Is a Changing Church a Healthy Church?

A Response to “Why Most Churches Would Rather Die Than Change”

These Times are a Changin’

Ok, first everyone admits that we live in a world that operates differently than when John, Paul or Peter was alive. They never saw a car before. They never saw a computer. They never thought of the internet. They would simply be astounded with how different the world is and how far we have come. Right?

The church on the other hand is old, like 2,000 years old. In 2,000 years a lot of things have changed. Countries have been established and toppled by new countries many times over. So because of the all the change the Church needs to get with the times and change. Right?

Ok sure. There are some things a church can differently that it couldn’t do in Timothy’s day. There’s no harm in a church creating a website so people can know about the church. But is there anything the church should be changing? Does a church have to change in order for it to stay effective in ministry?

Nothing New Under the Sun

I am convinced that Scripture teaches that nothing has significantly changed. Sure, we have cell phones now which are useful for communication, but cell phones did not create communication. We have all of these great technological advancements but this hasn’t changed how we think or live by any significant means. We were worried about aliens long before the space age even began. 

Atheism, agnosticism, paganism and every other false belief system has existed since man became sinful. Ever since man didn’t like the truth, man came up with false claims to live by. Every idea has already been explored. Every belief has already been explained. Every philosophy has already been proclaimed. This is why Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:9). 

So, does the church need to change in any significant way? In short, no. Sure, we can change the buildings or the order of service, but overall, what we practice today in church should look exactly like what Paul and Peter practiced in church. 

Divine Instructions

The Church was not left behind by the apostles with no instruction on how to practice our services. The New Testament is filled with specific instructions and examples for the church to follow. They can really boil down to some very simple things. I have listed some things that Scripture states that a church should do on a corporate level.

• Preaching the Word. A church should always be preaching the Word of God. This doesn’t mean that the preacher comes up there with a thesis and then uses Scripture to prove his point. A preacher needs to do the work of studying the text so he can explain the text to his audience as intended by the author (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:15; 4:2; Luke 24:27; Acts 5:28-32; 8:30-35).
• Observing the Ordinances. There are two ordinances that were established by Christ Himself. The first is believer’s baptism (Matt. 28:19; Acts 8:36-38) and the second is communion (1 Cor. 11:23-26). When we observe these ordinances we strengthen the unity of the church body.
• Edifying other Believers. Mature Christians need to be helping other Christians grow in their sanctification (2 Tim. 2:2; Matt 28:19-20; 1 Cor. 14:26). Paul discipled Timothy and Titus to where they would be able to pastor a church.
• Committing to Prayer. Corporate prayer was a very common practice of the New Testament Church (Acts 4:31). We are even commanded to pray as often as we can (1 Thess. 5:17).

It should be no surprise that all four of these practices were present in the church on day one. In Acts 2:42 we read, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Change for the sake of Change

Ok, getting back to the point. Those four practices listed above should never change. Therefore, a church pretty much looks the same from year to year, even decade to decade. Those four practices are always there. However, some pastors think that the church needs to change in order for it to grow and if there is no change that the church must be dying. Since when did change equal growth? 

Pastor David Whiting of Northridge church in Rochester, NY is convinced and teaches that the church needs to be continually changing their methods in order to reach the lost. On May 28, 2014, Pastor Whiting posted a blog entry titled, “Why Most Churches Would Rather Die than Change”. The entry can be read here. 

In the beginning of the entry Pastor Whiting writes, “I'm convinced that most pastors would rather lead their church in slow, painful death than deep, painful change.” For some reason Pastor Whiting only sees two options here, either change or die. If your church is not changing its dying. I would disagree. Lacking overhead projectors, a worship band or a website is not going to prevent the church from being effective. What is more important is the message of the church rather than the vehicle in which the message is being delivered. 

Conflict will always Happen

One of the reasons that Pastor Whiting gives as to why a church refuses to change is to avoid conflict. Conflict happens all on its own, all the time. With or without change, conflict will come. Churches are filled with people where no one is perfect. Conflict happens because people are still in the middle of their sanctification process. God gives grace to those people. We should too. 

Amputation is for an Unhealthy Member

Another reason Pastor Whiting gives for a church refusing to change is to avoid losing members. He writes, “We aren't willing to lose people to other churches so that later we can win lost people to Christ. This is really hard and difficult to convince others that it is ‘worth it’ - especially when those new people don't give, and those upset are big givers.”

