Many believe there is no harm in church buildings. In fact, most believe that there is more harm in not having a building because of how they provide convenience for gathering, a social identity for the people, and a position of prominence in the community. While it could easily be argued that these are not truly beneficial, but detrimental, there are two other main problems with church buildings and how they hinder the church’s mission.
First, buildings bind the church with financial burdens. The biggest two expenses in most church budges are pastoral salaries and mortgage payments. Imagine how much money could be freed up for local and global missions if one (or both) of these budget items disappeared? A gathering of believers must ask themselves if a mortgage payment every month—whether it is $500 or $5,000—could accomplish more if put toward helping the poor and sick in the community.
Second, buildings blind the church to the idea that mission can take place outside of the building. Many churches that own buildings seek to justify the cost of the building by holding every possible meeting and outreach within the building. If the church decides to feed the hungry, they cook the meal in the church kitchen, set tables in the church dining hall, and invite the poor and the hungry to come to the church for a free meal. While feeding the hungry is not bad, it is not best done inside the four walls of a church building. And this is just one example. Look at any church calendar, and you will see that most of the weekly and monthly activities that are done inside the four walls of the church building, could also be done out in the community, and probably with greater impact.
For these reasons, the church building must be condemned. The construction of a building must no longer be the default position in local churches, where those who do not want to build must defend their position to those who do. Rather, the default position among local churches should not be to spare no expense in their construction, but to avoid church buildings at all costs. A building might be necessary in some extreme cases, but construction should commence only after careful consideration of the missional and theological ramifications.
What are some reasons you can think of where owning a church building justifies the expense and theological confusion that comes with it?
I totally agree! The money should be used for the kinds of things Jesus talks about – helping the orphans, widows, poor and needy. However, we may be singing a duet here.
An insidious problem with buildings and church employees (and the need for money to pay for them) that I have seen in every church of which I have been a part is that those who give the most are the most valued. Those who give the least are not valued.
At the last institutional church of which we were a part, I kept track of every person who attended. One day I happened to mention to the head deacon (in that church the deacons were responsible for the money and the hiring and firing of staff) that in the previous twelve months the church had lost ten percent of the congregation. He said that it didn’t matter, “because the money is still good”, by which he meant that the giving had not declined.
At a meeting of the church leadership a few weeks later, I reported the same information. One staff member stood, pounded the table and loudly proclaimed “cut the dead wood”, as another staff member beat on the table and repeatedly shouted “Amen”. Weird but true story. I don’t have enough imagination to make up things like this.
That looks so much like religion and not at all like Jesus. I believe if Jesus were to physically return to earth tomorrow and walk among us, He would once again condemn the religious people. Like the Jews two thousand years ago, somehow the priorities of much of the church are misplaced.
Yes, you cannot make up some of the things you hear in board meetings. When some people leave churches, I have heard them described as “blessed departures” and one time, a “divine enima.” That last one still makes me cringe.