Church That Matters - The Hugh Hewitt Show (2024)

Church That Matters

Fascinating piece in The Federalist this week by Nathanael Blake. The provocative title is “If Churches Are Really Pro-Marriage, They Will Discipline Its Destroyers.” His thesis is:

Thus, churches should lean into their role of holding members accountable. In general, American churches are better about providing help than providing discipline. This support — from helping with babies to giving advice and nurturing friendships to providing financial help to struggling families — is indeed essential. Still, it is only part of what is needed. The biggest failure of American churches is in discipline; very few seem to impose real consequences on members who openly violate their marriage vows and thereby harm and destroy families.

In other words, we have forgotten all about negative reinforcement. This is most obviously true in the realm of family life, but also applies generally as we have moved from a church that calls people to be better to a church that is “come as you are.” Blake discusses the problem from an ecclesiological standpoint, noting that in an age of independent, evangelical congregations, church discipline has relatively little impact, as one can easily move to the next church. But there are other factors involved as well.

Note how I generalized Blakes argument saying, “we have moved from a church that calls people to be better to a church that is ‘come as you are.'” That statement summarizes two major theological shifts in church thinking. One, it marks a church relatedly focused on evangelism, not sanctification and preservation. Two, it marks a church that is fighting to survive rather than fighting to influence.

Somewhere in the 1960’s our cultural shift took a serious turn and among the many changes in that shift was a move away from church participation being an expectation and necessary for social success. Christianity could no longer rely upon social pressure to fill the pews and the plates and realized it needed to develop real and genuine converts – people that came to church out of genuine belief, not merely social convention. This was difficult for the mainline churches and so the parachurch was born – organizations devoted to only a small part of the total Christian mission – mostly evangelism. The parachurch proved remarkably successful, but there was a problem – there was no bridge from parachurch to church, nor was there much desire to cross it where it did exist. Parachurch was fun and did not ask much of its participants. Church was hard, often dull, full of things like “sacrament” and demanded much. A lot of people loved parachurch and just decided to stay there – and thus the kind of independent churches Blake laments arose.

Somewhere in all this, we lost the ability to make believers out of converts. And so the church turned to “church consultants.” These are marketers and selling something is very different than making a believer. First thing the consultants did was survey people in church or looking to be in church and found what they want is a church that does not ask much of them. And so church slowly, but inexorably, became a place that does not ask you to take a hard look at yourself and see where you need improvement but instead into a place that takes you just the way you are. Our desire to win converts ended up undermining our reason to exist.

The great commission is to make disciples, not converts. We have lost our vision.

But note – all of this was in search of getting people to church. Over the decades the search has gotten increasingly desperate, increasing the temptation to follow culture into the “just the way you are” stuff. The desperation is the actual problem. Somewhere along the line we have eroded our own faith – acting like one of many agents in the world instead of the body of Christ. Paul wrote to the early Christian in Rome where they were deeply persecuted, “What then shall we say to these things?If Godisfor us, whois against us?” We have not acted boldly in that promise, but instead behaved timidly, afraid to stand out.

Later in that same letter, Paul urges the Christians in Rome, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed….” Timidity conforms, boldness transforms.

Now, having said all that, it is worthy of note, many churches, demanding transformation, have alienated and crushed people. That is not our goal. But the answer here is not in then giving up the call to transformation – it is instead in developing the character to call for transformation while not alienating, not crushing. The answer is in coming to embody Christ’s love so completely that rather than coming off as harsh legalists, people know we are acting in love, not condemnation.

Blake is right – church discipline is necessary. But if we are to return to it, we must first work on ourselves so that in the effort we do not become the harpies they think we are.