The Dechurched, the Wilderness Experience, and the Next Move of God

The Movement Out of Institutional Churches

The ranks of the dechurched are growing every day. More and more people are questioning the influence and effectiveness of institutional churches in general. There is a growing movement that is creating a huge contingent of people who no longer attend regular services for whatever reason, many of whom are simply staying home. These dechurched people are frustrated with the status quo and at the same time have a fervent desire to have a much clearer focus on what the Church is supposed to be.

Many of these people are just simply tired of the ineffectiveness and lack of real ministry in many of these established churches, but a disturbingly large number of people are leaving because they've been hurt in churches with controlling leadership. Abusive churches are a major problem, churches that are run with very heavy-handed leadership leaving members used and abused. Once these people get free from the controlling environment, they are very likely to pull out of church altogether at least for awhile to heal and rediscover their relationship with God. 

 

Whatever the reason, the ranks of the dechurched are growing every day, people that have one thing in common- a deep desire to find Jesus and the real Church.

The Current State of Things

The Old Wineskin

The modern, traditional, institutional church as it is established now is one that breeds laziness, passivity and an atmosphere that encourages religion. Tradition dictates that one man or woman (or couple) is in charge, carrying the load of all things spiritual along with their staff and a handful of others, while the members for the most part remain passive and uninvolved. 

 

There is an assumption that the clergy has the education, the "spirituality" and the calling, and thus should carry the lion's share of the responsibility. There has been a clear division for centuries between the clergy and the laity, a division that promotes the sense that members aren't qualified to minister.

The entire set-up of a typical church regardless of its denominational affiliation (or lack thereof) lends itself very readily to the audience/performance type of arrangement with the majority of the members doing little more than just sitting and listening to whatever is doled out from the platform. 

 

There is little if any encouragement for members to function in their gifts, little encouragement for actual spiritual growth, little opportunity for one-on-one ministry. Typically, people file in, find a seat, chit-chat a bit, listen, then head for the car. And we feel like we've done our spiritual duty for the week with this arrangement.

Institutional church is rife with the traditions of men and thus religion- programmed institutions that are run with man's programs, man's plans, man's works. As spiritual as we think we have been, "church" is nothing like what it should be, and most people know it. What we call church is far removed from the ideal, on-fire Church of the New Testament. We've become lukewarm, complacent and numbed by the religion that permeates our services.

Church Buildings- Money Pits?

These churches have buildings that require a great deal of money to build and maintain, thus a constant need for funds. This sets the stage for the generally accepted doctrine that says that the tithe must be paid, specifically to the local church, or the curse is just around the corner. They also promote the notion that the blessing comes as a result of giving. 

 

Many churches find themselves under pressure to produce finances for building programs and resort to arm-twisting to extract at least the tithe from as many as will conform to that particular tradition. And the pressure is greater every year with those churches that are actually growing and need bigger buildings and more paid staff. Paid staff- now there's another tradition that isn't anything like what the New Testament Church was.

Consider the millions taken in every Sunday morning in traditional churches across this country. What percentage of this ultimately goes to feed the hungry, support missionaries or accomplish other actual ministry? Consider the budget for just the building (maintenance, utilities, insurance, etc.), and how many hungry children could be fed with what comes in? Bigger is not necessarily better, in my book.

The abuse of the prosperity message has corrupted many a ministry over the years. When this kind of doctrine is promoted and the money starts rolling in, the temptation to covetousness is huge, and just doing a little research on big-name television mega-ministries will prove that the draw into love of money is often too much to resist. 

 

With the prosperity message being emphasized in many of these churches, the members are left believing that their giving into these ministries is their ticket to the blessing of God. This leaves grace completely out of the picture and introduces religion; giving becomes works that earn your blessing. And of course the church itself will prosper nicely with this arrangement, but do you? That's works and more religion.

Understand that I tend to be rather biased in this regard. I spent 12 years in an abusive, charismatic "word of faith" church that distorted the Word to pad its own pockets. But since coming out, I am discovering how duped many of us have been for decades, believing these doctrines that are part and parcel in most churches anywhere you go.

