如果說，第十二篇所談的是下一代領袖如何被辨識、陪伴、成全和差派，那麼來到整個《從浸信會傳統、歷史與神學重新思想教會（實踐篇）》的最後，一個更根本的問題便自然浮現：究竟，一間教會真正能夠長久延續下去，所依靠的是甚麼？
很多時候，我們很自然會想到制度。我們關心章程是否完善、架構是否清晰、委員會是否健全、領袖培育是否完整，也希望建立一套足以支撐教會未來發展的治理模式。然而，當一路回顧浸信會四百多年的歷史，我愈來愈相信，一間教會真正能夠長久延續，所依靠的從來不只是制度，而是一群人共同相信：基督今天仍然在祂的教會中掌權，聖靈今天仍然在祂的百姓中工作。教會不是一個依靠制度維持運作的組織，而是一個願意一起尋求神心意、一起承擔使命、一起跟隨基督的屬靈群體。
這並不是否定制度的重要。健康的制度本身就是神所賜的恩典。制度能夠建立界線、保護群體、避免權力被濫用，也使教會的運作更有秩序。然而，制度真正的價值，不是在於取代生命，而是在於保護生命；不是取代信任，而是在信任受到考驗時，仍然守護整個群體。因此，制度與關係從來不是彼此競爭，而是彼此成全。制度可以維持秩序，卻不能產生生命；制度可以規範程序，卻不能建立信任。真正讓制度發揮作用的，不是制度本身，而是制度背後那群願意彼此信任、共同承擔，也共同順服基督的人。
這正是浸信會教會觀最獨特的地方。艾德加．楊．穆林斯（E. Y. Mullins）提出「靈魂自由」（Soul Competency）的觀念，相信每一位重生得救的信徒，都能直接來到神面前回應祂，也相信聖靈願意向每一位信徒工作。¹ 正因如此，浸信會一直強調信徒皆祭司、地方教會自治，以及整個群體共同承擔教會的方向。它沒有一個中央權威代替地方教會作所有決定，也不認為真理只掌握在少數領袖手中，而是相信神願意透過整個教會，引導祂自己的教會。
然而，這些信念從來都不是一套行政制度，而是一種對教會的信念。信徒皆祭司，需要相信神也會向別人工作；地方教會自治，需要相信整個群體都需要一起承擔；共同辨識，需要相信神不只帶領個人，也帶領整個教會。若失去這份相信，信徒皆祭司便容易變成人各有理；地方教會自治便容易變成各自為政；會眾治理便可能退化成單純的多數決文化；共同辨識也容易變成沒完沒了的爭論。浸信會四百多年來一直努力守護的，其實不是某一套制度，而是這份共同的信念：神仍然透過整個群體工作。
回頭再看，整個《從浸信會傳統、歷史與神學重新思想教會》其實並不是十三個彼此獨立的課題，而是一段由神學走向實踐的旅程。我們從信徒皆祭司開始，相信聖靈向每一位信徒工作，因此重新思想地方教會自治，以及群體如何共同辨識神的心意。然後，我們重新理解委員會文化、不同聲音、領袖培育，以及世代承傳。我們談重要的事情需要慢下來，是因為相信神的工作不能只靠效率；我們談共同辨識，是因為相信聖靈不只帶領個人，也帶領整個群體；我們談委員會文化，是因為程序不能代替生命；我們談不同聲音，是因為真正的合一並不等於所有人都完全一致；我們談領袖培育與世代承傳，是因為真正的領袖不是被制度製造出來，而是在群體中被辨識、被陪伴，也被差派。最後，我們發現，這一切真正關心的，從來不是建立一套更完善的制度，而是建立一個願意一起相信神、一起跟隨基督、一起承擔使命的群體。
然而，今天許多加拿大華人教會所面對的挑戰，也正正在這裡。移民流動頻繁，世代文化差異愈來愈大，生活節奏愈來愈急速。很多教會一起聚會多年，卻未必真正同行多年；一起事奉多年，卻未必真正認識彼此。我們知道誰負責哪一個部門，也知道誰擔任哪一個職位，卻未必知道對方生命中的故事、屬靈的掙扎，以及神如何一路塑造他的生命。
因此，有人會問：如果建立信任需要多年同行，那麼流動率如此高的移民教會，還有可能建立真正的信任嗎？
也許，我們一直把問題問反了。
很多人以為，只有建立足夠的信任之後，教會才能開始共同辨識；然而，也許事情正好相反。
共同辨識，本身就是建立信任的重要途徑。
當教會願意一起禱告、一起查考聖經、一起分享、一起等待、一起聆聽，信任便在這些過程中慢慢形成。共同辨識從來不只是一套決策程序，更是一種屬靈操練。在這個過程裡，我們慢慢發現：即使彼此有不同意見，我們仍然可以一起尋求神；即使自己的建議沒有被採納，自己的聲音仍然受到尊重；即使最後作出的決定不是自己原本期待的，我們仍然願意相信，神仍然在整個群體中工作。真正持久的信任，不是因為大家沒有分歧，而是因為大家願意一起把自己的想法放在神的心意之下，一起順服基督，也一起承擔群體所作出的決定。
