Wednesday
May262004
Death of a church
Wednesday, May 26, 2004 at 5:29PM This post is from the defunct blog "Dying Church"
From Bill Easum:I think there is too much lamenting over the death of a church. Who really cares? I doubt if God does. Isn't the real point what we are doing with Jesus? If we all took this direction, we would concentrate on introducing people to Christ and helping them grow deeper rather than building a church.
Reader Comments (7)
I care. I care.
Okay, church isn't only about a relationship with God. It's about a relationship with each other. If we don't care, we are throwing john 17 out the window. We are one. Every time a fellow Christian hurts, we taste the salt of his/her tears.
"It may be neat and tidy for a theorist to separate institutionalism from missionalism, but real evangelical church life is always in tension between the two." Dave, you're absolutely right. That's a good reminder. Churches have natural life cycles, and sometimes they even die prematurely precisely because they're faithful (and for other, less honorable reasons). On a human level, I think God calls us to give up our desire to survive and literally be prepared to give up our lives (and our churches) if that is what obedience demands. So, on one hand, I don't aspire to martyrdom. On the other hand, I think our quest for survival and self-preservation is not always healthy.
Anita, I think you're right to care about people's hurts. I can relate to concern about some pastors who run over their people for the sake of some agenda. I wonder, though, if we have bought into the model of the church existing for the benefit of its members so much that we need to hear what Easum is saying. It's not about us. I can stay connected to my brothers and sisters even if an institution dies. I need to be on mission with Jesus, even if it costs me my life, never mind an institution.
If I'm not tracking rightly with the intent of this author let me know. Contrary to Easum, I personally lament over some churches that die and believe that God does too. Most often, when it happens, there's been some kind of negative reason for it. Frequently some people grow disillusioned or get hurt and don't even go back to church for a long while if ever. Also the rest just travel elsewhere and the former witness in that particluar area may be quenched. These are reasons to care. It may be neat and tidy for a theorist to seperate institutionalism from missionalism, but real evangelical church life is always in tension between the two. When a church dies I believe God cares precisely because of what has been done with Jesus. Easum seems to naively assume that churches die because everyone has abandoned Jesus and presumably christocentric mission. This is unrealistic. Point of fascination: Even the Apostle Paul chose not to enter through an open door of opportunity to preach the gospel in Troas because he felt compelled to return and put out the flames that threatened the existing church in Corinth of Macedonia. His priority was to save a church from dying over potentially starting a new church (2 Cor. 2:1-13. My point is not to suggest that the church of Corinth was in danger from institutionalism. There were dangers from within and without. I simply point out that a fresh start is not more missional, much less more virtuous.
I think that the eath of the church is real and very significant. The number of Americans who attend church has fallen to 31% in 2004. The issue to me is not the staggering decline in numbers as much as it is why doesn't Christianity relate to the majority of the population and how do church leaders change their orientation to change the direction that the church is going?
I just happen to come across this blog and briefly I would like to say that God cares... not so much if an church as institution dies, because really the "church" manifests herself in many ways... but the church is a living community of bleievers why would God not be grieved over that? Just a thought