The Dechurched Because of Abusive Churches

Spiritually abusive churches, or what I call red flag churches, aren't readily obvious. Generally they exist in the charismatic branch of Christianity, flourishing among those congregations that have no denominational oversight. 

 

They seem to have all their ducks in a row, with what seems to be preaching according to the Word of God, great worship services and the gifts of the Spirit in evidence. But they emphasize extreme submission to authority and exert an inordinate amount of control over their congregations with absolutely no accountability.

It took me 12 years to finally come to the conclusion that the church I was in was anything but healthy, so I know first hand how difficult it is to recognize an abusive church. Leaving is difficult for many reasons, and the emotions experienced are very intense. Some liken it to spiritual rape. For me the feelings of betrayal were the most intense. I have had to deal with coming to the realization that most of the teachings I had received for three decades had been doctrines formed by scripture twisting and proof-texting.

Churches like this are everywhere, and the number of people suffering from spiritual abuse seems to be growing every day. These people require special ministry and more than likely much more time to recover, making their wilderness experience a longer and harder season. Many of these may never return to institutional church, completely leaving anything that even vaguely resembles what we traditionally view as church, and some may abandon their faith altogether.

Those that are leaving these kinds of churches are a significant part of the dechurched. Their experiences are unique and those that manage to overcome the fallout from the abuse will come out on the other side with a much deeper commitment to God and to a ministry centered on grace and the Truth.

But it's even worse than this. I am just now finding out about the depths of abuse including sexual abuse going on in mainline denominational churches now. This perversion knows no bounds, apparently. The Light is shining into the darkness in ALL church brands, and the numbers of wounded are growing every day. If this is you, GET OUT. 

 

I had written this post originally to be centered on spiritual abuse, but the sexual, mental and verbal abuse factor is gaining a lot of publicity now. As these other victims leave their churches, the ranks of the dechurched grow stronger, and for very good reason. Will the real Body of Christ please stand up?

The Wilderness Experience

As people leave their churches, the next step seems to be a wilderness experience, a time when a relationship with God is strengthened and God deals with issues that need to be taken care of. It's a time of preparation much like Moses, David, Paul and many others in the Bible went through before their time of ministry. Many who have left their churches felt like they had been called out by God, even though the people they left behind have accused them of being rebellious and unsubmitted.

When believers make the decision to leave what they've known for years, a season of prayer and seeking the face of God is necessary to determine what to do next. The wilderness experience also works to purge out old faulty doctrines, wrong attitudes and other issues that would hinder ministry, as well as pulling all crutches out. 

 

Tradition tends to create crutches- you think you're spiritual IF... if you read 3 chapters of the Bible a day, if you pray for an hour a day, if you pay your tithes, if you go to the building every time the doors are open, etc., etc. The wilderness experience forces believers into the arms of God, building trust and faith in our Heavenly Father apart from all the the traditions of men.

The process of leaving is hard at best, particularly if those left behind aren't very sympathetic. Coming to terms with the reality of the situation can be very difficult and can take quite a bit of time to reconcile and is particularly hard for the dechurched that have left abusive churches. This presents a whole different set of problems that are dealt with in my post Making the Decision to Leave an Abusive Church.

Time in a regular, institutional church can also create a laziness in believers, a tendency to expect the leaders to carry the load of all things spiritual. God will work to remove those crutches in order to pull you into a relationship with and dependence on Him. Many of us have relied on others for much of our spiritual responsibilities, and in the wilderness all that must change.

The process is certainly no fun, but necessary to bring us into a place of true, unhindered ministry, a stronger relationship with God and clear direction. It is not an easy time by any means, leaving the familiar, losing all our former crutches and having to face our wrong attitudes and beliefs, but as we come to a place of complete surrender to God, learning to be led by His Spirit, that is when we can truly be used by God to bring real change to those around us. 

 

And this is, indeed, the point- coming into a deeper relationship with God and learning to hear His voice so we can be led by His Spirit and by peace, not by all the other voices around us.

