Since all the sheep belong to Jesus, what’s the real problem?
- Sheep-stealing /'ʃip stil.ɪŋ/ vt. Getting a Christian to leave their church and join yours.
- [Sheep-stealer /'ʃip stil.ər/ n.]
My sister and I live in the same town. I’m a member of a small church. She’s a member of another, larger church.
When people hear this, sometimes they respond, “Aww. Why don’t you go to the same church? You should be worshiping together.”
Well, sometimes we do. Sometimes I visit her church. Once, she and her family visited mine. Our churches aren’t in competition, y’know. Mine may be in a denomination and hers isn’t, but both churches belong to Jesus: They’re both outposts of God’s kingdom.
Why don’t we go to the same church? Various reasons. Initially it was because I was giving the churches in my denomination a try before settling on one… and this one fit. (Once it wasn’t, so I hung with the Baptists a few years.) If I had to switch churches, I don’t think it’d be too big a stretch to switch to hers, but I fit better here.
And my church lets me minister. Whereas her church already has plenty of ministers. They don’t need me. Don’t need her either. She and her husband used to help in their area of expertise, music. They were eventually told their help wasn’t wanted.
If I were told that, I’d go find someplace I was wanted; but that’s me. I told ’em my church was looking for musicians. Of course my church, being small, would definitely try to rope ’em into ministering every week, and they’d prefer once a month. (That’s what they’re currently doing: They help out at a friend’s church.)
Now, some Christians would definitely take offense at my inviting them to help at my church. They’d see it as “sheep-stealing.” Because my sister and brother-in-law already have a church, already have a shepherd, and how dare I try to swipe them out from underneath their shepherd?
Um… ’cause we all have the one shepherd.
John 10.14-16 KWL - 14 “I’m the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me,
- 15 just as my Father knows me, and I know the Father. I prioritize my life for the sheep.
- 16 I have other sheep who aren’t from this pen. I have to bring them here too.
- They’ll hear my voice and become one flock, with one shepherd.”
Churches have shepherds, or pastors; lots of ’em. But all these pastors work for the head of every church, Christ Jesus. And when they’re jealous of one another, or compete with one another, or try to hoard resources which are meant for the whole kingdom and world, it’s wholly inappropriate. So this idea of “sheep-stealing”? Doesn’t come from the bible.
Still, some pastors get downright territorial.