這也正是新約所描繪的教會。保羅很少把教會描述成一個組織，他更喜歡使用身體、家庭和團契等充滿關係性的圖像。教會不是一群因共同利益而聚集的人，而是一群因基督而彼此連結的人。潘霍華（Dietrich Bonhoeffer）提醒我們，真正的基督徒群體不是建立在人彼此理想化的期待，而是建立在基督已經接納我們的恩典之上。² 史丹利．葛倫茲（Stanley J. Grenz）則指出，人是按著三一上帝群體性的形象受造，因此基督徒生命的成熟，不是在孤立之中完成，而是在彼此相愛、彼此建立之中長成基督的身量。³ 正因如此，真正承載使命的，往往不是架構，而是生命；不是程序，而是同行。很少有人會為一套制度付上生命，但很多人會為一群自己所愛的人付上生命；很少有人會因為一份章程而留下來，卻有很多人因為被接納、被信任、被同行，而願意繼續留在教會。
回顧浸信會四百多年的歷史，我愈來愈相信，它留給今天教會最珍貴的，不是一套治理制度，也不是一套行政程序。
它留下的，是一個信念。
相信基督今天仍然在祂的教會中掌權。
相信聖靈今天仍然在祂的百姓中工作。
相信神仍然透過一群願意彼此信任、共同辨識、彼此承擔的人，引導祂的教會。
或許，這才是浸信會真正承傳給今天教會最珍貴的遺產。
它所承傳的，不是一套制度。
而是一種教會觀。
它相信，教會不是一個依靠制度維持運作的組織，而是一群因著基督彼此相連、因著聖靈共同辨識、因著福音一起承擔使命的人。
這也是我寫下整個《從浸信會傳統、歷史與神學重新思想教會》最大的盼望。
我並不是希望每一間教會都變成同一個樣子，也不是希望所有浸信會都採用同一套制度或做法。
我真正盼望的是，今天每一間教會，都願意再次相信：基督仍然掌權，聖靈仍然工作，教會仍然可以一起辨識神的心意。
或許，每一個時代都有自己的挑戰，每一間教會也都有不同的處境。我們未必會作出相同的決定，也未必會建立相同的制度。然而，只要我們仍然願意彼此信任、共同辨識、一起承擔，也一起順服基督，我相信教會便仍然走在主一直帶領祂教會前行的道路上。
因為直到今天，真正建立教會的，仍然不是人的智慧。
而是那位仍然在祂教會中工作的主。
Antony傳道
註腳
1. 艾德加．楊．穆林斯（E. Y. Mullins，1860–1928），《The Axioms of Religion》（Philadelphia: Judson Press, 1908），53–74。穆林斯是二十世紀最具影響力的浸信會神學家之一，提出「靈魂自由」（Soul Competency）的觀念，強調每一位重生得救的信徒都能直接向神負責，並在聖靈引導下回應神，成為浸信會「信徒皆祭司」及地方教會自治的重要神學基礎。另參 詹姆斯．李奧．加勒特（James Leo Garrett Jr.，1925–2020），《Baptist Theology: A Four-Century Study》（Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009），169–188。加勒特指出，浸信會的治理模式並非單純的民主制度，而是建立在整個群體共同順服基督、共同承擔使命的信念之上。
2. 潘霍華（Dietrich Bonhoeffer，1906–1945），《Life Together》（New York: HarperOne, 1954），21–39。潘霍華是德國路德宗牧師及神學家，因參與反抗納粹政權而殉道。他指出，真正的基督徒群體不是建立在人彼此理想化的期待，而是建立在基督已經接納我們的恩典之上。
3. 史丹利．葛倫茲（Stanley J. Grenz，1950–2005），《Created for Community: Connecting Christian Belief with Christian Living》（Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998），143–170。葛倫茲是加拿大浸信會神學家，也是當代福音派重要神學家之一。他強調人是按著三一上帝群體性的形象受造，因此基督徒生命的成熟，必須在群體生活、彼此相愛與共同建立中實現，而非停留於個人主義的信仰。
Rethinking the Church through Baptist Tradition, History, and Theology (Practical Reflections)
Part 13 - What Is the True Legacy? The Baptist tradition has not primarily handed down a system of governance, but a theological vision of the church.