I ask, is the change really worth losing some of your best people? Or better yet, is the change worth losing any people? Is it really worth losing a single person to switch to an overhead projector instead of using hymnals? How in the world does using pews instead of chairs prevent the gospel from being heard? Paul spread the gospel in his preaching while he was imprisoned (Phil. 1:12-14)!

The only people that should be leaving the church are those that are being disciplined by the church for either staying committed to sin (1 Cor. 5) or committed to teaching heresy (Gal. 1:8-9). All other people are part of the body of Christ. Why would we want to lose a healthy arm in hopes to gain an arm that might be missing a few fingers? If the arm is healthy, keep it! You don’t know what kind of people you will pick up.

Winning lost people is not actually a goal of the church; evangelism is. Make sure you understand me on this point. Jesus never said that we must have so many people state they believe on the name of Jesus Christ. Rather, Jesus commanded that we preach the gospel to the lost (Acts 1:8). We should not be surprised when the lost do not respond positively to our message (1 Cor. 1:23; cf. Acts 7:51-60). Once we make getting people into church our goal then our criteria for a healthy church becomes wrong. 

Paul always wanted the churches he planted to continue in unity (Phil. 2:2; 1 Cor. 1:10). A church is not able to function properly if there is a dissenter. This is why Paul uses the analogy of the human body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. Each person has a role in making up the body of Christ. Please, do not cast off a member because of an overhead projector. 

Voting: It’s what Churches Do

The last reason I want to discuss that Pastor Whiting gives for a church not changing is about church structure and/or government. He writes, “Many churches have so many committees and leadership structures that it is next to impossible to make significant changes without a majority ‘buying in.’ A majority of people will almost never buy into a new idea. This creates a problem if a change must go through multiple groups, or (worse) if it needs to be voted on by the church.”

Oh heavens to betsy! May it never go to a vote! Give me a break! 

Let me give a short Biblical defense for congregational church government. Yes, I am saying that putting matters before the entire church body in a boring business meeting is something that the New Testament church practiced.

Theological Reasons

Understand first that the authority of the church does not belong to a single mature Christian (a pastor) or even a group of Christians (an elder board) but solely to Christ (Eph. 2:20). 

Next, understand these two things: 1) every believer is a priest (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 5:10) and 2) every believer is indwelled by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 1:14). This means that every believer is just as much of a believer as the pastor(s) and deacons. Therefore, every believer in a church is allowed to have a say in matters of the church. If 80% of the church body wants to use church hymnals still and not purchase an overhead projector, then stick with the hymnals. 

Biblical Precedent

This practice of voting is seen in the book of Acts. In Acts 6, a problem arose because the Greek women were being overlooked in a daily distribution of food. The solution proposed by the Apostles was to find seven men to take care of the problem. This idea did not happen because the apostles told people to do it but because “it found approval with the whole congregation” (Acts 6:5). This means that the whole church would have had to sit down in a boring business meeting and vote on the matter. Not only that, the congregation decided which seven men to care of the problem, not the apostles. 

This is a huge difference in comparison to how the 120 believers decided on who should replace Judas. They found two men who met the prescribed qualifications and then threw lots (Acts 1:26). They rolled the dice to find the best man for the job. Why did they throw lots? They had not yet received the Holy Spirit. 

Another example to consider of congregational government is found in 1 Corinthians 5. Paul chastises not the pastors of the church, but the entire church body for not casting out one who was caught in sin (1 Cor. 5:2).

What is a Healthy Church?

There is a really simple answer to this question. Remember the four practices I talked about previously that are found in Acts 2:42? Look at the verb used in that verse. It states that the church was “continually devoting themselves,” to those four practices. I submit that the church in Acts 2:42 was a healthy church because of their devotion to those four practices. A healthy church is a devoted church.

Guess what? That devoted church grew. In Acts 2:47 it states that, “the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” 

I am not saying that all change is bad but not all change is good either. Switch to chairs and throw out the pews if you must, but if no one in the church wants to, then get over it. Brothers, please do not change something just to make the church more attractive. 

Be devoted like the people in Acts 2:42. Be devoted to solid expositional preaching. Be devoted to disciple and fellowship with other believers. Be devoted to prayer. Be devoted to regular practice of the ordinances. Hold fast and be ready to put in the work for the long haul.