BLOG 8/1/19. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR CHURCH?

If I seem to my readers a bit ‘hung up’ on my obsession with the integrity of the church, …it is because over my long career as a pastor I have had to confront the fuzziness of the understanding of church participantS as to how they defined the church, and what it had to do with the message and mission of Jesus Christ. This question grew on me as I would be interviewed on numerous occasionsby pulpit nominating committees from significant congregations. I had, early on, been fruitfully engaged in putting together, what had formerly been a rather moribund church scene, into a very vibrant congregation, and that word had gotten out so that congregations looking for a pastor frequently had my name on their list.

Congregations, also, usually select some of their more gifted members to serve on their pastoral search (I’m a Presbyterian, and this is part of our church order, which is different than other traditions). That being so, the committee members who met with me were usually pretty keen intellectually. Here’s my point: I would initially ask them what the purpose of their church was? Seems like a logical starting point. I particularly remember one such meeting was a commithee from a church was in a small town which was the  home of a well-known liberal arts college. The person with whom I initially engaged was a physician in that small town. “What is the purpose of your church?” was my question of him.  He chuckled, and asked why I had asked. I could only respond with the obvious answer that I had some pretty strong convictions about what the purpose of Christ’s church was to be, and that it was critical that I and a church be on the same wave length.

It was like a whole new thought to him, and he responded that their committee had never even discussed that. It was a pleasant conversation, but he returned to his small town and I never heard from them again.

Another occasion, some years later was a conversation with several members of a venerable old church institution in a northern city, which had in its membership many of the most influential citizens of that city. They had always had eloquent preachers, who also entertained them at a mid-week business men’s luncheon. Some of their respected previous pastors had directed them to me. They came, unannounced, to meet with me while I was on vacation. They were young professional men and good natured.

Again, I asked them what the purpose of that vast church institution was in the mission of God. Again, they seemed nonplussed at the question. It was obvious that they primarily wanted to secure a pastor who could continue what previous pastors had done and ensure a viable church institution in the midst of that city in which they could all receive the custodial pastoral services without themselves being transformed into the salt and light people of God’s new humanity in Christ. I let them know that I wasn’t what they were looking for.

That was one more episode that scored in my mind that every church community, and every one of its members have a clear sense of how that community is dynamically equipping its members to be the incarnation of God’s new creation 24/7. That pulpit search committee went home and I never heard from them again. They ultimately called a pastor who was quite eloquent in the pulpit, but not as one who equipped all its members for fruitful discipleship in their daily engagement as leaders in that city.

I want to pursue this in the weeks ahead. Jesus calls his people into communities in which all are ministering agents in his mission of making all things new. Stay tuned …