A Little Churn May be Good for You

When Rita and I moved to Columbus, Georgia, in 1965, we visited Benning Hills Baptist Church where Sidney Waterhouse was pastor. The following Sunday I was an usher and within a few weeks we were teaching a Sunday school class. I certainly would like to think that this is because we were such apparently outstanding leaders (Rita is, I am not). That was not the case, however. Benning Hills was located just outside the main gate of Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), and the post had recently sent several units to the Republic of Vietnam. They had lost not only a number of military personnel but families who chose to relocate.

The church was experiencing what I refer to as “churn.” This is a rather robust word. As a noun,

It means “a container in which cream is stirred or shaken to make butter” (yes, I have seen one). As a verb, it means “to stir or agitate violently.” Benning Hills was experiencing “churn” as people left, and new people arrived on their doorstep. As a result, they adapted quickly. No need to establish your credentials or even become a church member; you were mobilized to serve.

In the past several years, many congregations have experienced “churn”—COVID, economic impacts, demographic changes, leadership changes. Not all have seen this as a good thing, but it can be beneficial if addressed with the right mindset.

Theologian Hans Küng wrote: “A church which pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling…. (We must) play down our longing for certainty, accept what is risky, live by improvisation and experiment.”

The Israelites experienced many dynamic formative experiences as a nomadic people traveling with the Tabernacle that symbolized God’s presence with them. They tried, failed, and learned what it meant to be the people of God. As they journeyed, they were formed. They were being “churned” on a regular basis.

A little “churn” is good for churches and for individuals. We can get set in our ways, dependent on our habits, resources, and prejudices, and miss the working of God in our midst. When things are shaken up, we not only become dependent on God but open to God’s leadership.

When “churn” happens, how will you respond?

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