Crisis in the Church!

Anyone who has been going to church for any length of time can probably tell you of problems and situations that arise in their local assembly or congregation. Since these establishments are composed of flawed human being, it is expected that there will always be some problems in every church. We strive for peace and harmony and try to live by the dictates taught in the New Testament. However, what happens when a church reaches a crisis point that could affect the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people, now and in the future? What happens when the conflicts in the church are so great, the tensions so high, and the divides seemly so insurmountable?

I know of a church that is going through such a crisis now. As with most problems, the crisis did not just start recently. It took many years to get to the crisis point it is at today. Small issues that are not dealt with immediately, slowly become bigger and bigger as time goes on. Unwise decisions by the elder and deacon boards seem innocuous at first, but eventually come to fruition as members learn about shady deals, secret votes and power plays by certain individuals. Church bylaws, which are meant to protect and set guidelines for the congregation, are twisted and used as a means of manipulation and control. Scriptural guide lines are spoken of, but not adhered to in the spirit of love and meekness that the Apostles spoke of and wrote in their epistles to the church. The reasons for this are many.

To understand the nature of the beast, so to speak, let us briefly describe the three main systems of church government practiced by most denominations today:

Episcopal Polity
Churches having Episcopal polity are governed by bishops, who have authority over dioceses. Their presidency over the diocese is both sacramental and political; as well as performing ordinations, confirmations, and consecrations, the bishop supervises the clergy of the diocese and represents the diocese both secularly and in the hierarchy of church governance.

Presbyter Polity
Presbyterian churches are governed by a system of councils. The lowest level of such councils governs a single local church and is called the session; its members are called elders. The minister of the church (sometimes referred to as a "teaching elder") is a member and presides over the session; lay representatives ("ruling elders", or more commonly just "elders") are elected by the congregation.

Congregational Polity

Congregationalist polity often known as congregationalism, is a system of church governance in which every local church congregation is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous." It dispenses with elders or bishops as a requirement of church structure. The local congregation rules itself, though local leaders and councils may be appointed.

Most churches have elements of two and possibly all three types of church government. The church in crisis we are referring to uses a Presbyter with some elements of Congregational style.

Let us now look at the crisis church in more detail. The scriptures should always be our guideline when modeling church government and church offices. In areas where there is room for interpretation, we should always proceed in prayer and humble submission to our Lord for guidance. Personal agendas, power struggles and tradition should never be a part of any decision or policy when it comes to the affairs of the church. The church in crisis has succumbed to these things and has lost its vision. Every Christ centered church should have a clear vision and stated mission, which serves as a focal point for every ministry and method of service. The church in crisis has no mission of vision and the ministries are fragmented and autonomously managed. I was always taught that all things being equal, and by equal I mean the spiritual disciplines, a trained mind will see things more clearly, be better able to apply the knowledge and wisdom gained and cause one to be a better ambassador for Christ than the untrained mind one. That being said, a formal education, Christian or otherwise, should not be the defining qualification for ministerial service. Some of the greatest preachers and teachers of our time did not have a formal education, but they had something that Lord could use mightily and that was a heart for service out of true love and faith.

The church in crisis prides itself on its professionalism and business acumen, but with that comes a reliance on human ingenuity and wisdom. When this happens, the Spirit of God cannot operate effectively. People operating in the flesh try to position themselves in place of authority, promote policies that will benefit their own agendas and seek to use existing bylaws to strengthen their position. This should not be in the body if Christ. To be in ministry is a life of service and humility. To serve our brother and sister is to put their needs ahead of ours. To serve in church leadership is to always have the needs of the congregation first and foremost in the heart and mind. The church in crisis has failed to do this and has become engulfed with in fighting and promotion of self centered agendas. This has had the effect of making the witness largely ineffective. The church in crisis has become largely a group of Sunday gatherers and not spirit filled disciples.

The unity in diversity that should be present in any cross cultural congregation is not evident with the church in crisis. Ministries are fragmented and not connected with the larger ecclesiastical body. Members are not encouraged adequately to participate in all ministries and often appoints are made for political reasons, rather than the leading of the Spirit. Opposing views are often met with resistance and retribution, rather than with openness and understanding. Certainly every idea is not a sound or worthy one, but concerns and suggestions should be encouraged from the body.

Another great void on the church in crisis is the absence of true discipleship. One of the fundamental principles encouraged in the New Testament, was the need for discipleship of the believers. Jesus himself had many disciples, chief of whom were the twelve. The reasoning behind this was simple.  The disciples were mentor and taught by Jesus, and when the time was right, they were commissioned to teach and preach to others what they had learned first hand. They were then to disciple others, who were then sent out to do the same. This cycle would continue until all the world was reached with the Gospel. This was and still is the first and greatest reason for the church. To spread the Word of God’s love and grace to an evil and dying world. Leadership in the church in crisis has largely neglected this and the lack of spiritual growth is sadly evident in many of its members.

Sadly, one of the most notable things missing from the church in crisis is the unity and oneness of the believers in the congregation. The ties that should bind people in the spirit of unity is not there. It’s hard to tell whether this emanates from the top down. What I do know is that there is definitely something missing. Studying the first four chapters of the book of Revelation give us a sobering view of the way the Lord views our churches today. The most chilling assessment was given to the church of Laodicea:

Rev 3:16-19  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

The church in crisis has become lukewarm to the things of God. There is no real connection to the community, no burden for the lost, and no zeal and hunger for the Word. As a result, there is an undeniable stagnation among the body. To be sure, there is still a remnant of inspired believers, and I firmly believe their prayers are keeping the church afloat. The encouraging thing is that the Lord has promised that where two are there are gathered, He is also there in the midst of them. So, there is still hope for the church in crisis, but how long will the Lord stand at the door and knock. We only pray that the Lord would be gracious to the church in crisis and not only restore, but empower it as never before. Stay tuned..

S.T. Woods