Selfish Church?

 

All organizations tend to lose their focus and forget their original purposes over time. The attitude becomes one of protecting the way we’ve always done it rather than looking back to the original purposes and reasons for existence.

The primary dangers with a selfish church are twofold. First and foremost, the Church can forget the very reason it was created. Second, the drift is often extremely subtle. Many Churches don’t even realize there is a problem until it’s too late.

When Selfishness Comes to Church

The majority of churches in North America are likely in crisis because of the negative impact of becoming selfish. Some of the labeling of congregations is unfortunate. Particularly, when we speak of “traditional churches” or “contemporary churches,” we rarely come to a clear definition. My Pastor Sam Masteller, uses the term “established churches." An established church is simply a church that has been in existence for a few years and is susceptible to drifting into becoming selfish. Indeed most any church three years or older will likely begin to experience some of the symptoms of this.

An Established church, however, can exist for years and even decades while becoming selfish. 

"What do you mean by a selfish church?" Glad you asked! The church may not be making disciples. It may not be reaching the community and the nations with the gospel. But it continues to exist more as a religious social club than a true New Testament church. Its members and attendees are willing to fund the congregation since it meets their perceived needs and desires.

6 Signs of a Selfish Church

The signs of Selfishness in an established church are clear even though the members don’t often recognize them:

1. Most of the ministries and programs are focused on meeting the desires and needs of the members.
2. There is More Funerals than Baptism's in a given Year
3. The budget of the congregation is directed primarily at funding the projects and even comforts of the members.
4. Conflict in the congregation is not uncommon since members are more concerned about getting their perceived needs and desires met.
5. There is little to no focus on Evangelism, reaching out to the community, and getting the Gospel to the nations.
6. Leadership is weak and reluctant to address the problems, because that leadership emphasis could disrupt the status quo.

Addressing the Issue of A Selfish Church

First thing is First. We need to See it. When we fail to see the deterioration that is taking place, we will not see the need to make changes to reverse the course. Such is the crisis in many of our established churches today. And it is that Gradual Inward Flow that often makes it so difficult to lead a congregation toward healthy change. In my post this coming later this week, I will address some of the possible steps to lead an established church toward change without destroying it in the process. I hope you will join me then.