I know a lot of very well-known teachers and preachers. Some of them are good friends.
What’s interesting is that many of them don’t belong to any church. None at all. And neither do their families. Nor are they part of any ministry team wherein there is close-knit fellowship and mutual submission.
Some of them have confessed to me behind close doors: “I don’t attend [institutional] church because I find it boring. It’s the same thing all the time. And I have many friends in ministry who feel the same way. I agree with what you’ve written about the modern church, but don’t tell anyone I said all this.”
God is witness.
If I named these people, most all of you would know who they were. Believe it or not, some of them are regularly invited to speak at pastors conferences!
This comports with the following unmovable statistics:
- Over 1 million Christians leave the institutional church per year in the United States.
- Over 112 million Christians worldwide do not attend an institutional church, but fellowship in other modes of church life.
- 1700 pastors leave the clergy system per month in the United States.
Just sayin’ . . .
For my take on all of this, read this post.
A City Whose Builder and Maker is God
Not new to reading but new to replying…left a very wordy testimony still waiting for moderation…sorry…didn’t read the rules first 🙂 Suffice it to say I’m a “born in the Baptist church” “laboring” Christians who stepped out of the “production” of organized church several years ago …dismayed how the machine of church could rip apart (more than once) a body of believers like a divorce shreds a family…was encouraged to read Pagan Christianity and have shed the guilt and fear. Our family is nestled close to the Lord and energized by truly meeting needs that God tailor-makes for us and sets right in our path which leads us to personally live our faith and share Jesus directly before the eyes of those God weaves into our life…
I agree that it is not for you to divulge their names. I can empathise with them of the fear of man, the shame associated with it and the fear of collapse of their ministries once they divulge themselves.
God is always gracious and in His fullness of time will prompt these men to share their testimonies in the open so that many will be blessed. God’s timing is always the best.
and, I believe, whatsmore, those statistics only apply to the USA…..
Alan: yes, two of them do. The 112 million is a worldwide figure from the past. Today, it’s undoubtedly higher.
It is incdridible that we Christians take the most exciting truth in the Universe, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and bore people with it. That’s like telling someone in a dull and monotone voice that he just won a 100 million dollar lottery prize and making him sit quietly on a hard seat and listen to me lecture him on the history of lotteries. Yawn.
God forgive us.
I agree
Jon, I stand with Paul – “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.”
I apply the spirit of these words to anyone who has been helped by something I’ve preached or written and repeats it. While it’s nice to give credit (as I always seek to do myself), I rejoice when Christ is being revealed and am humbled whenever someone is influenced by what I’ve written or said about the Lord or God’s Eternal Purpose in Him. So the credit issue doesn’t matter to me in the face of Jesus being glorified and revealed.
Frank, I believe I know who one of these conference speakers is. He’s super popular speaking at huge conferences and it’s evident that your work has influenced him as he practically quotes from it all the time, but he never mentions you or your books. I’m curious how that makes you feel when this happens.
We could also add that a significant number of seminary graduates will church hop briefly after graduation but never find a church home, either as a minister or as a member.
I would love to see official numbers on that one.
I hate suspense. Can’t you Just drOp HiNts of the Person’s Identity by caPitalizing Each letteR so we can figure out who it is, Frank?
Charlie: It would be awfully wrong for me to divulge who these people are even through hints (there is more than one, but quite a few). If they say “don’t tell anyone I said that,” then it’s vaulted where I’m concerned.
And no, one of them isn’t Mr. John Piper (though I enjoyed your subliminal there). Piper and I don’t know each other, I don’t follow his ministry and I seriously doubt he follows mine. Though one never knows.
I have been informed that some very well-known conference speakers and pastors read my work (probably under their beds with a flashlight), 🙂 and use it without revealing the source. Just last year I was reading some articles in an established Christian magazine and saw some of the unique metaphors and illustrations that I’ve used here and in books printed (almost verbatim) without any credit given. ‘Tis interesting.
My prayer is that those who have left the institutional church will allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the beautiful bride which is the CHURCH, for she is alive and well. Thanks Frank.
Julian: Indeed, though the Bride is expressed in a given place and in a way that’s touchable, seeable, and visit-able. She’s exhibited in local community. She cannot be started, but she must be born. That, in fact, is the subject for tomorrow (Tuesday) along with a neat surprise.
While I was not opposed to the institutional church, there seemed to be something missing. I was not functioning in the place where God was calling me. With my Pastor’s blessing, I began a fellowship at a Harley-Davidson dealership here in South side Richmond, Va. My hope was that we could offer a place for those who would not feel welcome in the traditional church. We have a small but committed group and have begun several out reaches. We don’t have the size, numbers, or funds of the larger churches, but we do not have the expenses either. We do a lot with less. Jesus said ” where two or more are gathered, I will be there.”. Thankfully He does not need numbers, just willing, available hearts.
Beautiful…GBU
Frank,
Not only are the pastors you mentiond bored, but so are most folks sitting warming pews.
I was so frustrated (I left to preserve my faith) by the institutional church model setting.
If I won the lottery, I would buy truckloads of the “Rechurch Library” and set up free lemonade rechurch stands in strategic locations across the US. Followed by free lemonade “rechurch” discussion groups with lots of laughter, happiness, smiling, and dancing. The lemons are metaphorical for the old sour churchyanity. The lemonade post-institutional freedom 🙂
I’m not afraid of what you wrote about the modern man made traditional church institution.
I blog about it everywhere I can. I hand out copies of PC, RC, and FOC to everyone that will read them. Those five books are like sweet lemonade on a hot summer day:)
Very interesting, though I don’t find it surprising! I love that you ended with “Just sayin’…”