Our Church Is Not God

What happens when our relationship with our church is threatened?

Bob Rhyne

It may seem obvious to say, "our church is not God." We certainly have no doubt about that in our minds. But when an issue arises that upsets our normal relationship with our church body, it may feel in our hearts as though our church is God. This is especially true for us who are pastors. We have received our education, our calls, our credentials, our professional and religious identity, our livelihood and our hope for a secure financial future from our synod. We realize in our heads that these blessings all come from God and that our church is only the channel through which he bestows them.

But what happens when our relationship with our church is threatened? Are we able to trust that God will find some other way to supply all our needs? As one who has been in this position, I can attest, at first, it felt as though the synod was God.

It comes about innocently. How many times have we heard a young child refer to the pastor as "Jesus?" As we grow older we learn that the pastor is not Jesus, but we still esteem him highly as a representative of Jesus and as one who seems very knowledgeable and godly. Those of us who go on to study for the ministry are often dazzled with admiration for the professors who seem to know absolutely everything. We have opportunities to rub elbows with those in high leadership positions in the synod. We strive to show ourselves approved as workmen who correctly handle the word of truth. We are eager to be considered doctrinally sound by our elder workmen whom we hold in high regard.

After a few years we find ourselves securely employed as pastors in a congregation with some measure of respect from the people we serve, from our colleagues, and from our higherups. We may hold a leadership position on the circuit or district level. It is a wonderful position to be in; one for which we rightly thank God.

But now an issue arises which could put some or all of those blessings in jeopardy. God confronts us with a truth which we must believe, teach and obey, but which our church considers to be error. Now we must see if we really differentiate between God’s representatives and God himself. It is time to grapple along with Peter with the proposition: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

For me the most difficult part was giving up the approval of my peers. I had for years invested so much energy in establishing my position as a staunch defender of the truth as entrusted to me by Lutheran orthodoxy. I had spoken harshly against anyone who was not squarely in our camp. But now I had come to disagree with the Doctrine of Church Fellowship as taught by my denomination, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. I found myself being counted among the heterodox, the enthusiasts, the liberals. Whose approval would I court? Jesus’ words loomed in my mind: "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44) It eventually became necessary for me to resign from my church body, and therefore from my congregation. The channel through which God had given me almost everything was now cut off from me. It was a difficult time, but this truth has gradually become evident: my church was not God. The real God has graciously provided means to supply me with everything I had stood to lose. There is life after synodical affiliation. Our church is not God.

While we are in the process of finding out that our church is not God, there is a likelihood that we will lash out in anger at our church out of fear or disappointment. There is always the danger of striking back out of pride or hurt feelings. It is necessary to remember: "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing" (1 Peter 3:9). When we find out that what we mistook for God was not God after all, there is a strong possibility we will feel misplaced anger and resentment toward it--misplaced, because it was ultimately not our church’s fault that we mistook it for God. The fault was in our own hearts.

It is painful to be separated from your spiritual mother. It happens for a variety of reasons. Avoid it if at all possible. Make sure that if it happens, it is for good reason. But if it does happen, be assured that there is life after synodical affiliation. I have found Hebrews 13:11-14 to be very helpful through the process: "Jesus suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."

Rev. Bob Rhyne
610 Holdridge Ave.
Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096
robertrhyne@hotmail.com