The Next Move of God

The New Wineskin

Institutional churches generally are doing all they know to do and there are some good programs out there, and many look to the small, house church movement as an answer. But there again, this is just another man-made system that is prone to corruption- pride, love of money, whatever. The problem is that it's still a "format", a system devised by man. And as such, being left in the control of man's hands, it will eventually become a system that will tend to leave God out.

I have come to believe that the true Church is merely His people living their lives led by His Spirit, demonstrating the love of God to those He brings across their paths. No system of planned meetings can accommodate what God intends with His Church.

People who have gone through the upset and the wilderness experience that comes with leaving what was their church for years will come out with a relationship with God that many others will never know. In an institutional church setting, it is far too easy to get lazy and expect the leadership to do all the heavy lifting.

 

 

 Liquid Church

 

We are all to hear from God, be led by His Spirit, and have that relationship with Him that He intends. I believe the next move of God is merely His people learning to walk with Him every day, demonstrating His love to a broken world, a "liquid" church that moves when He moves, goes where He tells them to, and truly abides in Him.

Many people are leaving churches out of frustration, feeling like they no longer fit in. These people are tired of the sameness of the services and the lack of real ministry. Some say they are leaving because of a prompting from the Holy Spirit. To these people, "church" brings up images of a system that is more of a drain than anything else- a drain on their time, money and talents. 

 

But not all who feel this way have left their churches; some will stay because God has not called them out. There are bound to be good local churches out there that are doing and will do effective ministry to their communities, so this is not a blanket indictment of local church in general, merely a general statement on how most churches tend to be. Working with local churches would be the ideal situation, bringing unity into the community and a real expression of love to those in need.

God is doing away with the old wineskin and replacing it with a new one that will break when the new wine is poured in. In existing churches? Perhaps. That depends on how they react to this new move of God and if they choose to change with Him, and that is where people must learn to be led by the Spirit. 

 

Rule of thumb- follow peace. If peace dictates that you stay in your church, then that is what you must do. But if church is leaving you frustrated and discouraged, then peace may dictate that you leave and seek His face for a season to determine what you must do next. Pulling out takes courage, but many have done it and support is out there.

 

 Check out another blog post: Liquid Church- The Shape of Church to Come

 

Out of Church Christians by Andrew Strom. This is a free book written by a man who had printed an article on the movement of Christians out of traditional churches and was flooded with emails from people all over the world who told their stories.

Recommended Reading

 

The Out-of-Church Christians by Andrew Strom  

 A look at the trend toward leaving church

An Irreligious Faith: How to Starve Religion and Feed Life by Glenn Hager
This is Hager's personal account of his church experience and what led to his leaving institutional church. He has a lot of great ideas for the church of the future.

Leatherbound Terrorism by Chris Kratzer
This is another personal account of someone else who has left the institutional church. His experiences bring home the dichotomy between what Jesus intended and what man has done to the Church.

Finding Church: What if There Really Is Something More? by Wayne Jacobsen
This book has absolutely hit the nail on the head. Wayne clearly shows how the true Church is expressed by individuals leading their lives by the promptings of the Holy Spirit and demonstrating the love of God to those around them. It has little to do with "church" as we've know it.

Red Flag Churches: Distinguishing Protection from Control

This book recounts my experiences in a spiritually abusive church and what I've learned since leaving.  Free download in several formats. 

Liquid Church: The Shape of Church to Come

We Were Told to GO

 

We weren't told to "Put up a building and see how many we can get to COME."

The concept of church that most of us have known all our lives has been shaped by our experiences in traditional church of one denomination or another. We all tend to accept the premise that the work of the Church is done through the local church, and that generally by the few that we perceive as "qualified".

For the most part, the vast majority of Christians only passively minister to the needy because those ministries are run by the local church, and that means only a few are actually involved. When we give our money to the church, we are told that we are taking an active part in whatever ministry the church does in the community, but is this how the New Testament says it should be?

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. KJV 1 Cor. 14:26

There are lots of “one another” verses in the New Testament that we really don’t see walked out in churches as we know them now. The Word tells us to exhort one another, teach and admonish one another, serve one another and of course, love one another. Our mission is to express the love of God to one another in our daily lives, not necessarily just through church programs, but directly ministering to those in need when we come together, as well as to those in need in our communities.

