly men that you can interact with, pray with, challenge, and be challenged by? The spiritual war hasn’t ended, and we will need to be strong and focused as we prepare for the next stages of the conflict. That means we need each other more than at any other time.

If you want this sort of interaction–iron sharpening iron–and you don’t know where to begin, might I offer you one option? IFCA International, the ministry I am privileged to lead, has many such opportunities to sharpen one another–for churches, pastors, missionaries, Christian leaders, and Christian organizations. If you aren’t already finding this type of fellowship where you are serving the Lord, I want to invite you to look into IFCA to see if we can help bridge that gap and help introduce you to godly, independent Christian men who want to be sharpened by others. Interdependence that doesn’t sacrifice convictions. Find out more at www.ifca.org