If the previous chapter explored how the next generation of leaders is discerned, accompanied, equipped, and sent, then, as we arrive at the final chapter of Rethinking the Church through Baptist Tradition, History, and Theology (Practical Reflections), a more fundamental question naturally emerges: What truly enables a church to endure across generations?
Our instinctive answer is often structure. We concern ourselves with constitutions, organizational charts, committees, leadership development, and governance models. We seek systems capable of sustaining the church’s future. Yet, as I have reflected upon more than four centuries of Baptist history, I have become increasingly convinced that what ultimately enables a church to endure is not merely its institutions, but a shared conviction: that Christ still reigns over His church today, and that the Holy Spirit continues to work among His people.
The church is therefore not simply an organization held together by structures. It is a spiritual community that continually seeks God’s will, shares His mission, and follows Christ together.
This is not to diminish the importance of structure. Healthy structures are themselves gifts from God. They establish appropriate boundaries, protect the community, guard against the abuse of authority, and enable the church to function with wisdom and order. Yet the true purpose of structure is never to replace life, but to safeguard it; never to substitute for trust, but to preserve trust when it is tested. Structure and relationships are therefore not competitors but partners. Structure can preserve order, but it cannot generate life. It can regulate procedures, but it cannot create trust. Ultimately, what gives structure its true meaning is not the structure itself, but the people behind it—a people willing to trust one another, bear responsibility together, and submit together to the lordship of Christ.
Here we arrive at one of the distinctive contributions of Baptist ecclesiology. E. Y. Mullins’ doctrine of Soul Competency teaches that every regenerated believer is able to respond directly to God and that the Holy Spirit works through every believer.¹ Because of this conviction, Baptists have consistently emphasized the priesthood of all believers, local church autonomy, and the shared responsibility of the whole congregation in discerning the church’s direction. Rather than entrusting ultimate authority to a centralized hierarchy or assuming that truth resides exclusively in a select group of leaders, Baptists have long believed that God continues to lead His church through the gathered community of believers.
Yet these convictions were never meant to function merely as a system of church administration. They express a particular way of understanding what the church truly is.
The priesthood of all believers requires us to believe that God also speaks through others.
Local church autonomy requires us to believe that the whole congregation shares responsibility before Christ.
Communal discernment requires us to believe that God leads not only individuals but also His church as a whole.
Once this conviction is lost, however, each of these Baptist distinctives begins to unravel. The priesthood of all believers can deteriorate into individualism, where everyone insists on being right. Local church autonomy can fragment into congregational isolation. Congregational governance can deteriorate into mere majority rule. Communal discernment can dissolve into endless debate.
For more than four centuries, what Baptists have sought to preserve has never simply been a particular ecclesiastical system. Rather, they have sought to preserve a shared conviction—that God continues to work through His people as a community.
Looking back, this entire Rethinking the Church through Baptist Tradition, History, and Theology series has never really consisted of thirteen unrelated topics. Rather, it has traced a theological journey from conviction to practice.
We began with the priesthood of all believers, affirming that the Holy Spirit works through every believer. From there we reconsidered local church autonomy and the way God’s people discern His will together. We then reflected on committee culture, differing voices within the congregation, leadership development, and intergenerational succession. We argued that important decisions require us to slow down because God’s work cannot simply be measured by efficiency. We emphasized communal discernment because the Holy Spirit guides not merely individuals but the whole body of Christ. We re-examined committee culture because procedures can never replace spiritual life. We considered differing voices because genuine unity is not the same as uniformity. We reflected on leadership development and intergenerational succession because authentic leaders are not manufactured by institutional systems but are discerned, accompanied, equipped, and ultimately sent by the community of faith.
In the end, we discovered that the central concern behind all these discussions has never been the construction of a more sophisticated organizational system. Rather, it has been the formation of a community willing to believe God together, follow Christ together, and bear His mission together.
Yet this is precisely where many Chinese churches in Canada face one of their greatest challenges today. Immigration has made congregations increasingly transient. Generational and cultural differences continue to widen. The pace of life grows ever faster. Many believers have worshiped together for years without truly journeying together. They have served alongside one another without ever deeply knowing one another. We know who oversees each ministry and who occupies each leadership position, yet we often know very little about one another’s stories, spiritual struggles, or the ways in which God has patiently shaped each person’s life.
This naturally raises an important question:
If trust requires years of walking together, can immigrant churches—with such constant movement and transition—ever cultivate genuine trust?
Perhaps we have been asking the wrong question.
