Civil War

Those of us who grew up in the U.S. have learned about the American Civil War, which tore this nation apart. A recent film about Abraham Lincoln refreshed many of us about that vicious and devastating conflict. It reflected how committed citizens of the same nation could become so diametrically opposed to one another. Abraham Lincoln became one of the giants of history for following his moral convictions in the face of massive resistance. In his June 16, 1858, speech to the Republican State Convention in Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln said those memorable words, "a house divided against itself cannot stand."

My friend and colleague, Dennis Kutzner, a Civil War expert, quotes Lincoln in regard to his Christian faith: "In his own words, Lincoln said, 'When I left Springfield, I asked the people to pray for me, I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg, and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.' In the days that followed, Lincoln worshipped regularly at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, not only on Sunday, but at the Wednesday evening prayer service as well."

Christians do participate in civil unrest! Earlier this year, America recognized the 50th anniversary of the march on Washington, led by a Christian clergyman, Martin Luther King, Jr. and his words, spoken from the Lincoln Memorial, "I have a dream." This 20th century preacher demonstrated how long civil unrest continues when the remnants against change linger.

Today, civil war is in the news regularly with reports from Egypt, and, most recently, Syria. The world knows much about civil war. So does the church. In fact, many who met Jesus were disappointed. He was not who they expected: a civil leader to free the Jews from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. Jesus made it clear that His Kingdom was not of this world. What people didn't understand was that the Kingdom of God would indeed one day transform the Roman Empire, through an internal movement, not by the sword but something more powerful: love. Can you believe it?

The church is full of civil unrest: citizens of the Kingdom at odds with one another. If you haven't seen evidence of this unrest, you haven't been a Christian very long. Yet God can turn any difficult civil unrest into good. Still, it isn't fun!

In our work with churches we've seen at least seven causes that lead Christians to get sideways with one another. While all of these causes bring challenges, the seventh represents potential for a new day for the Christian movement.

Cause #1

Whenever our world changes dramatically, it causes stress. Change is difficult. Mark Twain once said, "The only person who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper." The 21st century will go down in history as a time of seismic change. The technological explosion has brought many benefits, and, simultaneously, produced enormous stress. For example, the church staff needs computers. Those computers are expensive-pressure on the budget. The church secretary, who has served for forty years, is resistant to learn the technology. The leadership board generously "retires" her. She and her husband have been visible members of the church for years. They sue the church for age discrimination. This true story, from a church in Florida, caused significant division-civil unrest-in the church.

Demographics change many churches. The  story from the church in Detroit was shared in the introduction of this issue. It is sometimes an ethnic challenge, but often reflects a shift in economics. Houses get older, people move out to maintain their investment, and the socioeconomic world of lifelong members is dramatically different from residents who now live around the church − in the previous homes of the members. Economics drive lifestyle. Different lifestyles cause stress between two different groups of people, as a church in North Toledo discovered. These stress issues are universal. 

Cause #2

Innovative pastors and leaders have a passion to keep worship and preaching fresh. Many churches still experience civil unrest due to change in worship styles. This issue isn't restricted to the obvious choir vs. band or organ vs. guitars or acoustic guitars vs. electric. Sometimes civil unrest among Christians is tied to issues like the volume of the music, as a church in a north suburb of Omaha recently discovered. There are hundreds of cases of civil unrest over new hymnals, changing dress codes, and the color of the carpet. This civil unrest over internal changes can escalate. A church in Wisconsin reported a division at a meeting about pews or chairs, and a fist fight broke out! Since bad news travels fast, how would you like that legacy for your church in your community?

Cause #3

Sometimes outreach success brings civil unrest among church members. (See the sidebar story about Lloyd, a member of a rural church in northeast Indiana). New people crowd the bathrooms, hallways, parking lot, and Sunday school. That leads to the need for a building campaign. Most everyone is excited about baptisms and full churches. Yet adding space costs money, and not everyone is excited about the capital campaign.

Cause #4

This issue is the opposite of finding room for new people. It is also not as obvious. It is the slow, consistent decline of a church. Empty seats, shrinking budgets, and staff reductions represent a subtle depression, called the "sinking ship syndrome." It is within the DNA of Christianity to win. Jesus calls us to win the world. A church that is not growing is a painful disequilibrium that eats at the heart of the Christian movement. It reflects a dysfunction of the church. Christians know this is not what Christ intended. There is internal civil discontent that simmers in Christians who know at least one church nearby that is rapidly growing. As a church near Portland, Oregon, discovered, this trend brings civil unrest. It fosters a critical atmosphere. People are not at their best, but their worst. (This same church is now thriving, and the context is now more exciting than they could ever have imagined.)

Cause #5

One of the most volatile origins of civil unrest revolves around church staff. Divisions occur when a staff member is perceived by some as ineffective or mismatched. A church in Bakersfield, California, experienced the meltdown of a senior pastor who fell into public misbehavior. Later, his condition was diagnosed as a treatable behavioral disorder, but the event left the church polarized. Sometimes the church staff is dysfunctional as a team. A church in Minneapolis was deeply divided, but no one could figure out the cause. After further diagnosis, they learned that some staff members were not functioning in the area of their strengths and gifts. When visible  staff leaders are "in the wrong seats on the bus" (as Jim Collins, author of Good to Great would say), it causes civil unrest. More often, staff dysfunction occurs when everyone is not on the same page. This is an issue of philosophy of ministry.

Cause #6

A great source of civil unrest today is the major shift in generations. Research by The Barna Group and The Pew Research Center demonstrates that a significant demographic shift has occurred through the mass exodus from churches by young adults. Postmodern young adults are relational, not institutional. They are attracted to team, not hierarchy. Matt, a 20-something who attends a large church west of Detroit, is an example. He is still in the church, but the governance structure and staff's approach drive him nuts. Ironically, Matt's generation, if they could make changes, would increase the effectiveness of most churches significantly. But Matt's generation has no power. Generational unrest may continue to drive young adults away. A recent author and national speaker recently said, "The median age of most churches is 62."

Ironically, in England, young adults in churches experiencing revival are the backbone of the movement. This movement is just beginning in North America, with young adult boot camp training mechanisms, like SEND North America (built on a postmodern structure, yet teaching New Testament mission culture).

Cause #7

Finally, watch for those experiencing "holy discontent." Guide them to grow spiritually and learn biblically based mission principles. Develop them through a bottom up gentle movement, not a top down, leadership driven programmatic approach. Allow the Holy Spirit to work.

This can happen in your church.

(Contact Church Doctor Ministries for a free DVD, Spiritual Breakthrough, an interview with a pastor whose church is experiencing transformation beyond civil unrest.)

Resources

Addington, T.J. "Holy discontent in the church," Leading from the Sandbox (blog) April 2, 2013, http://leadingfromthesandbox.blogspot.com.

Barthel, Tara K. and David V. Edling. Redeeming Church Conflicts: Turning Crises into Compassion and Care. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.

Collins, Jim.  Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. New York: HarperBusiness, 2001.