What’s Wrong with the Church

What's wrong with the church? Much has been written and said to attempt to answer that question. The fact is the impact of the church in most American towns and cities is minimal. Why? Let me share a few answers to the question based on years of close-up experience.

First there is the problem of selective ministry. I saw this time and time again in every church I served. I always joked that the number of folks in the waiting room or at the funeral was in direct proportion to how well known someone was. If someone was on the inside everybody came running. If someone was not, it was more like a slow trot or worse. The majority of ministry in the church is done for the benefit of the insiders, the best known and the well connected. The further outside the inner circle of the church one is, the less ministry takes place. I've seen many people leave the church and never come back because of selective ministry, asking the question, Where is the love they all talk about?

Second there is the dismissal of the Great Commission as the primary work of the church. You know the Great Commission—preach the gospel to everybody. Everybody means everybody no matter the color, gender, socio-economic background, country of origin, sexual orientation, etc. Many if not most churches in America simply give lip service to the Great Commission. Precious little evangelism is going on. What little good news is being shared is done by a very few who believe that is their job as believers. Call for a visitation night and see how many show up? If you make folks feel guilty enough from the pulpit on Sunday they may once or twice, but by the third night how many are there? I've used every evangelism program a church can use over the years and none of them have worked over the long haul. Why? They don't work because the Great Commission simply does not matter. Folks get all fired up about going to another country and share the heck out of the Gospel. Those same folks will not speak to the person who is lost across from the street from them. Something is wrong!

Third worship is about music and not about loving God. A great definition of worship is the church busy at the business of loving God, however, ask many a church goer these days about worship and he or she will likely start talking about music. God created music so He's pleased by however it is used to give praise to Him. Why in the world should it matter what kind of music is being played in a service if it's God-honoring? It shouldn't but it DOES! Churches are basically segregated by age today because of music. God cannot be pleased by it. Dare I say it—music style is an idol.

Fourth most pastors are not allowed to be pastors. What is the job of the pastor? It is simply to preach the Word of God and equip Christians spiritually to live out their calling to be salt and light in a tasteless, dark world. Pastors begin their ministry excited to do just that only to find in their first church and afterward that they are not allowed to fulfill their calling. Instead, they become slaves to the whims and personal desires of church members. Pastors are forced to spend their time making sure the egos and needs of members are stroked to the detriment of time in the study and in prayer. They pay dearly if they are late to take care of some perceived need. Many if not most pastors live their lives in fear of not meeting those needs whether they admit it or not.

Fifth there is the problem of church members hating each other. Yes I said hate. Now no one would ever use that word, but I've seen what church members have done to each other and I've heard what they say about one another. The only word to describe what I've seen and heard is hate. It is amazing to me how many people spend week after week listening to sermons and singing songs about God's grace and forgiveness yet are absolutely unwilling to extend either. Now when people have hate in their hearts what kind of worship can take place in that church? What kind of evangelism can be done? What kind of ministry will happen? Will there be any kind of opportunity for spiritual leaders to fulfill their calling? Perhaps this last problem is the foundation for the rest of them. Take care of that one and the others will probably be dealt with as well.

The church Jesus died to build is beautiful. (Read Matthew 18 for just one New Testament expression of what He intended.) What churches people attend are not. I believe in the former and am awfully concerned about the latter.