Homeless in the Churches of Christ

An important reflection by James McCarty in the Christian Century:

I have met dozens of young adults (20-35 years old) over the last several years who grew up in the churches of Christ but no longer attend one. I’ve met dozens of others who still attend a church of Christ, at least somewhat regularly, who feel that such a church is no longer the ideal place for them but know of nowhere else to go. I am primarily concerned in this essay with the latter though I will make some reference to the former. These still-attending-but-uncomfortable CoCers are uncomfortable in the churches of their youth for a variety of reasons, the most common of which are:

1. A rejection of the teaching that the only Christians can be found in “the one true Church,” namely the churches of Christ. These young adults, either through their own theological reflection or interaction with Christians not in the CoC, have come to discern that God’s work and people is much bigger than the few million people who attend CoCs around the world. Thus, hearing sermons and attending Bible studies where their friends, who often display the spirit of Christ in ways they haven’t experienced in their own church, are condemned to hell are moments that scream to them “you and those like you aren’t welcome here.”

2. A rejection of what they interpret as an overbearing legalism in the CoC. For example, they find the arguments about the use of instruments in worship, or more recently “praise teams,” to be narrow-minded and intended to exclude people from God’s church more than to be faithful to God’s will.

3. A dissatisfaction with the teaching and ministries in many CoCs. These young adults feel that church curriculum is either geared toward youth, married couples with children, or the elderly, and that they are, therefore, implicitly excluded from the work of the church. In addition, they find the focus of CoC ministries so overwhelmingly centered around Bible study that they feel the CoC is all “talk” and no “walk.” They often yearn to find a CoC with thriving service and justice ministries that engage their community in an intimate and helpful way.

4. A discomfort or rejection of the ways that many CoCs are explicitly or implicitly aligned with the conservative political movement in the United States. These young adults are either politically progressive or liberal or are simply uncomfortable with the political zealousness of the leaders in many congregations. They don’t recognize an easy alliance between the Christian faith and conservative politics (or any political parties/ideologies at all). If they don’t identify as conservative but believe the ethos of the church is one where faithfulness = conservativeness they intuit that they are unwelcome.

5. A desire for racial and cultural diversity that is sorely lacking in the CoCs they know. CoCs tend to be rather homogenous and segregated. Young adults today, especially those who grew up in/live in metro areas, experience diversity at school, work, and at play. They simply don’t understand how the church can still be so segregated and, quite frankly, feel uncomfortable about it and feel that it is a sign that something must be wrong.

Read the whole article here.