Out of Church Christians: Part 5
[Editor's Note: This the fifth and last part of a series examining the phenomenon of large numbers of Christians leaving the organized church in order to preserve their faith. To read Part 1, click here. To read Part 2, click here. To read Part 3, click here. To read Part 4, click here.]
With this final installment, I hope to explore some solutions as to what can be done about this problem. That’s what this series has been all about – recognizing the problem so we can find some answers. However, before I begin, I want to make sure you know what this series isn’t all about:
This isn’t an indictment of all churches nor of organized religion in general.
I have to say that the majority of those of you who write me are solidly planted in wonderful churches that have a great and continuous impact on your walk with God and your community. Most of you are enthusiastic and glowing when you tell me about your churches, your pastor, your activities there, etc. Therefore, I think that while we can all admit that organized religion has its flaws, it’s obvious that God is using and working through institutional religion despite them. In fact, we know that God has always used flawed vessels to bring about His will.
This isn’t a license to whine or complain.
Like a few other out of church Christians, I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of whining a time or two, “God, this church just isn’t meeting my needs.” I don't think He has a whole lot of patience with self-pity because the answer came back really suddenly and really clear: “Focus on meeting my needs, and I’ll take care of yours,” which I took to be a paraphrasing of Matt. 10:39. A sensitive examination of those who have been hurt by the church from the point of view of both the pastor the saint reveals that there is even a certain luxury in being wounded by the church. Legitimate hurts or concerns have never been a reason to stop trusting, stop praying or stop being obedient to the commands of scripture. Now, moving on . . .
What can be done to correct the many problems and difficulties of the institutional church so that those who have left will return and those who desire to leave will stay?
I am not the first person to bandy this question around, nor will I be the last. Men and women much wiser than I have written millions of articles and thousands of books on this subject, each of them asking and then trying to answer this very same question. A quick jaunt around some of these writings reveals that everybody thinks they know the answer, but few of them agree. Therefore, I don’t presume to be able to answer such a huge question in one humble blog entry. However, there are two solutions that make the most sense to me:
The Three Rs: Reformation, Revival and Revolution
Andrew Strom thinks we need reformation and revival. In his booklet, The Out of Church Christians, in a chapter entitled, “Is Revival the Answer?” he states,“With the realization that thousands of people are leaving today's churches, many leaders want some kind of ‘answer’ that will bring them back again . . . They do not realize that many of these out-of-church people are not interested in returning to ‘church as we know it.’ They are waiting for a new move – an entirely new ‘Church’ – something transformed by the power of God. In fact, it is clear that they want something far closer to the original church of the Bible. What they are talking about is large-scale reformation and revival, something that will take us back to the full vitality, the faith and the power of the early Christians."
Meanwhile, Frank Viola thinks we need a revolution. In this article entitled, “Jesus, the Revolutionary,” he states,“Renewing and inventing new forms for church is like changing clothes on a mannequin. Doing so will never give it life no matter how avant-garde the garb is. No, the axe must be laid to the root of the problem and a revolution ignited! What is needed is a complete upheaval of our current Christian practices. All traditions that find no soil in scripture must be forever abandoned. We must begin anew . . . from ground zero. Anything less will prove defective.”
A Plea for Wisdom and Caution
While I agree that great change is needed, change that happens too fast can be damaging. (I can’t claim credit for those wise words because that was a repetition of what someone told me recently.) If we wanted to, we could certainly put our best effort into making these things happen; however, we should remember that the purest and most sincere of human intentions have always been a poor substitute for God’s perfect will and timing. If you, like me, desire a change, then I would encourage you to join me in praying, “Not my will be done Lord, but thine. . .”
And that’s the best solution I could come up with. Do you have a suggestion? If so, hit the link below and shoot me an e-mail.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
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