Why Isn't the Church Making a Greater Difference?

There is much disagreement in America today about the current condition of our country. It has been two thousand years since the coming of Christ, and Christianity has, no doubt, had a tremendous influence on our nation. But, one could easily wonder why, after two thousand years, the influence has not been greater.

Church attendance is higher in America than almost anywhere else in the world. And yet our nation seems to be caught in the middle of moral chaos. (This is not missed by Muslims and others living in the Middle and Far East.) Crime is rampant. Drugs, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, and high divorce rates are just a few of the social problems that plague our society. According to William J. Bennett’s Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, between 1960 and 1990 the population increased 41 percent while there was a 560 percent increase in violent crime. The U.S. Census Bureau in 1994 revealed that only 50.8 percent of American children lived in a traditional nuclear family.

We are the most churched nation in the industrialized world, and yet we lead in violent crimes and incarceration of criminals. What is more disturbing for many of us is that these alarming statistics aren’t only true in our large cities anymore.

The theme of cynicism and apathy runs through much of what seems to be going wrong in our nation. One of the most shocking things about all this is that the church seems to be making so little difference. An extensive study of sixty-six lifestyle categories by the George Barna organization revealed that the lifestyles of Christians were no different from non-Christians.
Of course, the Christian faith has made a great difference in our world. But I sometimes feel like we are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The church spends so much time, talent, money, and energy on less important matters and too often ignores the hurt and suffering all around.

I have been working with a group recently to start a Celebrate Recovery program at Minor Memorial. I have met several men and women who have been active in Alcoholics Anonymous for many years. They have helped untold numbers who have reached out in a time of need. This experience has reminded me that our communities are full of hurting people of all kinds.

I’ve always been bothered that an organization like AA is often doing more to touch these lives than the church. Have we lost our passion for reaching the last, the least, and the lost? It is not just the poor who are hurting. Our communities are full of people who need the transforming power of Jesus Christ in their lives. I’m praying that God will transform our churches so we can become more powerful transforming agents in our world.