Will we be bringing liberal secular people back to church? During a discussion I had with a conservative religious pollster, I asked for his analysis of my denomination. He claimed our problem was that the congregations were mostly conservative while the agencies were run by liberals. The problem, he went on to explain, is that liberals do not go to church. If there has ever been a better explanation of “us v them” in the mainline church, I have yet to hear it. Progressive Christians often struggle to find a religious home. After a while, most give up trying. Two generations of culture wars have pushed liberal political believers toward secularism. Mainline denominations that tried to keep the peace, failed miserably in doing so. The denominations are panicky over what will happen in the future.
Bringing In Members
I belong to several organizations that openly have membership drives. Church leaders like to act as though we are above such vulgarities. But trying to keep membership up is what the church in America is all about. Norman Thomas, socialist leader and Presbyterian minister, argued that churches in America succeeded because they are independent of government control. There is no state church where the government supports it. While I do not believe that is the key to religious successes in America, many politically liberal friends see the separation of Church and State as the primary religious issue in America.
Churches have succeeded at different times in America because religious freedom allows for religious experimentation. Evangelical and Mainline Protestant congregations usually express disdain for the growth of cults, eastern religious syncretism, and new religions such as Mormonism and Scientology. Protestant leaders tend to oppose any experimentation in religious practice except for the periodic revival of ancient and medieval practices. They may find a few interested people within their congregations. But generally, they do not draw people from outside the congregations.
Getting Back
Evangelical leaders often see “getting back to the Bible” or “our roots” as the key to bringing people into the church. This is why evangelical groups in my denomination use names such as “Good News” and “Wesleyan Covenant Association.” The program being sold is valuable because it is not new.
Contemporary church does not make room for much experimentation either it seems. One person telling me about the time their family attended a well-known mega-church said they could never remember having a time of prayer in the worship service. If this is accurate, there could be no teaching about how to pray the many different forms of Christian prayer let alone develop new ways.
Going Out
Being an activist preacher has pitfalls. Churches fall into the trap of thinking going out to evangelize is about service projects. The service project is a means of getting attention for many congregations. Preachers who are activist, like me, are tempted to see the gospel in terms of social justice or in supporting “the cause.” Pastors who wish to open the churches to the marginalized in the community find many of the marginalized do not want to have anything to do with their churches.
I do not know how many times I have heard, “If there were more pastors like you, Don, I would attend church.” The obvious question to follow is, “Why not attend the church where I am pastor?” The answer may be “because your denomination or congregation is not like you.” Granted. This is true. And I do not believe everyone should think as I do. But how does a congregation or denomination learn to be accepting if the questioner does not try to engage with it? A colleague tried pleading with a local liberal group on social media to support and take part in inclusive ministries. There was no response.
Bringing Necessities
The teachings of Jesus are misunderstood by the general public. They are not meant to offer a comfortable goodness to everyone. If the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head, why do we believe a “car in every garage and a chicken in every pot” describes an ideal society? What churches should be doing is engaging in the dangerous act of bringing the necessities of life to those being denied them. That removes the church from any ideological position and culture wars. Doing what is necessary to give people a gift of grace and mercy, is the calling of churches. Church folk may be involved in political parties, organizations, and in community efforts. But the policies still will run counter to what we know to be right.
We are not in the business of “bringing people in” as attempts to win popularity contests. Jesus warns against having all people speak approvingly of us. The churches should stop trying to get the approval of any group.
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