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A new model of evangelical church

Stéphane Rhéaume

Before proclaiming the gospel in our society, it is important that we rethink our way of “doing church”. I want to present a model of church which will promote the proclamation of the gospel in our present context, but first I must describe the dominant model currently existing in our evangelical churches so that I can compare it to the model that I am proposing.

The current model

In our current model, the Bible is seen as the Word of God, the book by which God revealed Himself to humanity. It is held in very high esteem and is at the heart of evangelical worship. However, its human character is passed by in silence, which leads us to a “fundamentalist” reading of Scripture, without taking into account the context in which it was written.

The gospel is presented as the gospel of personal salvation. We proclaim the death of Christ on the cross for humanity’s sins and offer to everyone the possibility of repenting and believing personally in what Christ has done for them.

As far as the church is concerned, evangelicals seem to consider it a community of refuge from the dominant society. Society is seen as being under the empire of evil, and to convert means to escape the evil influence of society.

The definition of the mission of the church goes hand in hand with a certain understanding of society. When the church seeks lost souls, it is not only to spare them from eternal damnation but also to lead them to flee from the corruption of the world.

Society is seen as being corrupt, totally under the influence of evil. The church, then, is not concerned about the condition of society. It is abandoned to its own sad end. The church is unconcerned about social issues because society is all going to be destroyed by fire when judgement comes anyway.

This attitude has strongly affected how we see our culture. Evangelicals many times hold negative attitudes toward the surrounding culture.

The church is more interested in spiritual matters than material ones, and therefore evangelical language revolves around subjects related to an individual’s faith and his relationship with God.

The Christian life is understood to consist of maintaining and developing a relationship with God through prayer and Bible reading. Most emphasis is placed on the vertical dimension of the gospel, and very little on the horizontal. A disciple of Jesus is someone who prays regularly and for long periods, fasts and practises other spiritual disciplines.

Christian service is usually presented as being carried out within the walls of the church and not outside it. Many believers think they are not serving God if they do not have a position in the church.

The motivation for this service is a sense of responsibility, duty, loyalty and commitment, or, more negatively, guilt, fear and manipulation.

Finally, this model does not favour Christian unity but emphasizes denominational distinctives. It is thought important to study the doctrine of other churches in depth before associating with them in a common project or activity.

This model is present in many evangelical churches. It is not wrong in itself and is based on numerous biblical truths. Nevertheless, I am going to present another model, another way of doing church, that I believe is more faithful to Scripture and holds biblical themes in better balance.

The proposed model

Obviously, the Bible is the Word of God, but stressing its divine character does not necessarily mean that we must downplay its human character. The Bible is inspired by God, but it is also a book written by human beings, making God known in the context of their own culture and their experience. We must reject every fundamentalist reading of the Bible which deprives the Bible of its human characteristics – just as we must challenge a liberal reading which refuses to admit its full divine authority. It is helpful to distinguish between the message of the gospel and the culture through which it has been transmitted. It is important to understand biblical texts in the context in which they were written so that we can better apply them in our current society.

The gospel is about much more than just personal salvation. The message of Jesus is the good news of the Kingdom of God. God reigns in all spheres of life – in the heart of the individual but also in the church, in society, in the spiritual universe and in the physical creation. The reign of God is already present in the present world, even while awaiting its full realization when our Lord returns.

Yes, the church is the assembly of the children of God, but it is more than a refuge for the believer. While remaining a community separate from the world, it nevertheless desires to be involved in the world in order to influence the world through its life together, its words and its good works. The church is the designated channel which God uses to advance His kingdom.

This understanding defines the mission of the church as to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to invite every man and woman to come and find life there. This proclamation of the Kingdom includes both evangelism and works of service and social action.

This leads to a transformation of our understanding of society. Society is obviously tainted by moral corruption, but that does not mean that we should abandon it to its fate. The people of God are encouraged to seek the welfare of society, by bringing to it the redemptive love of God, and by being salt and light through their good works.

Similarly, it is necessary to be involved in culture. Evangelical churches excel in critiquing culture, as if Christ was against culture. Instead, the gospel should transform culture, bringing it closer to the values of the Kingdom.

Therefore, our language needs to be changed. The gospel does not just concern our spiritual life and our personal relationship with God. It touches alike personal and community life, spiritual and material life, public and private life. Thus, the church has the right and responsibility to seek and find a Christian perspective on all aspects of society.

The Christian life is redefined as being concerned not just with piety but also with ethics. The life the Lord invites us to consists not just of the pursuit of spiritual and mystical experiences or the seeking of emotional highs and miracles, but a life that is simple, right and peaceable, reflecting the will of God in all areas of daily life. A disciple of Jesus is not someone who is content to practise spiritual disciplines and have correct theology, but someone who knows how to connect his faith to all areas of his life, who knows how to link his belief to his practice, what he believes with how he lives. A disciple does not just receive salvation; he is also engaged in the cause of Christ. He is aware that what God has done for him demands nothing less than that he give his whole life to the cause of the Kingdom.

As a result, Christian service overflows the walls of the church and is also carried out in the world, in the home and the workplace. Every believer serves God where he is. Wherever he is, that is his mission field, his ministry.

The motivation of the Christian is not rooted in guilt, fear or manipulation, but in love and gratitude. It is the desire to show our thankfulness to God for our salvation that pushes us to walk in His ways and serve Him.

Maintaining peace and unity between churches is seen as important for promoting the Lord’s cause. Therefore, churches develop relationships with other Christian churches through joint celebrations, activities and works of charity.

These two models of church have completely different implications. The first model creates an invisible church, with little credibility or influence in society, and increases the feeling of isolation of believers from the surrounding culture. In contrast, the second model creates a visible church, brings credibility to the evangelical movement, influences society for the better and diminishes the feeling of isolation of the people of God.

Stéphane Rhéaume is pastor of l’Église chrétienne de Saint-Eustache (the Mennonite Brethren congregation in Saint-Eustache, Que.).

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Last modified November 30, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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