If we are to understand how God works, it is impoortant to be honest about the sinfulness of the church. While we can develop beautiful descriptions of what the church is in its essence, the general public perceives only what the church is in visible reality. This harsh reality not only affects the ability of the church to reach out to nonbelievers but has increasingly affected the church’s ability to reach those who claim the faith of the church. In the last twenty-five years, the membership in churches and synagogues has fallen from 73% to 65% of the population. At the same time, a poll in 1990 reported a record 74% of Americans said they had made a commitment to Jesus Christ and 95% of those who said they have made that commitment also claimed to be born again Christians. ( Gallup Poll conducted June 15-17, 1990 as reported by the Religious News Service in July of 1990) It is clear that there are an increasing number of people who claim Jesus a Savior outside the church.
We have moved from a time in which the church was seen as the only means of salvation to a time in which, in the eyes of many, the church is not seen as even important to the process of salvation. If you talk to many of these Believers but Not Belongers, a large part of their explanation will center around the failure of the church to exhibit its own faith in its life together. While one might suggest a great deal of indulgent rationalization in such explanations, it is equally clear that if people saw the promise of the church being realized in the life of the congregation, it would have a more powerful message.
Even aside from the more obvious sins of the church, an increasing number of people cannot see the connection between the experience of salvation and the time consumed in numerous meetings and mechanics of the institutional church. The church bores and wears them out and they do not see that the gains are worth the effort. In a market economy, that means you do not buy the product.