There are plenty of verses commanding that we walk out our faith with acts of love and service as expressed in Matthew 25:

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. KJV

Christian giving is supposed to be according to ability, with a willing heart (2 Cor. 8:12; 9:7), not under compulsion.  Our giving is to be directed toward those God brings into our lives, toward those that God draws our attention to. When we give according to God’s direction to those in need rather than going through an institution that acts as a middle man, we can experience the blessings of giving and we can see that what we give goes directly to where the need is rather than being funneled into an institution that will divert funds to support itself.

There are so very many verses that express this in the Word, like in James 2:14 where it says that faith without works is dead. When you see someone in need yet dismiss them without doing anything for them, where is the faith in that? But more to the point, if their needs are dismissed because we have already given a tithe to an institution and just don’t have any more to give, then where does that leave the needy?

I have come to believe that our giving is not to be coerced by threats of the curse and given in the form of a tithe that will go to support a building, programs and paid staff. This just isn’t what I see in the New Testament at all. What I see is a heart of love that chooses to give of itself to those around them in need, and that giving is to be done with a willing heart and according to ability, not motivated out of pressure from the pulpit. And it certainly isn't limited to money; there are people all around us with physical needs that we can help meet.

13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; 14 That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. 15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the Lord.  Jer. 22:13-16 KJV

The use of the word "house" in this passage generally brings to mind a private dwelling.  But if you look at it like it is referring to a "house of God", a church building, it takes on a different meaning. We have "closed ourselves" in our "houses", away from the rest of the world, and sermons so often are merely "preaching to the choir".  I hate to think about how many buildings have been erected by demanding the tithe, and devouring widows' houses in the process, all for the sake of an impressive "house of God".

Here we see what God wants, and what it takes to truly know Him- to judge the cause of the poor and the needy. It brings to mind the verse where Jesus is saying to those who did all the religious things thinking they were doing God's work- "Depart from Me, I never knew you" (Mat. 7:23). So much of what we do in church is merely ritual, and we have missed the greater call God has on our lives- do something for those in need around us.

Empty Traditions of Men

13 Bring no more offerings of vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility); [your hollow offering of] incense is an abomination to Me; the New Moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure--[it is] iniquity and profanation, even the solemn meeting. . .  17 Learn to do right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. Isaiah 1:13-20 AMP

Traditional churches have done worlds of good throughout the centuries, yet the institutional system it has been has restricted her ability to minister as she needs to in the last days. Because of the one-man-rule setup we are all accustomed to, we tend to devalue ourselves and place too much responsibility on that one man (or woman) and the handful of people in leadership that work with them. Church has become an event, a programmed "service" in which traditions of men predominate. Indeed, the entire system is a man-made tradition that has taken on proportions that have left the Kingdom of God in the dust. The Kingdom of God is within each of us, and the Kingdom of God is now, not in the future. As the Kingdom begins to take shape through our obedience to His voice, then the world will see Jesus.

The heart of God is for the poor, the widow, the orphan, those in need. Christianity should be a lifestyle, not a weekly event. If you are born again, you are qualified. You don't need years of training to minister the love of God to those around you. Often it is the youngest Christians, those who have been born again only a short time, that are the most effective witnesses because they haven't yet been indoctrinated into the mindsets that we all acquire after years of institutional church involvement. We tend to devalue our own abilities and giftings simply because of the way churches are structured, believing that only the chosen few are qualified to do any active ministry. Church services can become vain, shallow expressions of our faith with little that conforms to what God says He desires:

6[Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke? 7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house--when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood? Isaiah 58: 6-7 AMP

Liquid Church

With Jesus at the Helm

When Jesus is truly the Head of the Church and His body is obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit, that is when the world will see Jesus in us, for we will be expressing His love to those around us. As long as we are restricted by the traditional church model that tends to leave all ministry to the chosen few, the people of God are shortchanged. Often believers are left thinking they aren't qualified to do anything more than just show up on Sundays and support the local church programs with their money. So their gifts and talents quite often go untapped, and they are left frustrated and without vision or motivation to minister the way God intended.

