# My screed on the American church's failing



## DMcFadden (Dec 30, 2012)

This morning, two of my adult children (both seminary grads) were arguing with me about the virtues of their broad evangelical congregations. Crying kids and a need to get back on the road truncated my screed. Here is what I sent them as my summary:



> Crying kids and the pressure to get on the road cut my spiel short. Here it is in a nutshell:
> 
> *Roman Catholicism* has failed - works righteousness is a treadmill more exhausting than a Sears super big, industrial strength, treadmill. It may wear you out. But, it will not lead you to find God.
> 
> ...


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## Andrew P.C. (Dec 30, 2012)

I'm sorry that I can't give you a reference right now, but I remember this saying:



> The church will always look weak this side of heaven.



This is a true statement. We press on toward the narrow road that few follow. Christ even reminds us this when He tells us in John 15:


> 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’



Because "many" follow the way of destruction, the Church looks small and weak since we are few. I wouldn't be surprised nor distressed that the churches in America look horrible. God is faithful and good. He will be glorified in all things no matter how things look now. We must be faithful and obey Him, as well, call others to be faithful.


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## KMK (Dec 30, 2012)

As always Dennis, your experience and education make for very insightful screeds. Thank you.

It reminded me also of the failure of Dispensationalism which, when I was young, drove the engine of evangelism with its message that Jesus would return within my lifetime, and therefore I should repent so I don't miss the rapture. I think we see that engine sputtering as so many have placed their hopes in failed 'date-setting'.


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## Herald (Dec 30, 2012)

Dennis,

This morning I was telling my congregation that the recent Supreme Court refusal to grant a stay in favor of Hobby Lobby's complaint is a sign that persecution of the church will most likely be in form of marginalization. I doubt we'll see Christians dragged into the streets for daring to practice their faith. Instead there will be a social cost for churches and believers who preach the Word and live their faith. Such marginalization is made easier by the compromises of the church over the past number of decades. As you rightly pointed out, there will still be faithful churches, but they will be a distinct minority.


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## Curt (Dec 31, 2012)

Unfortunately, this is no American phenomenon. We have searched high and low for a congregation with which to worship here in the Czech Republic for over a year (we may have found on YESTERDAY). But, "religion" has been brought to Europe (and the rest of the world) by "broadly evangelical (at best) "missionaries, whose main purpose is to worship worship - and be "cool." This includes representatives of the confessional churches.

Good screed, brother.


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## Jack K (Dec 31, 2012)

Do you have room in your framework for a strongly orthodox church that avoids the pitfalls of traditionalism you describe? I'm thinking of churches that (1) appreciate their heritage and use that heritage to stay grounded, yet (2) avoid becoming insular, sectarian and concerned about correctness to the exclusion of any significant ministry footprint.

Those are the churches I look for—churches that take historical orthodoxy seriously while also remaining able and eager to speak and minister effectively to a wide range of people today. I think such churches do exist, even in America, though they are rare. Would you agree that such churches are around and offer some hope?


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## PuritanCovenanter (Dec 31, 2012)

Jack K said:


> I think such churches do exist, even in America, though they are rare. Would you agree that such churches are around and offer some hope?



I would like to think my church is one of those. We are involved with many different kind of denominations and outreach ministries. We are involved in many different settings from the political, business, school, and family settings. Examples are Ministry down at the statehouse, Christian businessmens bible study, Bible Study fellowship, Child Evangelism Fellowship in the local schools and homes, various homeschooling ministries, the Reformation Society of Indiana ministry, and an adult study for the physically and mentally disabled. Our Church is multi-ethnic (big time). Yet we still hold to our distinctive Covenanter heritage building congregations around the state and seeking the glory of God. We are just trying to submit to Christ as He said He would build His Church and doing it His way instead of our way. 

But this is a thread about why the American Church is failing. Not why it is succeeding. 

Dennis, I hope you get a chance to come down and visit our congregation some weekend. You would love it. There is also a new plant in Marion, Indiana and there is one up in Elkhart, Indiana. I know that is far but for a taste a see thing. I do see a new Church plant coming to Fort Wayne some day.


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## DMcFadden (Dec 31, 2012)

Jack, the church I attend has a pretty significant footprint in our community. We provide full school supplies for the 255 kids down the street in the poorest school in town, do mentoring with those students, provide a monthly birthday party honoring all the kids with a birthday that month from the school, and purchased shoes and winter coats for the kids there. Our congregation was also instrumental in establishing and supporting the local New Hope crisis pregnancy center, setting up a Christian counseling ministry (one of our members is the executive director), regularly taking part in community pro-life activities, and rebuilding/remodeling 4 homes per year in the neighborhood of our church as a service for poor families.

