This practice has been going on for years, but lately has reached the epidemic stage for any number of denominations. You can see the usage on church signs, and in church bulletins. You can hear the usage in church after church; only the preacher - and maybe a visiting evangelist - are called brother.
Jesus Himself said that all believers are brothers and sisters to Him, not just those believers who preach. When the preacher is the only "brother" in a church, that church has, in effect, placed the "brother" between Jesus and all believers. That is not biblical. Jesus said all who come to the Father come through Him - not Him and the preacher, not Him and tradition, not Him and the deacons or vestry, not Him and the bishops and cardinals and pope, not Him and a nice campus, not even Him and the Bible.
Just Him.
The organized church has gotten so good at applying layers of administration between the Father, and believers and seekers. Most believers like it that way because they don't have to get down and dirty personal with Jesus. Instead, they have paid ministers and missionaries to do it for them.
It is time, brothers and sisters in Christ, to get personal ...
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