With Jesus as the Head of the Church and the Holy Spirit leading the people of God, every believer has the opportunity to function in the body as they are called, every believer then can give freely to those they are led to give to, and give according to ability; and every believer will then experience what it is like to be able to express their uniqueness as a vital part of the Body of Christ.

THIS is what Christianity, and for that matter, the Kingdom of God, boil down to- walking in love by ministering the love of God to those in need. When we all begin to listen to the guiding of the Spirit and minister to the needs of those around us, we turn into what some have termed "liquid church" that seeps into every part of society. While institutional church is like an ice cube with a specific form in a specific space, liquid church flows like living water into the cracks and crevices of life, bringing love and hope to parts of society others have forgotten.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Matt 23:23 KJV

You CAN hear from God; you CAN learn to listen to His voice to know where to go, what to do and how to give. Traditional church tends to make believers lazy, depending on the few to do everything, including hearing God's voice. But God never intended for any of us to sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do it all. They can't. He needs every one of us listening to the guiding voice of His Spirit and He speaks to all of us every day.

The Holy Spirit flows like a river, and we need to become a part of that river of living water that flows at His direction, ministering to the needs of those around us. God's heart from the beginning of the Bible to the end is clearly to be directed toward the poor, the homeless, the widow, the orphan, the weightier things of the law. A reformation is needed in the Body of Christ, a reformation that will bring us into God's perfect will with mercy, righteous judgment, faith and love as our primary motivation. Then the world will see Jesus.

Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Sam 15:22 AMP

The One Person System Strikes Again

 by Jon Zens

Only by turning a blind eye to the New Testament can we end up with a deeply entrenched system that flagrantly denies Paul’s crystal-clear remark — 'the body is not one part, but many.' The way most churches are run gives the distinct impression that everything depends on one part — 'the pastor' — not many. . . There is already Someone to lead congregations, and His name is Jesus Christ. But the system’s focus on a human leader functionally negates the leadership of Christ. Do we care that Jesus clearly said, 'don’t be called "leaders" because you have one Leader, Me.

Twelve Steps to Freedom from the Religious System

by Jose Bosque

You have a chance to be a pillar in the coming revolution of the Church as she breaks free from the bondage of the current religious system of men. Simply speaking, what is coming will bring Christianity to its knees and only that which is His will remain. Already the exodus has begun and we have only been feeling the early tremors. No man can lead it since the Head of the Church is just taking back what belongs to Him. The greatest days of the Church are ahead of us, but for many it will not look like anything they have seen before.

Red Flag Churches: Distinguishing Protection from Control

 

 

This is a free ebook recounting my experiences in a spiritually abusive church and what I learned after leaving.

Recommended Reading

Finding Church: What if There Really Is Something More? by Wayne Jacobsen

This book has absolutely hit the nail on the head. Wayne clearly shows how the true Church is expressed by individuals leading their lives by the promptings of the Holy Spirit and demonstrating the love of God to those around them. It has little to do with "church" as we've know it.

 An Irreligious Faith: How to Starve Religion and Feed Life by Glenn Hager
This is Hager's personal account of his church experience and what led to his leaving institutional church. He has a lot of great ideas for the church of the future.

Leatherbound Terrorism by Chris Kratzer
This is another personal account of someone else who has left the institutional church. His experiences bring home the dichotomy between what Jesus intended and what man has done to the Church.

Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola

This book is the first one I read after coming out of an abusive church situation that began to open my eyes to the possibility that what we call "church" isn't exactly biblical. 

The Rise of the Nones by James Emery White

Here's a great book on how the rest of the population views the church, why traditional church is losing ground, and suggestions on what to do about it. White has a lot of books out which I intend to check out.

Should the Church Teach Tithing? by Russell Earl Kelly, Ph.D.

Here's a serious sacred cow that is very efficiently slaughtered in this book. He clearly demonstrates how this doctrine has been lifted from the Old Testament and does not apply to the New.