We make the Apostles Creed (or the Nicene Creed) an integral part of every worship service, offer three "styles" of worship (contemporary, "family," and traditional) all with the same essential elements of worship, mostly differing in the music. 

On Christmas eve we attended a service at a local mega church. Everything was perfectly executed (from the traffic control in the parking lot, to the ever-smiling greeters at the doors, to the seasonal refreshments in the lobby. The "branding" was extraordinary (expensive set designs on the stage reflected in all of the collateral print and media materials, etc.). They even had "snow" fall from the ceiling at the end of the service, all hit with perfect spotlights, etc. I went out feeling as if I just attended McChurch and came out with a market tested Christmas McMeal. Then we went to our church for a simple service of word and sacrament (sorry Puritans, they did offer communion). Jeanette and I left at 12:30 a.m. with a sense of wonder and satisfaction. Our two Christmas Eve services netted around a 1,000 people; the mega church had many thousands in attendance at their various services.

I would never expect our confessional congregation to make much of an impact on an American culture at large. We may be doing well, relatively speaking, but Christianity in our country is not.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Dec 31, 2012)

Dennis, since you aren't on Facebook let me extend this invite to you... I believe this is why our State is doing as well as it is. We are involved. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200123637841872&set=oa.236361556494115&type=1&theater







*Here is the official invite to the Statehouse Prayer Service on January 7th. Please invite your church and friends. This is a special opportunity to pray in the atrium of the Statehouse with elected leaders, staff, and lobbyists in the capitol community.*


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## KMK (Dec 31, 2012)

DMcFadden said:


> I went out feeling as if I just attended McChurch and came out with a market tested Christmas McMeal.



Classic.


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## Gforce9 (Dec 31, 2012)

KMK said:


> DMcFadden said:
> 
> 
> > I went out feeling as if I just attended McChurch and came out with a market tested Christmas McMeal.
> ...



Dennis had better copyright those phrases before a certain big (lunch)box company does..........


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## housta (Dec 31, 2012)

While we're on the subject of the modern evangelical church, please allow me to throw a big can of gas on the fire 

Paul Washer's 10 indictments against the modern church


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## housta (Dec 31, 2012)

> *american evangelicalism* (aka broad evangelicalism) is in danger of failing for the following reasons:
> 1. * no ecclesiology and little connection to the historical roots of the faith*. Biblicism + cruicicentrism + conversionism + activism (cf. Bebbington's famous quadrilateral) is too thin a set of ingredients to make a decently satisfying and sustaining meal. We need ecclesiology and eschatology too. And, what about the ecumenical/historical creeds and confessions?



Great insight brother, I especially appreciate number one. A few years back I left a "reformed" denomination that was a total train wreck thanks in great part to rampant biblicism, ignorance of ecclesiology, and total disregard for historic reformed confessions.


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## Jerusalem Blade (Dec 31, 2012)

Dennis, thanks for that. There are a few things to add. *1) *Our Lord said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and *ye shall be witnesses unto me* both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and *unto the uttermost part of the earth*” (Acts 1:8). He said this in many other places also, but this should suffice. We are not doing that; we are mostly building and serving our own spiritual communities; there is some service to the surrounding unbelieving community, but almost no public preaching. *2)* We are unaware of the true nature of the culture and country we are in. We are _enamored_ of its entertainments and worldly pleasures – all of which are fairly costly – and almost studiously oblivious to the suffering of our church family in other parts of the world. We give very little to feed and aid them, and perhaps less to pray for them in their desperate need. *3)* We have poor discernment of the times we are in, and likely also of the dire need for the pruning of our lives and refining of our gold. We do not understand the true state of our nation – its history, its effect on the world, its great sins and crimes, its standing before God. We have no idea of what is coming upon the country we call home – in terms of judgment from on high, and no idea of the purifying fires that shall try the church. We are bereft of godly perspective and imagination with regard to this. We are ill-prepared for what the new year – and the following years – shall bring.


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## R Harris (Jan 1, 2013)

PuritanCovenanter said:


> Jack K said:
> 
> 
> > I think such churches do exist, even in America, though they are rare. Would you agree that such churches are around and offer some hope?
> ...



Randy, I too agree with what your Covenanter church is doing. It is rare to find a church that has it going internally (worship, solid biblical teaching, discipleship) and externally (evangelism / community outreach and involvement). Obviously no one or no church is perfect, but the fact that you and your church are making these efforts is tremendously encouraging.

Fantastic, brother!


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