Many assume that a church must first establish sufficient trust before it can practise communal discernment.
Perhaps the opposite is true.
Communal discernment is itself one of God’s primary means of cultivating trust.
When the church chooses to pray together, study Scripture together, share openly, wait patiently, and listen carefully to one another, trust is gradually formed through those very practices. Communal discernment is not merely a decision-making process; it is a spiritual discipline.
Through this process, we gradually discover that even when we disagree, we can still seek God’s will together. Even when our own proposals are not adopted, our voices can still be genuinely heard and respected. Even when the final decision differs from what we had hoped for, we may still trust that God continues to work through the whole community.
Lasting trust, therefore, is not the absence of disagreement. Rather, it is the willingness of God’s people to place their own preferences beneath God’s will, to submit together to Christ, and to bear together the responsibility of the decisions made by the community.
This is precisely the picture of the church presented throughout the New Testament. Paul rarely describes the church as an organization. Instead, he consistently speaks of it as a body, a family, and a fellowship—images that are profoundly relational in nature. The church is not a gathering of people united merely by common interests; it is a people united in Christ.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that authentic Christian community is not built upon our idealized expectations of one another but upon the grace by which Christ has already accepted us.² Stanley J. Grenz likewise argues that humanity is created in the image of the triune God, whose very being is relational. Consequently, Christian maturity is never achieved in isolation but is formed through mutual love, mutual edification, and shared life within the community of believers.³
For this reason, what ultimately carries the mission of the church is rarely its organizational structure, but its shared life; not its procedures, but its fellowship.
Few people would willingly lay down their lives for an institution.
Many would gladly do so for people whom they genuinely love.
Few remain in a church because of its constitution.
Many remain because they have been accepted, trusted, and accompanied by fellow believers.
Looking back over more than four centuries of Baptist history, I have become increasingly convinced that the most precious legacy handed down to the church today is neither a particular form of church government nor an administrative system.
It is a theological vision of the church.
It is the conviction that Christ continues to reign over His church today.
It is the conviction that the Holy Spirit continues to work among God’s people today.
It is the conviction that God continues to guide His church through a community willing to trust one another, practise communal discernment together, and share responsibility together.
Perhaps this is the Baptist tradition’s greatest gift to the church today.
What it has handed down is not primarily a system.
It has handed down a theological vision of what the church truly is.
It believes that the church is not an organization held together merely by structures, but a people united in Christ, discerning together through the Holy Spirit, and bearing God’s mission together through the gospel.
This has been my deepest hope in writing this entire series, Rethinking the Church through Baptist Tradition, History, and Theology (Practical Reflections).
My hope has never been that every church should become identical, nor that every Baptist church should adopt precisely the same structures or methods.
Rather, I hope that churches today will once again believe that Christ still reigns, that the Holy Spirit still speaks, and that the church is still capable of discerning God’s will together.
Every generation faces its own challenges, and every congregation serves within its own unique context. We will not always reach the same conclusions, nor should every church necessarily adopt the same structures. Yet as long as we remain willing to trust one another, discern together, bear responsibility together, and submit ourselves together to Christ, I believe the church will continue to walk along the path on which the Lord Himself has always led His people.
For even today, the church is ultimately not built by human wisdom.
It is built by the Lord who continues to work in the midst of His church.
Notes
1. E. Y. Mullins (Edgar Young Mullins, 1860–1928), The Axioms of Religion (Philadelphia: Judson Press, 1908), 53–74. Mullins, one of the most influential Baptist theologians of the twentieth century, developed the doctrine of Soul Competency, emphasizing that every regenerated believer bears personal responsibility before God and is able to respond directly to Him under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This conviction became one of the theological foundations for both the priesthood of all believers and local church autonomy within the Baptist tradition. See also James Leo Garrett Jr. (1925–2020), Baptist Theology: A Four-Century Study (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), 169–188. Garrett argues that Baptist polity is not simply a democratic mechanism but is grounded in the shared conviction that the entire congregation is called to submit together to Christ and to participate together in His mission.
2. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945), Life Together (New York: HarperOne, 1954), 21–39. Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor and theologian who was executed for his resistance to the Nazi regime, argues that authentic Christian community is grounded not in our idealized expectations of one another but in Christ’s gracious acceptance of us.
3. Stanley J. Grenz (1950–2005), Created for Community: Connecting Christian Belief with Christian Living (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 143–170. Grenz, a Canadian Baptist theologian and one of the leading evangelical theologians of his generation, contends that human beings are created in the image of the triune God. Consequently, Christian maturity is cultivated not through isolated individualism but through life together, mutual love, and shared participation within the community of faith.
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