“Voluntary” does not mean “optional,” and “volunteer” does not mean “second-class”—quite the opposite.
Voluntary means willingly. It’s right there in the word itself. The root of the word “voluntary” is the Latin word “volo,” which means an act of the will. In fact, the English word “will” is the Latin word “volo” transmitted through time. The Latin “volo” becomes the Old Norse “vila,” which becomes the Old English “wela,” which becomes the modern English “will.” If we were to de-Latinize the word “voluntary,” it would become the word “willantary” because it’s something you do as a sheer act of will.
The term “volunteer” actually has a military origin and was used to describe a type of soldier. You see, there are three types of soldiers in times of war:
The first is the conscript. This is a soldier who has been forced to fight against their will. In terms of quality, the conscript is the worst of all possible soldiers. They don’t want to be there, and they don’t want to fight. In fact, they will only fight as long as they are more afraid of their commanders than they are of the enemy. As soon as they get an opportunity to quit and run away, they will take it.
The second type of soldier is the mercenary. This is a soldier who will fight as long as they get paid. They are far more effective than the conscript because the conscript is only motivated by fear, while the mercenary is motivated by greed. The mercenary will fight and fight hard –as long as they are winning. However, the mercenary knows that dead men collect no paychecks, so if the tide of battle turns against them, they will run away just as fast as the conscript.
The third type of soldier is the volunteer. These are the military elites and the most deadly soldiers there are. They fight as a sheer act of their will and are willing to lay their lives down because they believe in the cause. While other soldiers will run away when the chips are down, volunteers will fight with everything they have right to the bitter end.
Why is this significant?
Because The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is a Voluntary Cooperative Fellowship, and knowing what that means affects everything.
First, we are voluntary – we are here as a sheer act of the will. Nobody forced me to join this team. I came here willingly because I believe in the cause. What did I willingly sign up for? To join a voluntary cooperative fellowship – which literally means that I have willingly decided to cooperate and fellowship with other pastors, churches, and congregants to follow Jesus as we advance the cause of the Gospel. If I had no intention of living the life of a married man, then I shouldn’t have stood at that altar and said, “I do.” If I had no intention of voluntarily cooperating and fellowshipping with other pastors and churches, it was a pretty stupid idea to join a voluntary cooperative fellowship.
Second, is that we cooperate. This is a sacrifice of time, money, and resources to coordinate our efforts in advancing the Gospel. This means that I will be a contributor, not a consumer. I will give more than I take, and I will lead others to do the same. This means that any church I pastor will financially support the district, church planters, and missionaries. And, if the right opportunity comes along, I will also invest in other congregations. I will coordinate efforts, training, and resources with other pastors and churches. Anything I learn – I share.
Third, is we fellowship. This means I will invest in relationships outside of my congregation with other pastors, leaders, and churches. We’ve all met those lone-ranger wing-nut Christians who don’t think they need to be a part of the church. Their error is that they rebel against the teaching of Scripture that “the eye cannot say to the hand ‘I don’t need you’” and instead have contempt for the body of Christ – they learn from no one, they support no one, and they answer to no one. Unfortunately, sometimes these lone rangers get jobs as pastors and continue to show contempt for the body of Christ and lead their churches learning from no one, supporting no one, and answering to no one.
Not me.
I will treat my co-labourers in Christ as friends. I will celebrate their wins, and I will give comfort and support when they face hard times. This will cost me time and effort, but my family in Christ is worth it.
In the end, I didn’t join an optional cooperative fellowship but a voluntary cooperative fellowship. And because that’s what I signed up for – that’s what I’m going to do. I believe in the cause and will lay my life down for it. And should the day come when I am unable or unwilling to voluntarily cooperate and fellowship, then I hope I have the integrity to do the honourable thing.
John works as an Effectiveness Coach with the ABNWT District of the PAOC. He is a strategic thinker who has pastored urban and rural churches, traditional and on the cutting edge. He is a passionate evangelist who is committed to rapid church growth by creating churches that unchurched people love to attend. With his church planting, multi-service, multi-site, and church merger experience, he regularly trains leaders, coaches church planters, and helps other pastors lead their churches into new growth.