Do We Still Need the Church? Brian Zahnd Gives a Compelling Answer

The church is always in danger of being ditched as a superfluous burden. The church is always just about to be jilted. The church is always down in the count and on the verge of striking out. The church is never as beautiful and winsome as Jesus, and at every moment the disillusioned are composing their “Dear John” letters.

This may be the best thing I’ve read on “why church” in a very long time – and it just so happens to be in the form of a short blog post!

But when the post is written by Brian Zahnd, this is the kind of thing you can expect. Brian’s main argument is this:

Ultimately every person is the final arbiter on whether or not the church is relevant; I concede that. And though I am deeply suspicious that it is possible to actually flourish as a Christian apart from the nurturing soil of the church, I understand that some may not personally need the church. But there is one point I will not concede and of which I am absolutely certain: The world needs the church.

The world needs the church because a world without the church will soon be a world without Christ. This is a fact and there is no way around it. Despite all of its flaws and failures, the church has been and remains that which keeps the story of Jesus alive. If the story of Jesus is to be found in our world—the gospel story of his birth, his life, his teaching, his miracles, his death and resurrection—it is because the church keeps telling this sacred story.

This is a very different approach than what we normally hear in response to the statistical decline of Christianity in the U.S. Normally, we hear strategies regarding how the church must change in order to meet the needs of a changing culture and continue attracting people (and get the numbers back up). But Bishop BZ has it right here. Rather than trying to “solve” the “problem” of decline, we need to recognize the vital importance of the church in the first place – preserving and promoting the story of Jesus for the sake of the world.

Are there changes that we must make in the midst of culture shift? Sure. But that’s not the main thing. The main thing is to get closer to the story of Jesus and keep supporting the church that tells – and hopefully embodies – that story to the world.

Lastly, I love that Brian is not fighting for the church with the tools of idealism and ego. He has no illusions about the church’s flaws. And yet:

…even if I reach the point where I feel like I’m fed up with the church (because I’m fed up with people), I will always stick with the church. I’ll do it because the church needs me to do my part to keep it viable so it can continue to tell the Jesus story. I refuse to succumb to the temptation to think in purely individualistic terms. That would be a selfishness incompatible with following Christ. If the church had not carried its gospel story and sacred text from generation to generation, century to century, I could never have had a saving encounter with Jesus Christ. For the gift of the gospel story I am forever indebted to the church. So let me come right out and say it: I love the church. I love the church because I love Jesus. As long as the world needs Jesus it will need the church. And the church needs you and me to do our part.

Do yourself a favor and read the whole thing: Do We Still Need the Church?