The Church will Prevail

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.(Matthew 16:18, NIV)

I probably spend more time on social media than I should, but I find it a good way to keep in touch with how my friends at the grassroots feel about the church—both laity and clergy. A big theme I pick up goes something like this: “The church is in decline and is losing its influence. I just hope it lasts one more generation for me and my family or until I retire from ministry.”

Such thoughts are not new. There have been many times in the last two thousand years when the church has been counted out. Even so, it is still here.

Perhaps we should clarify some terms. What do we mean when we use the word “church”? The Church (big C) was established by Christ. In theological terms, when we use big C for church, we are talking about the Church Universal—all believers, in all expressions, in all times. When we use the term church (little c), we are usually talking about local expressions of the faith—congregations, etc.

When I talk with seminary students about the Church, I remind them that the mission given to believers has not changed, but the expressions of it have. The churches that the Apostle Paul helped start no longer exist. The churches in Asia Minor that the Elder John wrote to in the book of Revelation are long since gone. The Church (big C) is still here.

A cartoon I saw recently showed a church committee meeting where the leader was saying, “We want a church like they had in the first century but with central heat and air, a PA system, and indoor plumbing.” There have been efforts over the centuries to recreate the first century church theologically, but it has not happened. One reason is that the church (small c) is not stuck in one time or place but is evolving. There really is no place for a first century church in the 21^st century just as there is no place for a church of the 1950’s in 2022.

The way we have done church has changed over the years. As the church has evolved, it has discovered ways to carry out the work of Jesus in new ways. For example, worship of God has evolved to include new expressions of music, art, and the spoken word. Jesus commanded us to care for the poor and sick, so Christians started orphanages and hospitals. We now use the written word, video, and even the Internet to disciple believers. Evangelism is carried out through acts of engaging the disenfranchised, standing for equal treatment of all people, and seeking social justice.

One lesson we still struggle with is that established churches tend to resist innovation. Effective ministries often developed outside the walls of the churches, at the margins of the faith—hospitals, orphanages, mission societies, Sunday school, higher education, seminaries, campus ministry—until they became successful and were brought under the umbrella of the establishment.

Expressions of the Christian faith are always evolving and new ways of “doing” the faith are always emerging. The church should always be in a mode of reforming. Churches (little C) die when they engage in mission drift—losing sight of their purpose--become more interested in preservation than innovation, and lose touch with God.

Either Jesus or the writer of Matthew’s gospel had a sense of humor. In the scripture cited above, we recognize that there is a play on words. Jesus says, “You are Peter (which meant “rock”).” He then says, “On this rock I will build my church.” A common interpretation is that the man Peter would be the leader of the church. Perhaps the meaning is really this: “Here is Peter, a man of little faith who will end up denying me and hiding out after I am gone. Even so, even that small amount of faith is sufficient to carry out the mission I will give to my people.”

You see, it really is not all about us; it is about the mission of God. God can use our little faith to work miracles. The church will survive and prosper not based on our faith but on the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The best thing we can do is offer our little faith and allow God to use it for the mission of God. Don’t count the Church out yet.

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