Church is no longer going to be a once-a-week Sunday morning experience, says a megachurch pastor. And gone will be the days when church titles and affiliations matter.
"I think we're in a new era in the Church," said the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif. "And that era is 'denominationless.'"
Already, Americans have come years into waning membership across mainline denominations and an increasing thirst for something less institutional, something closer to a relationship with God and Jesus Christ.
So what's church going to look like in the near future?
"I think the Church is actually going to reflect what Jesus Christ has envisioned the Church being since day one – a body of believers, not necessarily congregated in a specific location, but those who have a sincere faith and a heart and love for Jesus Christ, who are committed to him, and worship God and worship the tri-nature of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ in unique ways that is yet to be determined," commented Schuller in an interview with The Christian Post.
Schuller leads a mega congregation that is part of the Reformed Church in America. But the church his father, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, built is anything but traditional in the denomination's sense and communicates across the globe that it's a church to the world, a church literally without walls. The Crystal Cathedral is made of 10,000 windows.
In the past, denominations played a larger role, providing spiritual resources, governance and organization for local churches. That's not necessarily the case anymore, said Schuller. Although denominations still are an important function for churches today, their role is shifting. And Schuller believes denominations will be unifying.
The shift in the role of denominations comes as studies find a lack of denominational loyalty among today's churchgoers. LifeWay Research revealed earlier this year that 54 percent of people who switch churches change denominations.
Younger Americans today are also less prone to follow their parents to church.
"I don’t think there’s strong allegiance to denomination. And I think that’s appropriate and right," Schuller observed. "I think our allegiance needs to be to Jesus Christ. And the denominations are there to serve the body of Jesus Christ."
Mark Batterson, innovative leader and pastor of National Community Church in Washington, also emphasizes the importance of following Jesus over an institution.
"What Jesus was about was inviting people to follow him on a spiritual journey and that’s a little different deal," he has said.
A Gallup Poll in June found that Americans have less confidence in organized religion. Only 46 percent said they have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in church/organized religion which was one percentage short of being the lowest in Gallup's history since 1973.
"I would say that [the drop is] because organized religion is organized and it’s religious,” Batterson said.
Among teens, many are not as interested in learning the traditions of their faith or listening to religious teachings as much as they are in making a connection with God and seeking a better understanding of what they believe, a recent Barna study showed. Most teens prefer a church that teaches how their faith should influence everyday decisions and lifestyle rather than one that teaches the traditions and background of their faith. Continue >>
Comments
Many denominations exist because older denominations departed from the truth. While many forms of denominationalism may be unbiblical, we can’t escape some sort of division. As long as were living in a fallen world full of heretical teachers (like the Schullers) divisions must exist in the church! Thank God for those divisions! When division with error is gone the church is doomed.
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I really like what ROG had to say.The church today tries to clone people so that we all look and sound alike.We are all different and have different gifts.The message should be the same, but the vessels are different.Very good!!
The bottom line is that it is hard to show the Love of God to non-believers when we don't show it to each other. It also confuses us as to who the enemy really is.
Denominations were not intended to be divisive, only to be a check and balance against pulpits with false teachings. But we allowed it to become warfare for the world to see.
But because of God's grace and mercy, we are given time to learn and correct our mistakes.
I left organized religion several years ago. I tried several denominations and I grew up Catholic. I'm convinced that what we call church is not even faintly recognizable to Jesus. I was saved over 20 years ago and spent that time trying to find out what it meant to be a Christian. It took 2 years at least to get the church out of me and to come to the understanding that it is all about JESUS not me! HE is MY righteousness, redeemer, victory,savior! HE is the reason I have right standing with the Father. When the Son sets you free you are free indeed!!!!
Holy Rosary, I agree with you. I think Schuller's statement reflects a concern amongst evangelicals that I don't think relates to Catholics. Let's look at the US for example, the number of Catholics has increased over the years (the shortage of priests is also driven by an increasingly number of Catholics). There previously was a separation of Church and State, but Ronald Reagan set up official diplomatic ties with the US. Now Catholics make up the majority of members of the Supreme Court (5, while 2 are protestants - neither one is an evangelical). I will not even get into the increase of Catholic schools, universities, and hospitals. Even president Bush's own brother Jeb converted to Catholicism. Catholics are now even creating their own cities as indicated in Florida. Is it any wonder that Pope Benedict can reiterate the supremacy of the Catholic faith?
In my opinion "denominational" Christianity was created and exist only to satisfy our selfish desires. Christians want to worship where there is uniformity (people who look, act and think like we do) because uniformity is easeir to deal with. When things are uniformed a Christian doesn't have to display as much patience, grace or work as hard to start meaninful (challenging) relationships with others, because everybody is similiar. When Jesus choose his disciples he was looking for diversity because they were all very different but found a way to worship together despite of their differences. That should be the church's goal.
[sorry about the last post]
The problem I see with these types of churches is that there are no common teachings. Any yahoo with charisma can start a church and lead a flock to perverted teaching of God. The purpose of organized church systems is to have one teaching that is taught by all leaders so not to mislead their flocks.
Also, many of these churches usually fall apart once their charming leader falls from grace. Catholics go to church (true Catholics attend church more once a week) to worship Jesus not to be impressed by clever speak by the bishop.
God Bless, all.
The problem I see with these type of churches is that there are no common teaching. Any yahoo with charisma can start a church and lead a flock to perverted teaching of God. The purpose of organized church systems is to have one teaching that are taught by all leaders so not mislead the flocks.
ALso, many of these churces usually fall apart once the charming leader falls from grace. Catholics go to church (true Catholics attend church once a week) to worship Jesus not to be impressed by clever speak by the bishop.
God Bless, all.
Christian churches became religious corporations and began to compete with each other.
The church leaders became gods, and the innocent believers were religiously and psychologically enslaved for a long time. God began to open the eyes of the believers and a few christian leaders, and real worship and evangelization is going to take place around the
world which is a prelude to the advent of a great revival around the world. Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord. About time we function like they did in the early church. People are speaking with their feet and dollars. People want a relationsship with Christ, not chains to denominations and institutions that for the most part expect the attendees to be their slaves. HALLELUJAH.
*applause*