Yes. The Church Still Has Legs!

During my sabbatical at the end of last year, I had the opportunity to attend virtual conferences and workshops put on by our denomination, schools, and worship networks. Churches are all facing similar challenges because of COVID-19, so it was great to see that there are still so many resources available during this time of shutdowns and social distancing. Everyone has been asking a similar question - What will the Church look like after we get through this pandemic?

The title of the conference put on by Mennonite Church Canada seemed appropriate - Table Talk: Does the Church still have legs? It was relevant because it asked on what grounds our church can continue to exist. But it was also slightly amusing because I can’t imagine a church putting on a conference where they tell all attenders, “Actually, the Church has no more legs to stand on - we cannot survive!”

Regardless of their names, this was a question that all of the conferences and workshops were trying to answer. And spoiler alert, of course they all said, “Yes, there is still a place for the Church. Yes, the church is still relevant and needed. Yes, the Church will be here after the pandemic is over.” In their own ways, all the speakers and leaders affirmed the following points:

1. The Church, as the body of Christ, belongs to God. God has always partnered with people throughout history in order to bring flourishing to all of creation. Although we often get it wrong, the Church stands in the tradition of God’s covenantal work. But the Church doesn’t belong to us. It is Christ’s body (to use Paul’s image), and the Church, as the people of God, will remain relevant into eternity.

2. The body of Christ is made up of people. The Church is not about institutions, programs, or buildings. The building blocks of the Church are its people. Although we sometimes say that we are going to church or doing church, we need to realize that we are the Church. When speaking of the Church, what we really mean is the community of believers both past and present who seek to follow Jesus in real life.

3. The body of Christ is diverse. We are all different from one another. We have different gifts to bring. We are from different traditions and cultures. We think differently on some ethical issues. But diversity is a positive when unity in Christ is prioritized. Christ has broken down the barriers and walls of hostility within the Church so that our differences can be celebrated.

4. The body of Christ is interdependent. Because diversity is a key feature of God’s creation, we do well to realize that we can’t do it alone. The Church can never just be one person. That’s like having a body made of one finger, or a house made of one brick. We need each other to be the body, with all the diversity we bring to the table.

5. The body of Christ is one. So often we think about the Church as what is happening in our local expression of Christian community. But the Church spans time and space to include those around the world and those who came before us. God has always been working in the world, and God is working around the globe in ways we can’t imagine or control. We may have millions of local expressions of the Church, but there is only one body of Christ.

These affirmations are important because they emphasize that the Church isn’t going anywhere. Pandemic or no pandemic, the Holy Spirit will continue to work in the Church regardless of what happens in our institutions. So maybe a better title for the conference would have been - Table Talk: Do our church institutions, programs, and buildings still have legs?

That’s a much more difficult question to answer. We have been pushed online in our communities without the possibility of gathering. Services, clubs, programs, and outreach opportunities have been put on hold while our church buildings stand empty. Many people are struggling financially which means less income for churches and church organizations. Church attendance has been steadily declining over the years, and the isolation and separation from community makes some of us wonder how many people will show up when we are allowed to gather again. 

Amid all the fears and speculation, there are a few themes that stuck out to me from the conferences and workshops I attended. These priorities for the Church that aren’t new to us, but they are taking on special focus in our time. I hope we can live into them together.

1. People over programs. Our programs and institutions are meant to serve the mission of the Church, not vice versa. I believe that as we move forward, we will hold programs and structures more loosely, opening ourselves up to new possibilities and ways of being the people of God. Our priority should be on how people can be welcomed into God’s family, and when programs and institutions hinder us from that, they need to change.

2. Priesthood over professionals. As a vocational pastor, I appreciate that my church has called me and is willing to pay me for the work I do. But my role is not to run or control our church; my role is to equip our church to be who we are called to be. The Church is a priesthood of all believers and each of us has a role to play in God’s kingdom. I believe we are moving to smaller, more grassroots churches where power doesn’t lie in one person or group.

3. Community over comfort. Some people have suggested that online connection will become the norm. I don’t buy it. There’s something essential that we miss when we watch a church service from home. Being the Church is not about being comfortable. When we stay at home we miss singing beside people we don’t know and taking communion with people we don’t necessarily like. We need to live in an embodied community where it isn’t easy to simply turn off a screen and leave. Of course technology can be a great tool, but it can’t replace community.

4. Mission over me. All of us ask at some point what we get out of belonging to a church. We are used to hearing about church shopping. In the past I believe people have chosen churches because it has the best programs or they like what the pastor says. But I believe that as we move forward, we will find more people joining churches because of the difference the church is making in the world and how they are invited to participate in it.

Where do you think the Church is heading? How will we look different after having endured the COVID-19 pandemic? What, if anything, has this pandemic taught you about what it means to be part of the Church?