Why THAT Church Is Still More Than Its Failures

In the last few years, we’ve seen leadership implosions and scandals from churches large and small, influential and anonymous. 

There’s a real temptation (in the midst of all of this) to reduce the whole of a church to its failure.

Where we say, “THAT church with leadership dysfunctions? It’s a dysfunctional church.” “THAT church with the scandal? It’s a bad church.”

And while I understand the kneejerk impulse, here’s an unpopular opinion: That’s only partially true.

THAT church is still more than its failures. 

At the end of the day, a church is still more than its poor leadership decisions, unhealthy culture dynamics, and terrible optics on Twitter. A church is still way more than that.

The church is the people of God!

And the people of God are described by the Bible with miraculous language! The people of God are “the dwelling place of the Spirit” (Eph 2:22). The Church is “the Body of Christ” (1 Cor 12:27). Yes, THAT church is still “the family of God” (1 Jn 3:1).

I was vividly reminded of this recently. 

I was talking to a couple who faithfully attended a church for almost two decades. This church, currently mired in controversy, is featured on national newspapers and tell-all documentaries. Yeah, they attended THAT church. 

And yet I was blown away by their humility, wisdom, and spiritual maturity as they asked meaningful questions about the leadership structure, pastoral accountability, and missional emphasis of my church. They let me know they were taking their next steps in our discipleship process and shared encouraging words about my church.

I was humbled. They reminded me THAT church was still more than its failures. THAT church had been used by God to produce disciples who love Jesus and care deeply about people (despite their failures and sins). 

I walked away with a key-takeaway: We can affirm the messiness and miracle of the church. 

Remember Corinth? They were a really jacked-up church. And yet we find Paul addressing them as “saints” who are ‘sanctified” (1 Cor. 1:2). He goes on to give thanks to God for who they are and for the giftedness of the church.

Paul is able to affirm the miracle of grace at work in their lives while also addressing the dysfunctions of the church. He is able to hold both in tension at the same time.

We should be able to do likewise. 

We can see the messiness of a church for what it truly is. We can also acknowledge the miracle of the church for what God is truly doing. We can grieve AND celebrate. We can be angry AND be in awe. The church is rescued AND still in spiritual process. These are Biblical realities we don’t have to shy away from.

So yes, let’s pray THAT church deals with its issues. Let’s also be careful to not reduce it down to something the Bible would not recognize it as.

I was reminded of John Stott’s beautiful words on this duality:

“On earth [the church] is often in rags and tatters, stained and ugly, despised and persecuted. But one day she will be seen for what she is, nothing less than the bride of Christ, “free from spots, wrinkles or any other disfigurement,” holy and without blemish, beautiful and glorious. It is to this constructive end that Christ has been working and is continuing to work.”

Christ is at work in our churches. He is at work in the miraculous AND the mess.

So let’s fight to see the entire picture.