Do we equip the church, or does it equip us?

On Tuesday I was talking with my friend Gary about many things, including the issues related to my Open Letter from Monday. He told me about a time that he was doing a retreat in Canada on calling and there was a recurring theme in Q&A -- all about how to go about getting permission from their pastors and/or churches to do what was on their hearts to do. (BTW, Gary said his response was if God was telling them to do it, why do they need support from their church?)

I've personally seen this, and heard similar stories. Men and some women who want to do a certain ministry or activity, only to be told by their pastor that it doesn't fit with them and the vision of their church (or mission or purpose of their church). I've been told a couple time by pastors that if I feel called to do what I had just shared with them, maybe it's a sign that I'm not supposed to be with them. I think this is a phenomenon that has grown in recent years as churches have imitated the business world in all the wrong ways -- coming up with vision and mission statements and focusing on accomplishing them.

Strange. I wonder what Bible they are reading?

Throughout Paul's letters, in Hebrews, in Acts, I see a recurring theme -- the church or its "leaders" are to equip the saints. The meetings are to edify and encourage one another. Our communities are to encourage one another to love and good deeds. I don't see anything about meeting the vision of the pastor, or the leadership team. The pastor role is actually mentioned all of once in scripture, and it is in the context of the pastor being for the equipping the saints for service.

Jesus said to the original disciples that they shouldn't lord it over others like the pagans do. But when a pastor or other leader says "we don't do that here" in reference to a good work someone wants to do, how is that not an example of lording it over? If a person is called of God to do something, shouldn't those around him or her help that person confirm it, then support it as God leads them to?

Instead, we get leaders who define roles and encourage service, but only in those predefined little buckets they create? Paul said God works within us to will and to act for his good purpose. Why can't leaders and churches trust God to do what He says? What a church needs to get done will get done what God wants if we trust Him to move and work within His people.