What is wrong with His Church?

I am. The answer is me. G.K. Chesterton responded similarly to a newspaper question asking 'what is wrong with the world.'

Tony Evans, a pastor in TX, quoted these statistics:

• 50% - 60% of Christian men are addicted to pornography; 85% of men 18-30 years old have this addiction
• 90% of teens raised in the church leave the church upon graduating from high school
• 26% of teenage girls 14-19 have at least one sexually transmitted disease
• 1 in 3 adolescent girls is a victim of interpersonal violence

We all know statistics can be used to prove anything, unless you read them on the internet, then they are true.

If these stats are true, then the church is a mess. Given the above and divorce stats, the church really is a mess. Why? Aren't all these fabulous mega-churches making a difference? Some are. Some might be. But let's all be honest, at least this once, all churches have issues. And churches are the main place attempting to address these problems. Are we helping? How do we tell? If we judge based off attendance or financial giving, does that tell us if a life is changed and there is spiritual health? What if we are measuring the wrong things?

Do you still hear people complaining about there being too many hypocrites in the church? Well, where else are they supposed to be? Where will all of us hypocrites get help? Erwin McManus from a church in L.A. says, "We are all hypocrites in transition." Now that I have your attention I am going to ask you questions you don't want to hear. Read on if you dare.

Christians have churches that focus on theology and kick out those with differing views. There are churches with awesome emotional worship that separate out those that don't have the same gifts as the majority. There are churches for people who don't like church--which means all the other churches are doing it wrong. There are seeker churches that focus on evangelism, then attempt to make disciples out of these catered to spectators. How do you turn entertained consumers into advocates? That is hard work. There are churches for the spiritual but not religious. Really? I still don't know what that means. There are post-modern churches emerging...from what? All the above? If attendance is the measure, only a few are doing church right and MANY are failing. I know of a church that kicked out someone wrestling with the sovereignty of God and if He knows all ahead of time. This same church allows homosexuals to stay while they explore Jesus. Are we doing what Jesus wants?

What if our measuring stick is inaccurate? According to the statistics above, we are off in some serious ways. Christian men are hiding there sexual struggles. Christian families are rearing their kids expecting them to fail, for a while, until they make their faith their own. The USA is sexually out of control, drunk, drugged or violent. Yet our cycles continue. Is the church making the difference for the Kingdom of God that we are supposed to? Are we able to? Do we have the power to?

If what Jesus and the Bible say are possible for followers of Jesus, why is the USA church in such a mess?

I don't know.




I mean, I have some ideas and am looking for answers. Let's look for Jesus together as we seek to find where He wants us to go as He leads His church. This will require great utility, oops, I mean humility. Maybe the church like the culture has become too utilitarian. Is usefulness or love the key? Other ideas? Let's talk and I'll pontificate more later...