"Politics are not the task of a Christian." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? When one of you says, 'I am a follower of Paul,' and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?" - Paul the Apostle, 1 Cor. 3:3-4Miriam-Webster defines politics as "competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in a government)." But in a church? Inconceivable!
If you are new to the faith or to church life, it can be an exciting, amazing thing. Everything is new, God is real to you, you've discovered a new way of life, you love to worship with other believers, and you marvel at how different life is in the kingdom of God!
But along the way, you might start to notice things that happen in your church--things that are just a bit disturbing. Sure, you see people make mistakes and have flaws--you can handle that (who doesn't have flaws?). You may disagree with something that's said from the pulpit--you can live with that (we're not going to agree on everything, right?). But as you dig deeper, you start to discover some more unsettling dynamics within the church organization...things that are just--wrong.
You discover that there are "money people" who magically seem to get their way more consistently than others. You discover cliques, just like the kind you had in high school. You discover that decisions are made behind the scenes, and that every now and then staff members of the church just "disappear", with no clear explanation.
If you bring this up, you're told that "well, there are no perfect churches"--meaning, you just need to accept this as normal. If you press the issue, you may find yourself a bit more socially (or spiritually) marginalized than before. If you do get to have a meeting with a leader to express your concern, you may experience a politically correct response, an insincere head nod, a questioning of your spiritual maturity, or even outright hostility.
What is going on?
Welcome to church politics.
The unfortunate reality is that in many churches, politics are as natural as breathing--it's just "how things are done". But if that's the air we've breathed, it's given us lung cancer.
If you have the opportunity to get "under the hood" in many churches, you may just find all the things you thought only belonged in a good spy thriller: money, power, control, strategic alliances, lobbyists, secret meetings, scapegoating, lying, sex, you name it.
Some might say that if you have the right type of church, this doesn't happen. But the reality is, it doesn't matter which type of government is used, whether it's a congregation-led, elder-led, pastor-led, denomination-led, board-led, or whatever. Where there is a governing system involved, and where there is money involved, there will be politics.
As Galadriel so eloquently put it at the beginning of the movie The Fellowship of the Ring, we are still talking about "the race of men, who above all else desire power." How true.
From the inception of the church in the first century, it took less than three hundred years for it to be hijacked by the government and morphed into a religious institution, fully loaded with internal and external politics and power structures. And despite various reformations and upheavals since that time, politics continues to be the real "power" that keeps many churches functioning from week to week.
All of this, of course, stands in stark contrast to the kingdom of God that Jesus taught about, and how THE Church is taught by God to function:
“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave." (Matthew 20:25-27)So that's why church politics sucks; it feels wrong, because it is wrong; there is no place for it in THE Church.
"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear...hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division..." (Galatians 5:20)
"...throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body." (Ephesians 4:22-25)
But what's the alternative? Are there ways we can resist these all-too-common human power plays, and instead operate in the peaceful, yet powerful way that God designed THE Church to operate?
Absolutely. To quote another line from The Lord of the Rings, "there is always hope."
More on that in part 2...
Agreed, I've seen it, and yes it sucks!
ReplyDeleteI was part of the foundation of a church almost two decades ago for about 5 years, just a few families who met together, no hierarchy structure, it wasn't officially recognized by Calvary Chapel, we left, new people eventually came in, took charge and took over, became an officially recognized Calvary Chapel church with a 501c3 Non-profit stamp of approval. I came back a few years ago, and now I was required to submit and be under the authority and control of a bunch of people now running the show. I tried it, it sucked, I left.
I QUOTE YOU:
ReplyDelete"You discover that there are "money people" who magically seem to get their way more consistently than others. You discover cliques, just like the kind you had in high school. You discover that decisions are made behind the scenes, and that every now and then staff members of the church just "disappear", with no clear explanation. If you bring this up, you're told that "well, there are no perfect churches"--meaning, you just need to accept this as normal. If you press the issue, you may find yourself a bit more socially (or spiritually) marginalized than before. If you do get to have a meeting with a leader to express your concern, you may experience a politically correct response, an insincere head nod, a questioning of your spiritual maturity, or even outright hostility."
CAN TOTALLY RELATE.
I was a preacher for 12 years. By the end of it I completely gave up on Christianity. Your article hits the nail on the head. On the periphery things look fine and Biblical, you start to get involved you find out all the leaders hate each other and it's all just a big power struggle. The "Lord's Rules" are for people on the periphery, to the leadership the "Lord's Rules" are a big joke. It's more than a little ironic that to be a good Christian you have to stay uninvolved in your local church.
ReplyDeleteI whole heartedly concur! Just know that come judgement day there will be many weeping and gnashing their teeth because of this and those of us who die to ourselves and let Jesus reign will be rejoicing!! Gonna be many surprised "Christians" on that day!!!
DeleteI am baffled that such division can be present in God's house. The scales have fallen from my eyes about my church. The waste of money on personal goals and gains for prestige and power. This is why people are against churches. I am having trouble staying now that I see it. Nothing but a pile of social climbers taking yes, even what little money I have for their own gain. Makes me ill.
ReplyDeleteKnown only as brother Roger, my grandfather was a Methodist minister. A true man of God and part of the old "hard shell" Methodists before they went United. He was a hell fire and damnation preacher but one of love and compassion for all men. He taught me about this and no truer words have ever been spoken. The human nature is the desire for power and recognition. And in today's churches it is prevelant. I have been to church after church mainly due to a military career but never have I seen a church that follows Christ's teaching to die to ones self and be humble to serve others. Oh I have known a few real men and women of God, my grandmother mainly, who died to themselves daily and allowed Jesus to reign in their hearts as He said to do. Many attacked them for this and many were the heartaches because of the human frailty of the church. But they have perservered to a greater calling and reward. The forgave when hurt or offended by the unconcionable members and carried on as Jesus wanted them to. All in all I have seen good faithful Christians serve well when they allow Jesus to reign and ignore the human frailty.
ReplyDeleteEven in the church I serve today as a member for I never recieved the call to preach, I see this and grieve because it is denying Christ His proper place.
Christians are hypocrits just like people who aren't Christians are hypocrits. Therefore the Church is full of hypocrites just like the "world" outside the Church is full of hypocrites. Hypocrisy is a human problem not just a Church problem. The miracle of Church is that God still works through it and He always has and always will. The great thing is that as God works through hypocritical Christians and does great things in people's lives He gets all the glory not them!
ReplyDeleteIf a school is attached to the church, certain kids get recognized if they are part of the right social status and parents who have power. They also get academic awards over children who were more deserving. If you bring this up, your character will be maligned.
ReplyDeleteIf a school is attached to the church, certain kids get recognized if they are part of the right social status and parents who have power. They also get academic awards over children who were more deserving. If you bring this up, your character will be maligned.
ReplyDelete