Churches Together, Poles Apart

A pastor described to me a Churches Together meeting he attended a while back. He was explaining to the group how his church was reaching out and wished to present the gospel that more people might be converted to Christ.

Before he had finished, the local archdeacon asked if he might ask a question of everyone else in the room: “Who else here is uncomfortable talking about ‘converting’ people?” Over half the hands went up.

The pastor did not attend another meeting.

I like ‘Churches Together’ in principle. Fellowships working with each other, cooperating in evangelism, and sharing in social action can only be a positive thing. Dogmatic denominationalism is foolish; our differences are usually superficial or insignificant. I cannot, however, actively work with organisations that cannot subscribe to the basic tenets of the faith. Your views of the second coming, gifts of the Spirit, eternal security, baptism, Bible versions, even creation, might be at odds with mine. But if you love the Lord and know the Lord you love, agreeing on the fundamental truths of scripture, then we are not only brothers, but fellow labourers in the vineyard. True churches together.