Your Voice

‘Prone to wander’: Churches susceptible to idols too

By Chris Crain
Executive director, Birmingham Metro Association

“Unfortunately, [the church growth movement] fell victim to an idolatry as old as the Tower of Babel, the belief that we are the architects of the work of God. As a result, we have the best churches men can build, but we are still waiting for the church that only God can get credit for” (Reggie McNeal, “The Present Future”).

McNeal’s observation echoes the thoughts of prophetic voices like E.M. Bounds, A.W. Tozer and Vance Havner, to name a few.

The church has trusted in idols for growth and security instead of relying on the power of God. Will Mancini, in “Church Unique,” has identified four idols that replace God:

The idol of personalities

On many occasions, I have heard pastor search committees share with me — in essence — that the church was one hire away from success. “If we could just find a pastor who excels at …” raising money, reaching families, redesigning ministries, connecting with the business community, visiting unchurched people or preaching like my favorite preacher. Churches are often placing their hopes in staff members who can do all of those things as well. Looking for the right personality can become an idol for the church.

The idol of place

Church buildings can become idols and give worshippers a false sense of security. For some, the building provides an “aura of prestige and entitlement” that takes focus away from God’s glory.

Ascribing undue spiritual significance to a church building is a sin that divides hearts and congregations across the Southern Baptist Convention.

After all, Jesus emphasized the imperative that “true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” and not “on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (John 4:21–23).

The idol of place isn’t just about buildings or physical geography. It can be certain rooms within the church, art on the walls, furnishings and even cemeteries.

According to The Alabama Baptist, the Chinese government confiscated the worship facility of a local church from the pastor and congregation. The governmental leaders refashioned the building into a “community center” by painting over the crosses and destroying the religious symbols. Our brothers and sisters in places like this remind us the church is not the building.

The idol of programs

Southern Baptists have been leaders in developing programs for local churches.

In decades past, people have found their value in leading programs within the church. Royal Ambassadors, Men’s Ministry, Griefshare, Ladies Ensemble, Awana and GROW Outreach are examples of the hundreds of programs offered in Alabama Baptist churches.

Mancini said it well: “We need the vision to raise our sight to see the why behind the program, to begin with. Without seeing the more compelling why, we cultivate masters of how. Their hearts find more meaning in working efficiently on yesterday’s methods than in working effectively into the future.”

Programs are not designed to bring the vision to our church leadership or point us toward the mission. As plans come and go, only Jesus and His mission are worthy of our undying loyalty and complete obeisance.

The idol of ‘my’ people

Do you want to upset an adult Bible study group in a typical church? Ask them to send out several members and start a new group. Or design a new worship schedule or service.

For those who detest change, the church must remain constant — right down to the people who sit in the next pew. Whatever you do, please don’t challenge our “us four and no more” philosophy of relationships.

When new pastors come to a church and begin leading the church to engage new people, the existing stakeholders get nervous and undermine his leadership. Why would Christians not want to reach new people? Their relationships in the church as it exists today have become an idol.

Our response to these idols must be one of introspection.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps. 139:23–24, ESV).

As the hymn writer Robert Robinson wrote, my heart is “prone to wander, Lord, I feel it — prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above.” May our hearts be bound to Jesus Christ and Him alone and not to any idol.

Training enhances leadership

Continued training is part of every job. Oddly enough, it is in the church where I find the strongest resistance to training.

I have heard people say things such as “I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I don’t need more training.” This type of attitude saddens me and here’s why.

All jobs in the corporate world deal with the temporal — temporary things of this life. In the church, we deal with the eternal. How much greater is our need for ongoing, updated training?

Training should enhance skill set development, leadership ability, organizational processes, communication and any number of other forward-moving attributes.

If our learning is not improving our doing, then we must question whether our time, finances and other resources are being used fruitfully.

George Yates
Church health strategist
Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions

Find information on SBOM training opportunities at alsbom.org/events.

Reclaiming childlike joy

Several times in Scripture we see Jesus use children as an example of what the Kingdom of heaven is like. I love these examples because it reminds me … there is a certain childlike trust and innocence that are trademarks of His people.

My desire is to figure out how to begin to reclaim the childlike joy that will be ours in the future. There are a few basic biblical principles I think we can apply.

