A Post Pandemic Moment

t’s probably happened to you. You’re at Walmart or the grocery store. You see a person you think you know from church. He or she comes over and makes sure of who you are (because you are probably still wearing a mask in public). They ask how you are doing, then immediately start telling you about the church they are attending now: “It’s so friendly. The pastor really preaches from the Bible. I love my Sunday school class.” You politely mumble something like, “I’m glad that you are happy there” and move on as quickly as possible.

There will be more moments like this especially if you are staff minister or active in the life of your congregation. Those who have moved on will want to take the time to let you know that they are much happier since they left your church.

Please don’t get me wrong. If a person has come to the point where they no longer feel they are or can be really engaged, finding another fellowship is probably the best thing they can do. This does reflect a consumer mentality, though, and one that any of us can succumb to.

The basic question for me is, “Why do you belong to a church?” Perhaps more basic is, “Why do you stay there?”

I have been in the same church for most of four decades. My wife and I did leave for three years to help with a new church start. I was interim pastor of that congregation before and after we called our first pastor. When the next pastor came on board, we felt that it was time for us to go back to our original church. On one other occasion, we almost left when the environment was too toxic, but things changed, the church needed all hands on deck, and we stayed on.

Let me attempt to answer the two questions above from my own perspective.

First, I have been at the same church long enough to have lots of reasons (excuses?) to leave, but I have realized that it is not all about me. We are all doing what we feel that the Lord is leading us to do, even though we are often on different tracks. I can learn from others even when I don’t agree with them. I usually find we have more in common that we do differences.

Second, my church is full of imperfect people, and I am one of them! I struggle with my own preconceptions, prejudices, and problems. In the church, I find myself engaging with fellow strugglers. We are all on a journey together and we support each other on that journey.

Third, I must believe that by sharing, ministering, and learning together, we are better than we used to be. Here again, the journey motif predominates my thinking about staying and being part of a fellowship.

To those who have moved on, I simply say, “We will miss you, but we are still here. God is still in our midst and God is still working on us. That’s the best I can hope for.”

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