Pastorless Churches

UnstoppableRevKev
Jul 28
6 min read

“Like sheep without a shepherd…” — Matthew 9:36

There is a growing trend within Western Christianity—a trend masquerading as humility and shared community—but one that is in reality a dangerous departure from God’s clear blueprint for His Church. I’m speaking of so-called “Quaker Meetings,” or any form of “church” that rejects a God-called, God-ordained, biblically-qualified, doctrinally-sound lead pastor.

These gatherings, often cloaked in language about “equality,” “mutual edification,” or the “freedom of the Spirit,” in practice reject the God-ordained office of pastor-teacher (Eph 4:11) and open the door to unbiblical chaos, doctrinal error, and spiritual manipulation.

God’s Design: Shepherds for the Sheep

Let’s be crystal clear: the New Testament knows nothing of a flock without a discernible shepherd. Jesus Himself gave pastors and teachers to the Church for the building up of the Body (Eph 4:11-12). Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every town (Titus 1:5), and he charged Timothy to preach the Word (2 Tim 4:2) and to entrust the truth to faithful men who could teach others (2 Tim 2:2).

Shepherds are not a possible option to consider; they are God’s gift to safeguard the Church. A shepherdless gathering is not a sign of spiritual maturity; it’s a fast-track to theological confusion and fleshly disorder. As the picture conveys, it's an open invitation for ravenous wolves to feast on the flock.

When Everyone’s the Teacher, No One’s Guarding the Truth

It's often said in the NFL, "A team with two quarterbacks doesn't have one." Look around at the theological dumpster fires raging out of control in many “progressive” churches. 2 Tim 4:3 paints a picture of the Andy Stanley, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, and Richard Rohr kinds of churches that "gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." As that verse reveals, those flocks of goats do so because they no longer tolerate sound biblical doctrine.

Doing the opposite isn't a recipe for success; obedience to God's WORD is. That's why the absence of pastoral authority is not benign—it’s deadly. Pastorless churches that champion an ambiguous “shared leadership” or “community discernment” do nothing more than replace Scripture with sentiment. They treat God’s immutable Word like a lump of theological clay, to be reshaped according to some collective discernment that's nothing more than personal feelings and decaying cultural trends.

When you hear phrases like, “I feel like what this verse means to me is…” That's the mortifying and mutilating mantra of these meetings. It is a platform and seedbed for unqualified, untrained voices to reinterpret Scripture in a way that accommodates sin rather than calls for repentance. God's design is jettisoned. Authority and accountability are ignored. Gender roles are often erased. Hell is allegorized. The exclusivity of Christ is softened. And absolute truth is sacrificed on the altar of “edifying conversation.” This is not spiritual openness—it is blatant rebellion in disguise. It's a modern-day Tower of Babel. It is the servants of Satan masquerading as servants of righteousness.

Charismania: The Other Side of the Same Coin

On the flip side, you’ve got the “hyper-charismatic” gatherings, where everyone’s receiving dreams, and “a rhema word from God.” Everyone's receiving a vision, or a goosebump-induced prophecy—and not surprisingly, none of it can be tested or verified by Scripture. These meetings elevate subjective experiences over objective truth. The Word of God takes a back seat to the most recent “download from heaven.”

And who calls the bluff when someone says, “God told me…”? Nobody. Because if I call "Ballyhoo!" on you... Then I've opened the door for you to respond in kind! So there’s no elder, no shepherd, no overseer applying the test of 1 Thessalonians 5:21—“test everything; hold fast what is good.” The end result? Doctrinal drift, spiritual abuse, and either disillusioned sheep who are led by the loudest voice and most charismatic personalities rather than the Word of God... or satisfied goats.

Elder or Ego Boards?

The danger isn't only “out there.” Tragically, this same spirit of rebellion cloaked in piety has infected many otherwise conservative churches. There's an increasing and tragic trend of reducing trained, godly pastors to nothing more than a so-called “first among equals” on so-called elder boards—boards often populated by men with no formal theological education, no meaningful ministry experience, and no biblical framework for what it means to be a biblical elder.

The modern “Board of Directors” model in many churches is not spiritual accountability—it’s corporate mimicry. The lead pastor—the man who’s devoted years to seminary, prayerful study, and shepherding—is often expected to submit to the vote of men who are often estranged from their own children, not the spiritual leaders in their own households, men who’ve never properly exegeted or preached a passage, never gotten dirty in ministry, never been on mission, never wept with the grieving or dying, never stood between ravenous wolves and the flock, and in some cases, never even led a single soul to Christ. They just want to be able to stand in the pulpit a few Sundays a year for the benefit of their own egos.

Many of these “elders” are unqualified as biblical shepherds. They’re narcissistic opportunists with unfulfilled lives who've found a platform where they can finally feel relevant. They don’t tremble before God’s Word—they're too busy maneuvering behind closed doors. They aren’t driven by the glory of Christ. Instead, they’re addicted to influence, the spotlight, and control. The result? The true shepherd is muzzled, the flock is confused, and Christ is dishonored... but He will not be mocked.

This isn’t a plurality of elders—it’s a tragic perversity of God's design. Elders care for the souls of the flock (Heb 13:17); they don't jockey for power like backroom politicians in a spiritual country club.

Why These “Churches” Exist: The Real Motivation

So let’s cut through all the smoke, mirrors, and droppings. What's really behind these anti-authority assemblies? It’s certainly not about loving King Jesus or His Bride. It’s ultimately about rejecting knowledge, wisdom, and correction because it's about rejecting God (Pr 1:7). Many of these gatherings are formed by individuals who bristled under the accountability of a healthy, Word-centered local church. They wanted a microphone, not Christ's mission. They wanted a platform, not a pastor. Their idea of “meeting” is not the result of Spirit-led conviction but rather ego-driven dissatisfaction.

The tragedy? In such gatherings, the meek and wise often stay silent while the arrogant and loud dominate. The spiritually immature speak with unchecked boldness, while the spiritually mature either grieve in quiet or move on to real churches with real pastors. It’s not God’s design for His Body, where humble, godly shepherds equip the saints for ministry and safeguard the flock from wolves (Acts 20:28-31).

A Final Plea: Return to God’s Design

If you’re part of a pastorless “fellowship,” or a church where the pastor is little more than a pulpit-puppet or mascot for a manipulative board of power-wielding, modern-day, power-hungry Pharisees, don’t confuse organizational efficiency with spiritual obedience.

God never called His Church to be led by a theological free-for-all or by political jockeying. He has gifted and called undershepherds—men who tremble before His Word, who labor in preaching and teaching, and who guard the flock at personal cost. They don't scatter. They will gladly give up their lives for the flock.

The Church belongs to Christ. And Christ has not left His Bride to figure things out in the chaotic crucible of popular opinion or to be ruled by laymen who mistake spiritual authority for power games. He has given His Bride shepherds, not hired hands. He's called faithful men who bleed for the Bride because they love the Bridegroom.

True pastors don’t let the sheep wander leaderless. True pastors don’t let the wolves feast unchallenged. Choose God’s way. Choose and submit to a biblically-qualified pastor. Choose the kind of church that glorifies Christ by proclaiming His unchanging Word.

Moses' successor, Joshua, challenged the rebellious nation of Israel with these words, “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”