An open letter to American church leadership (Part One)

By Madeline Crabb

Dear Church Leaders,

This message is a wake up call and a warning for you. The current state of our nation is the fault of the Church, which ultimately is the fault of church leadership. Society's "moral mess" has happened because of the complacency and silence of the Church. As pastors and parishioners alike pat themselves on their backs because of all their great church programs, and big, fancy church facilities, society is a cesspool of sin, and sinks deeper and deeper into depravity. Just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned, Christians just keep playing church as society disintegrates.

The future of our nation is the responsibility of Christians — the Church. Christians must get serious about following the "marching orders" given to them by their Commander in Chief — Jesus. While most churches understand their orders to evangelize, they have been MIA, missing in action, when it comes to taking dominion over all things. They even disregard their orders to be salt and light, choosing instead to compromise with the world.

Now is the time for the Church to get right with God and to begin obeying him. Again, the Church is the only hope for the future of our nation. And besides, if it doesn't act, there will be individual and corporate consequences. Christians have abdicated their responsibility for far too long and God is not going to allow them to plead ignorance.

While there are some exceptions, the majority of so-called Christianity today is a cheap imitation of the real thing. And most churches have little in common with the "New Testament Church." Why? Because real Christianity has power in it. While there is a lot of "activity" in the Church, the "proof" of Holy Spirit operation — signs, wonders, and miracles — is absent much of the time.

Additionally, many church leaders get caught up in the happenings within their own congregations or denominations, and pay little attention to the rest of the Church. This self-centeredness, and Lone Ranger attitude, is not healthy since Scripture teaches that Christians are to work together as a body (with many parts), and in unity. Moreover, many leaders and denominations as well have been plagued by a spirit of competition that causes churches and denominations to be "pitted" against one another. They compete for the biggest and the best facilities, programs, and congregations. "Megachurch-itis" has reached epidemic proportions. At the root of all this nonsense is the spirit of pride, which God opposes.

God originally blessed our nation because our forefathers were devoted to him. But today, like the Israelites, we have chosen to do what seems right in our own eyes instead of following God's decrees. Scripture tells Christians that while they will be in the world, they are not to be of the world. Unfortunately, much of the Church now resembles the world more than Kingdom of God. It has turned its back on God, and even boldly mocks him, and has done so at its own peril.

While God is long-suffering and loving, he is also just. He says we will reap what we have sown. Christians have sown in silence, slumber, and complacency, and society has reaped almost every imaginable vile thing. It is imperative for you, the church leadership, to understand the true condition of the Church. Therefore symptoms will be examined in Part Two of this letter. Now is the time for Christians to repent, get right with, and begin to obey God. Hopefully it's not too late for the Church or the nation. To anyone willing to hear....

© Madeline Crabb