Empire Baptist Temple

The Social Church

Dr. Ronald L. Tottingham

An issue from two opposite sides, or two age-old issues pulling to opposing ideals? There is a social versus church phenomenon surrounding pastors, pushing and pulling them whether or not they've recognized it. It is troubling.

The two issues are: One - Churches becoming provider stations for needs social and spiritual, versus: Two - Churches holding old-time preaching as their central mission. For instance, most evangelical and some fundamentalist churches are becoming or have become "provider stations" churches. They provide activities and entertainment including Christian dance, physical exercise programs, social opportunities in singles groups, seniors groups, single parent groups, etc., "enrichment" classes for drug abuse, sex abuse, alcohol abuse, child abuse, etc. There is a strong mood today in America for "user friendly," or "worship friendly" ministries. Even the Barna Reports urges churches to use more open "user friendly" styles to gain new people in our "worship." The opposite of this open user friendliness though, is the Biblical call for preaching as the central focus of our worship and services (Titus 1:3). The problem with this "friendliness" with the world and push to provide them with what they desire when they come to a church, is the compromise of the preaching to gain and keep the guests who are visiting from the world.

So today a church seems to be either/or, with those for the larger number becoming a "provider."

Getting mixed up in this tug-of-war is such ministries as Christian schools, AWANA, King's Kids, or other youth programs, Sunday schools and ministries born out of the Biblical charge to the churches to disciple and teach all things Christ commanded. In some more fundamental churches and Baptist churches the Christian school has become evangelism aimed in philosophy and in violation of I Cor. 2:14 and II Cor. 6:17, and scientific truth that the bad spoils the good, have done much harm to a generation of church youth by mixing the world (for evangelizing) into the school. The church has the mandate to educate from God, but not to use its education ministry for evangelism. The same could be said for other good church youth programs. A question should be asked, are they for evangelism or edification? If for evangelism, shouldn't they be aimed solely for the world's participation expecting little discipleship? If some come out of such program ready for discipleship shouldn't another program separated to ICor. 2:15 "He that is spiritual," be ready? However, mostly when we see these programs with mixed students we've seen it operate on a more shallow level. Am I saying don't have the lost in these programs? NO. I'm saying we need to recognize which are evangelistic and which are not and operate accordingly. We need to use caution that the remaining good churches do not become "user friendly" at the expense of keeping preaching the Word (Titus 1:3) in the central place of our church's mission (Rom. 10:14). Today we see Sunday school programs that are "user friendly" in that teaching the Word of God is pushed aside for socializing time around food and drink, relaxed and casual attitudes, shared experiences and comments, until an actual true teaching of God's Word is near to being lost in this friendliness for the user.

In some of the youth programs such emphasis is put on achievements and awards that the required Biblical and Christian work becomes rote and is routed through the heads rather than the hearts, as was in days of old. I would almost call for the demise of church programs such as Sunday school and youth (AWANA, King's Kids, etc.) programs if it meant refocusing on the preaching. I would call for such in churches where these programs have over-ridden the preaching services, spoiled mid-week centrality of a preaching teaching service, etc.

However, in those churches where these programs have kept Christ central and their churchís pulpit in central focus praise the Lord and keep on keeping on!