From My Perspective - - -

The Church has historically been viewed as a place of refuge – a sanctuary from the storms of life – and a place where they can regain a spiritual equilibrium and focus. Has the Church been able to do that task effectively – both within the church community itself – or as it addresses the needs of the secular culture in which it finds itself? Do people in public life have a positive view or a negative assessment of The Church and its Ministers? Does it have a credible voice that should be heard – that ought to be heard – today? What if the Church became introspective, would it be pleased with what it sees and what it had become? Would it find itself credible and effective?

Some of the recent studies done should result in alarm, concern and action! The question is: Will it? The research that was distilled from Barna, Focus on the Family, and Fuller Seminary included the following: “Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches; Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce; Eighty percent of pastors feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastor; Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living; Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years; Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression; Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry; Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons…Most statistics say that 60% to 80% of those who enter the ministry will not still be in it 10 years later, and only a fraction will stay in it as a lifetime career. Many pastors—I believe over 90 percent—start off right with a true call and the enthusiasm and the endurance of faith to make it, but something happens to derail their train of passion and love for the call…Focus on the Family has reported that we in the United States lose a pastor a day because he seeks an immoral path instead of God’s, seeking intimacy where it must not be found. F.O.F. statistics state that 70% of pastors do not have close personal friends, and no one in whom to confide. They also said about 35% of pastors personally deal with sexual sin. In addition, that 25% of pastors are divorced. The statistics I had with church growth resources is even higher. Pastors who tend to be very educated seem to have the ability to embark in sin on Saturday and preach the Word on Sunday without thinking anything is wrong…Remember, Pride and Arrogance will be the diving board that will spring the pastor into the pool of sin and cause a church to fight among themselves!”

In a recent sermon, Erwin Lutzer, Pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago stated (Getting Conversation Right) that of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3, none of them exist as a church today. Instead, Islam has replaced Christianity and most of the early churches have become a Mosque, some a Museum or souvenir shop. What happened to them? The Head of the Church had said they needed to Remember where they once were and represented; to Return to that initial commitment; and to Repent of the sin that was being tolerated and the complacency that was all too common.

Does this mean there is no room for a resurgence of The Church and Christianity? Does this imply we have arrived at the end of The Church Age? Is there any common sense trying to breathe new life into a dying horse? It is true that there are some signs of our times that can be viewed as God’s displeasure with His world and this nation – the inordinate number of tornadoes and severe storms; floods; earthquakes; etc. – but does this mean the Church should fold up its tent and head for the hills? Does it still have the most transforming message to declare to the world today? Has the Church become fearful of getting aligned with God’s word so it can effectively do God’s work? It should be clearly understood that God will do His work with us or without us. Listen to what he said amid a desperate time and day in Habakkuk 1:5 (NKJV), “Look among the nations and watch - Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you.”  God wants us to be on-board with Him and His plan and work for His world! Can He count on you to be one of the faithful and committed? Consider these things with me!