State of the Church
© 1997-2007 Chip Brogden and TheSchoolOfChrist.Org.
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Few people would honestly dispute the fact that Christianity today bears little resemblance to the Christianity of the Early Church. In fact, "Churchianity" is a more accurate description of what we have seen in modern times. According to the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there are more than 38,000 Christian denominations in existence. This is a testimony to the world, not of our unity, but our division.
Christian leaders and television personalities are constantly in the news for some moral or financial indiscretion. Scandal, controversy, and cover-up are commonplace. For the first time in history the number of Christian divorces has surpassed the number of non-Christian divorces. The message to the rest of the world is that Christians are no different than anyone else.
At the same time, there is a mass exodus of people who are leaving their churches. This number is greater than anyone realizes, and the number grows by the day. Some are leaving because of hurt or anger, but many are leaving simply because they cannot play the religious game anymore. They attended, and supported, and gave money, and got little or nothing in return. The social benefits of going to church could no longer compensate for the lack of spiritual life.
Church leaders are leaving, too. Every week a new group of pastors resigns and quits the ministry - disillusioned, burned-out, and beat up by the unrealistic and unscriptural expectations of their congregations.
The question being asked by the world, by those still attending church, and by those who no longer attend, is: "What's wrong with the church?"
Chip Brogden