Who Holds Authority?
Christ's headship, qualified church leadership, accountability, and the difference between serving Christ's people and controlling them.
Colossians 1:18 · 1 Peter 5:2–3 A NEW STANDALONE BOOK BY MATTHEW NEWBERRY
WHO'S RUNNING YOUR CHURCH?
A Biblical Examination of the Modern Church
The church belongs to Jesus Christ. Yet its priorities, practices, leadership, and resources are too often measured by what attracts people rather than what Scripture requires.
This book asks a question every congregation, pastor, and member ought to be willing to answer: who is actually directing the church?
Publication in preparation Newberry Editions
THE OFFICIAL BOOK COVER MATTHEW NEWBERRY
THE FOUNDATION COLOSSIANS 1:18
“And he is the head of the body, the church.”
Colossians 1:18 · NIV
A church may belong to a denomination, occupy a property, and operate under a board. But the church itself belongs to Christ.
01 / THE BOOK
A question the modern church cannot afford to ignore.
Churches can be busy, popular, financially successful, and filled with activity while still neglecting the responsibilities Christ entrusted to His people. Crowds, budgets, impressive buildings, polished services, and compelling personalities cannot establish whether a congregation is being led according to Scripture.
Who's Running Your Church? examines the biblical authority of Christ over His church and measures modern practices against the instruction of God's Word. It considers the responsibilities of pastors and elders, the stewardship of offerings, the purpose of worship, the work of discipleship, and the obligation of believers to test what they are taught.
It also examines the effects of church consumerism, the influence of large religious institutions on smaller congregations, the dangers of personality-driven leadership, and the growing reach of unaccountable teaching through social media and online platforms.
The purpose is not to defend a particular building size, worship style, denomination, or organizational model. It is to ask whether what the church does can be defended from Scripture—and whether God's people are prepared to respond when it cannot.
02 / WHAT THE BOOK EXAMINES
Not what is impressive.
What is faithful.
The measure of a church is not the sophistication of its organization, but its faithfulness to Christ and His Word.
Who Controls the Money?
Offerings, budgets, debt, buildings, fundraising, and whether church resources are managed for ministry or institutional expansion.
2 Corinthians 9:7 · Acts 4:34–35What Has Worship Become?
Entertainment, spectacle, emotional appeal, and the danger of mistaking a carefully produced experience for biblical worship.
John 4:23–24 · 2 Timothy 4:2Are We Testing the Teaching?
False claims, popular slogans, selective preaching, online personalities, and every believer's duty to examine teaching against Scripture.
Acts 17:11 · 1 John 4:1What Happens to Community?
Megachurch growth, smaller congregations, local care, and the difference between attracting an audience and cultivating a church family.
Acts 2:42–47 · Hebrews 10:24–25Who Will Take Responsibility?
A practical call for faithful men to serve, lead where qualified, protect others, confront error, and help restore biblical priorities.
Nehemiah 4:14 · Ephesians 4:11–16THE STANDARD HAS NOT CHANGED
The question is not whether a church can grow. The question is whether it will obey.
Jesus Christ does not surrender His authority to the preferences of a congregation, the charisma of a pastor, the influence of donors, or the demands of a changing culture. Scripture remains the authority by which the church must examine itself.
MORE FROM MATTHEW NEWBERRY
AN EXAMINATION WORTH MAKING
The church is His.
Let Scripture answer the question.
Who's Running Your Church? by Matthew Newberry is in preparation for publication through Newberry Editions. Official publication and purchasing information will appear here when confirmed.
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