The following is a common tale in ecclesiastical imperialism (ok, church planting):
A young man (I said “man” on purpose, funny huh?), let’s call him Pastor #1, announces that God has called him to plant a church in ____________ (most commonly a white suburban or cool urban area) and thus he will need your prayers (money). Let’s say the church begins to growand becomes self sufficient. Pastor # 1 is an average speaker, average counselor, and average administrator, but the world rests on his shoulders because he is the one who was built the church. Everything is as it should be, until one day along comes an exceptional young man who becomes part of this growing community. Over time, he begins to sense a calling from God to step into more leadership in this community, maybe even to do some of what Pastor #1 is “called” to do. And, as it turns out, Pastor #2 is actually an above average speaker, above average counselor, and above average administrator. Oh my, what will happen? Since the inception of the church, Pastor #1 has said how much he loves the church and all the sacrifices he has made to make it happen. However, when the rubber meets the road, he is the one in charge.
It is really no mystery, Pastor #2 will have to go to live out his calling, after all, only one person can be the leader, right?…
Wouldn’t it be amazing to see something different in this world of church? Why is Pastor #1 the one to stay? Not because of God, but because he got to the neighborhood first! It is like the spiritual version of “called it” that my brother and I played.
I think about these things a lot because I hear stories all the time, I seem to continue to see churches replicate the same old systems of power and self-centeredness and dishonesty.
I have compiled a few other scenarios that I am still waiting to experience: (not that I really want these things, but I prefer the truth to always blaming God for our crappy decisions)
- i am anxious to hear a Christian artist (author, singer) to say “I have completed this last work, not so much because I was inspired by God, but I really need the money.
- “this is Pastor Cindy and her administrative assistant Joe”
- “we are entering a million dollar building campaign, I think Jesus would rather we give the money to starving people in Africa, but I am tired of my ass hurting and I want nicer seats.”
- “if you have struggled with the same besetting issue for more than 6 months, or have no money, please leave or at least quit asking us for help because we are tired of hearing from you.”
- “no you cannot sing a special at church, you are not very pretty.”
Perhaps my greatest disappointment with church is the fact we can feed our egos, soften our seats, and marginalize the poor simply by using God language, throwing in a little “for the sake of the Kingdom” language here and there. I would prefer we just be a bit more honest and admit, power, money & egos are huge motivators for decisions churches make. And let’s face it, in systems like these, the “least of these” will continue to be last.
You are so dang funny (sar-caustic), making some great points, pointing out some nasty truths, and doing it with your trade mark humor. Loved it!
I’m going to attempt to comment here more frequently but I’m more into myself than making sure my friends know they’ve impacted me with their words. (That wasn’t on the list of scenarios you’re still waiting to experience…but now you have.)
Gotta run, my ass hurts.
Gawd. Both of you are funny. Karl in his original article and deb in her witty response.
I think one I would modify is: if you have struggled with the same besetting issue for more than 6 months, or have no money, please leave or pretend like the rest of us that everything is okay because only the “world” faces these issues.”
I remember a youth minister in my early high school years told me that he was quitting his position (which admittedly he wasn’t paid for…though he didn’t want the money), because God had opened a door for him to get a promotion in his company, make more money, and move to FL. It pissed me off that he thought God was responsible for that. Who knows…maybe he was. But it sucked for me. 3 years and 5 youth ministers later though…I have to wonder what God was up to if this was really his will. Maybe our search committee for a youth minister just sucked, or they weren’t offering enough money for the position.
well said, on both counts. Whatever happened to that spirit that inspired John the Baptist to say “he must increase, and I must decrease”. He recognized that a greater than he had arrived, and in truly selfless fashion deferred to him.
hey found this entry through kathy’s blog.
and wow this is a powerful post… i am so new in knowledge of the big church scene.. so new to the knowledge of the ex-church scene and i’ve just been so taken aback by kathy & the refuge blogs.
i never knew there was such divides in the body of christ.
i never knew the depth of some people’s hatred & frustration with the ‘usual church’.
i can’t say i’ve seen a lot of these issues first hand but what ur saying makes sense….
this one seems most true to me:
“if you have struggled with the same besetting issue for more than 6 months, or have no money, please leave or at least quit asking us for help because we are tired of hearing from you”
i can see that being an attitude i might have & in a lot of churches….. not the money part — but frustration with a person having the same issue for more than 6 months and not trying anything new to ‘fix’ the problem. I’m not sure I am as sympathetic to people as I need to be — I always was told if there’s a problem, either the problem has to change or you do. if the problem isn’t changing, then u change. I guess thats pretty incompassionate… but it just depends on the problem too….
anyway — i am totally just rambling. just wanted to say thanks for challenging me. I’m sorry I’m so naive and you’re probably wanting to puke at what I’ve just - just wanted to be real.
also — don’t white suburban people need christ too? don’t white suburbans need church? don’t those churches do a lot of good as well?
for you all to be frustrated at churches just because they have more resources is like those churches being frustrated at hollywood entertainers who get paid ridiculous amounts of money to spread a lot of evil unpure images & thoughts… but we weren’t called to compare ourselves to others right? Jesus said we don’t need a lot of equipment - that we are the equipment right? In matthew is the first mention of that right? so do you all feel blessed that you’re doing things the way Jesus did it? or are u just envious of what others have?
gosh I really am not typing all this to be rude - I really am just trying to play the devil’s advocate to sort of pick your brains ya know? like i said I’m new to the big church scene. the church I go to is going through a lot of transformations & I have volunteered in many ways — but I see some things that I am confused on…..
but so many times expenditures are validated because of a bigger vision. ya know? we have a ministry in a different country and quite frankly we need money and people and resources to do our work there — so we feel we need to create environments to attract people right? we have to be relevant to culture to want the unchurcherd to come… we are trying to redefine what the typical bible belt south churches have been come to be stereotyped as…. but I do wonder sometimes — are we reaching the sick? will we reach them? and then I remember how the church reached me when I was sick — and I’m a white suburban type - so yes the church is reaching the sick.
i read this book, as the shofar blows, by francine rivers and it really opened my eyes a lot about mega churches — churches who are focused so much on reaching the young they shut out the old…. etc. etc.. anyway — i don’t have any anger for the mega churches around here though……
who are we to judge how we each reach others right? and who we reach?
each separate church body has different purposes and different people they are trying to reach. you all have a unique niche and are reaching different people — but others don’t get ‘mad’ at you for only reaching urban (i assume you’re urban) minorities (i assume that’s who you reach since u all say white suburban a lot)…
I don’t know - I’m all confused
Hey Karl - Man this post is so right on! I feel like an accomplice to a crime. Not sure if that is guilt, shame, or some combo. Some days I feel like we have made such great progress, others that we are just treading water.
Thanks for the reminder to stay on what real Church is about. I’m preaching tonight and will tweak some things after reading your post (that way I can blame you!!! ha ha)