The first thing we need to learn is how to deposit our stress and worries in the right place. You will always carry some amount of stress in your life, but the question should be what do you do with that stress? Stress doesn’t belong on your shoulders alone. We are not designed to carry it quietly. We must learn to deposit our fears at the feet of Jesus.

Second, we must learn how to play again. Playing is all my kids care about. They can play because they feel safe and free. I think we forget Jesus is fun. Jesus loves to create, loves to converse and heaven will be full of play.

Make sure your day includes some kind of playtime. This can be a hobby or something as simple as putting together a puzzle with a friend. If all you think about is work, the stock market or politics, you will quickly lose focus of what is really important. The Bible tells us the joy of the Lord is our strength, but I see lots of joyless Christians these days.

Maturity isn’t about getting rid of a playful attitude; it’s learning to play in a way that brings those around you joy. When we trust God for our provision, when we allow ourselves to drop our cares at His feet, we become free to play again, and we capture a glimpse of what Kingdom living will look like.

Pastor Caleb Moore
FBC Catoosa, Oklahoma

We must invest in the next generation so they can be leaders of change for good.

Grace Pilot
Businesswoman and namesake of Grace Pilot School of Business at the University of Mobile

The Lord never said there wouldn’t be storms. He just said He would be with you through them.

Ron Crow, director
Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief

Our modern addiction to busyness is a direct reflection of the original sin that occurred in the garden. Like Adam and Eve, we so often seize on the opportunity to promote our own agendas above that of God.

Our busyness has time and again proven fruitless, whereas our time spent with the Lord has always proven fruitful. It seems backward, but that’s precisely how the kingdom of God operates. Kingdom living is not lazy. But in the Kingdom, Christ offers us rest in relationship with Him that redeems our life from the fruitless efforts with which we would otherwise busy ourselves.

Christ offers greater productivity for Him when we establish a healthy rhythm of resting in Him and working out of that rest.

Cleve Mallory, student pastor
Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery

May we begin the new year convinced that Christ is still “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).

Jerry Batson, Theology 101

God has blessed Southern Baptists with some amazing pastors.

Matt Henslee, president
2022 SBC Pastors Conference

It’s so clear, in the Bible, that we’re called to pursue a kind of restorative justice and to care for prisoners and the vulnerable. … We’re not called to perfection. We’re called to make an effort.

Libby Rau
Samford University graduate

From the Twitterverse

@MBChurchAL
If you find yourself in need of comfort, here are some quick tips:

Seek out the promises of God.

Mark the promises of God in your Bible.

Cling to the promises of God.

@FloridaBaptists
Faithful prayers + intentional gospel conversations = lives changed by the gospel!

@BillyGraham
“Getting to know God and being able to call on Him is the most important step in storing up for the storms.” #BillyGraham

@LifewayResearch
Reading the Bible is by far the number one thing parents can do to help their children continue to grow in their faith as adults, according to the Nothing Less study by Lifeway Research. —@jana_magruder

@shane_pruitt78
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, but being a Christian should make [you] want to go to church.

@DerekAllen17
“Some claim the only 1% of missions dollars are spent on reaching the unreached, that claim can never be made of Southern Baptist missions dollars.” This is one of the biggest non-doctrinal reasons I’m a Southern Baptist. Thank you
@DrPaulChitwood and @IMB_SBC for leading well!

@ERLC
“Our hope is that many more churches will take the Caring Well Challenge in the coming year. We must continue confronting the abuse crisis and, in doing so, make our churches safe from abuse and safe for survivors.” —@LeatherwoodTN

@cindymallin
“It’s this posture of creaturely humility … that our souls deeply long for. When we enter into prayer, we enter into a sweet relief. What solace we find as we throw off our delusions of self-reliance and acknowledge that God is God and we are not!”

@LigonDuncan
If our theology does not quicken the conscience and soften the heart, it actually hardens both; if it does not encourage the commitment of faith, it reinforces the detachment of unbelief; if it fails to promote humility, it inevitably feeds pride. —J.I. Packer

@bellevuepastor
Preacher, hurting people are ministry opportunities & they are all around you. As God gives you mercy, give it to others & stay encouraged. (2 Cor. 4:1)