There is an old joke that goes, “If I found the perfect Church, it wouldn’t be once I joined.” And that is as good of an anchor to toss out as any other when discussing the right and wrong way to choose a church family.
In the early days, after the Day of Pentecost,[1] there was no choice. There was one Church (Capital C) overseen by both the disciples and the brothers of Jesus, all turned “Apostles.” As the gospel spread the one Church still had only one church (small c) per community. This one Church—called “Catholic,” meaning universal[2]—had many house meetings, but only one authority structure. If someone stole your favorite seat by the window, you could get angry, but hopping to another house meeting was highly impractical, and would hardly be tolerated. Like with family, if you were a believer, you were pretty much stuck having to work it out; there was nowhere else to go… and Christians go to church.
The present state of things with multiple church organizations boasting varied-but-similar beliefs and practices, sometimes next door to each other, has its origin in a two historical realities: Administrative demands & The slippery slope toward organizational death.
Some churches yield over generations to the natural lean of the human heart toward self-gratification in greed, pride, lust, envy, wrath, sloth and gluttony. Excitement wanes; beliefs become customs; passion for Scripture cools; generations slowly conform themselves to the world around them. Some find revitalization from within. Others don’t. This forces true disciples of Jesus to start something new elsewhere in order to worship freely and honestly.
In the 1500s, when the “Catholic” authority structures refused to be revitalized, many reformers risked their lives to break free, and new churches sprang up around the world. They began independent from each other by administrative necessity and spread. Lutherans spread from Germany, Anglicans from England, Presbyterians from Scotland, etc. These were called protest churches… i.e. Protestant Churches.
These Protestant Churches, born from spiritual revitalization, succumbed to the impatience of frustrated reformers more easily. Influential leaders with particular thoughts about faith and practice broke free more handily to start their own fellowships.
So now, we have First Baptist across the street from 4th Baptist which is a quarter mile from 2nd Presbyterian, which is next to Saint Theresa’s, just a wee bit down the road in one direction from New Hope Assembly of God, and in the other from that independent place called, Corner Stone. They don’t necessarily hate each other, though Lucy Maude Montgomery books[3] are filled with humorous tales of the once upon a time antagonism between the Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists on Prince Edward Island. In fact, their leaders might even belong to the same pastors’ fellowship group and plan mutual events like concerts or fund raisers for charity. But they are not the same, not exactly. They differ in their tradition history and values, their religious habits, perceptions of worship, church administration, the role of the Church in life and society, and, to some extent, about biblical interpretation and theological issues big and small.
So who’s got it right?
Me, of course. I would have thought that was obvious to you by now.
But on a more serious note, how can you decide where to plant yourself in terms of joining a church? And when I say “plant yourself” I mean it. Find a church family and be a part of what is going on there. Be present. Give financially through both tithes and special offerings. Get involved in the work of the ministry of that church… and I don’t just mean doing nursery once a month.
Now, the benefit of modern church diversity is the pressure it applies to congregations keep faith fresh and mission passionate.
It can also, however, facilitate a kind of consumerism regarding church “attendance.” Your kid doesn’t get the lead in the passion play? “Well, we’ll just go on over to Life church, I’m sure they’d be glad to have the talents of my precious angel at their disposal, stuttering and all.” Think your church asks for money too much? “Let’s start going over to Our Lady of Perpetual Poverty, they obviously won’t be hitting us up so often!” You walk in the door of a new church and test the sanctuary seating for comfort, the lobby for ambiance, and check out the list of programs for the kiddos.
I get it. Some churches have Sanford-and-Son property and Welcome-Back-Kotter Youth programs. They minister to the lowest and most difficult communities. And what sensible parents trying to raise good Christian kids want those kinds of influences in their life. Right?! That, of course, is a consumer’s perspective, asking what one can get from a congregation, rather than what one can learn, or how faith and obedience can grow, or how one can help in the work of advancing the Kingdom of God in the hearts of lost souls.
You need to be where God wants you, which requires prayerful listening… but it also requires honest assessments, not of the freebies, but of the message and mission of a church, the earnestness of the leadership. We should find a place that preaches the Scriptures properly and trains people how to read it better… one that takes theology seriously, preaches on sin and your transformation into the image of Jesus. It should be concerned with spreading the gospel, discipling believers new and old, supporting missions and missionaries. It should take the worship experience seriously and both practice and promote prayer and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Leadership should be accountable to some higher authority, and to some extent to the congregation, to faith statements firmly rooted in Scripture, and ultimately and truly to Scripture itself.
If you can find this, adopt the whole lot of them into your family circle, pray for them every day, and thank God that they are in your life… even when they tick you off sometimes.
~Andrew D. Sargent, Ph.D.
[1] You can read the story of the Church’s beginning in Acts 1-2 in the New Testament.
[2] The term “katholikos” was first used to describe the Church in A.D. 107 by Ignatius of Antioch.
[3] She wrote the Anne of Green Gables series and many other novels and short stories set on Prince Edward Island.
