the    sides

ChurchMarketingSucks.com has posted this article on a church that asked folks to leave if they weren’t on board with their vision. Even helped them to find a new church home by providing information on other area churches.

I’m not sure if any of the comments (so far) are really that enlightening to the conversation. One of the funnier (and offensive) quotes is from Mark Driscoll on why we need colons in the Body of Christ.

I wish the article had a bit more information on the context and details of the situation. If the “asking them to leave” was directed at leaders who were stuck or refusing to advance the call of the Church - I get that. I understand that. I see Jesus essentially doing the same thing in the Gospels. Pick up your cross and follow me. Go sell all that you have and follow me. He who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not worthy of the Kingdom. All said to potential leaders for Jesus.

As an aside - none of the hesitancy of following Jesus was ever doctrinal. It was a practical one - as in, the change that this is going to require in my life is too great for me to make. I find that is also true of most church conflicts - hardly any of it is ever doctrinal.

But Jesus also says - Come to me if you are weary and heavy-laden and put my yoke upon you because it is light. I’ve come to serve, not to be served. Blessed are the poor in spirit, the merciful…

So it appears that Jesus seems to have no problem with this kind of “double standard.” In other words - if you know better and call yourself a leader, the stakes are higher. If you are meek and lowly and need healing - that’s available as well. This kind of standard frustrated the heck out of the early followers of Jesus. Why would he talk with a Samaritan woman but offend a respected religious leader? Why would he tell the rich young man basically you can’t follow me but forgive instantly a woman caught in the very act of adultery?

Maybe Jesus knew that not everyone comes to him “on board with his vision” and was okay with that. Heal the ones that need healing. Confront the ones that need confronting. Keep doing the work of the Father and those that join in, join in. Those that don’t, don’t.

Of course let’s not forget that if you market yourself as a church that can meet all your ministry needs - you’re not really trying to reproduce spiritual leaders, you’re trying to increase your customer base. To tell them to leave after presenting yourself like that seems a bit hypocritical.