One of the valuable elements of our Churches of Christ culture is the coexistence of diverse viewpoints. Our differences can both enrich us and mature our understanding. At times, though, Evangelical and Progressive churches or individuals can clash, not only on how to read the Bible, but also on how to achieve Mission.
This can occur when tensions surface over the degree to which evangelism or justice should be our greatest missional priority. Of course, any evangelism that seeks to win people for an eternal benefit without also connecting faith to social impact is shallow. So, too, is a form of justice that connects Christianity to society without trying too hard to win the many people to Christ that we rub shoulders with each day.
The experience of many churches confirms that congregations who advocate a life-transforming salvation encounter are far more likely to engage in social justice. Related projects will be better supported in larger churches with more like-minded people, whether locally or globally. Those who actually pursue justice, though, are more likely to impact more people needing faith, provided that the faith on show is passionate and contagious. While this is statistically more likely in larger churches, proportional impact remains possible.
One of the dangers is to point to other churches and what they are supposedly not doing, rather than focusing on optimising impact. The New Testament clearly advocates a personal dynamic faith as well as a commitment to impact the world around us. So few people disagree with the need for both that it is hard to suggest that too many churches hold to one extreme without desiring the other. The challenge for us all, though, is to consider which of the extremes we ourselves might need to pay some attention to. We can’t all become the world’s greatest evangelist, but we can certainly be more attentive to people’s need for Jesus. We also can’t meet every justice goal, no matter how good each one might be. We all can, however, reach beyond our comfort zone with intent, resources, and the sacrifice of our time.
