What Has Happened to the American Church?

Two men I went to seminary with, and who still love me, are in soul-crushing situations. They still love me, even though I have followed a different theological and philosophical path from theirs. However, we share similar political views and beliefs regarding honor, integrity, honesty, good governance, and statesmanship.

What are their soul-crushing situations?

MAGA in their churches.

Both men became pastors of their respective churches before Donald Trump descended the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy. But as time has passed, the MAGA madness has infiltrated their churches.

“Tony, you know how it is. I have them for 30 minutes once a week, but Fox News and right-wing radio have them all day, every day. I don’t stand a chance.”

A friend of mine mentioned that they listened to people talking on a local Christian radio station praising RFK Jr.’s “leadership” for his condemnation of trans and LGBTQ people. RFK said trans people are mentally ill, and the talking heads on Christian radio label trans people as immoral degenerates.

Christian radio has long been a contentious and challenging issue for local pastors. Programming on Christian radio often promotes beliefs and Bible interpretations that are contrary to the beliefs, catechisms, traditions, and creeds of their denominations and churches.

My two pastor friends are trying to navigate some difficult issues while keeping their churches from splitting. From a “pastor’s family” perspective, those two men are trying to keep their churches solvent, able to pay their bills and provide a salary for their staff to provide for their families.

It doesn’t help when other leaders in their denomination have publicly endorsed Trump and the MAGA movement. My friends feel pressure to go along to get along. But both of them would rather resign and get a job at Home Depot than bend the knee to politics. People have left their churches in favor of churches that are pro-MAGA/Trump. They have said the same thing most of us have, “If I had a hundred years to try and figure it out, I couldn’t. ‘How did the American church abandon everything it has taught and believed for hundreds of years to embrace this evil?’”

Twenty years ago, 42% of Americans reported attending church at least twice a month. Today, that number is 30%. The American church is in crisis.

About 15 years ago, I was a member of a local business networking group. The 60 of us met once a week to network and help one another in our businesses. Few people in my group knew that I was anything but a Marine veteran and that I ran an early morning fitness group. All they knew was that I was a Marine who enjoyed working out and encouraging others to exercise with me.

One of the group's members was a very enthusiastic member of his church and often invited me to attend. I always responded in the same way, “I appreciate the invitation, but I’m already a member of a church.” Technically, that was true, but in practice, I didn’t go. But Bob didn’t need to know that.

I became a project for Bob. He seemed to consider himself my religious and spiritual leader. He definitely thought of himself in a superior way. He was likable enough, but he had the strong odor of self-righteousness. You know the kind. For whatever reason, they think of themselves as above you.

Anyway, as much as I tried, I couldn’t always avoid getting cornered by Bob. I think he thought I was a lost cause in need of his guidance. I just kept trying to dodge him.

One morning, he was insistent on wanting to guide me toward the light. I was kind of weary of it all, to be honest. Not really intending to, I took the conversation in a different direction. “Bob, let me ask you a couple of questions. You believe the Bible is the holy, inerrant, and authoritative word of God, yes?”

“Yes,” Bob said.

“Every word of it?” I asked.

“Every word of it,” Bob declared.

“Do you believe that people who die without professing faith in Christ go to hell?”

“Yes,” Bob said.

“Bob, in the time that you and I have been talking, over a thousand people worldwide have died. About 700 of them were not Christian. That means that while we’ve been talking, 700 people have gone to hell. Is that right?”

Bob nodded sadly.

Bob was anti-abortion, anti-gay, and anti-inclusion. Today, Bob wouldn’t be accused of being “woke.”

“Bob, since the majority of those who died and went to hell were not Americans, I have to ask you a question. Why are you here? Why aren’t you serving in another country as a missionary? For example, less than 2% of Japanese people confess to being some sort of Christian. Yesterday, 4,300 Japanese people died, ninety-eight percent of them went to hell, according to your testimony, so over 4,000 Japanese people died yesterday and went to hell. And another 4,000 will die today in the same way. Does that sound about right?”

Bob strongly agreed.

“So, Bob, why are you still here? In America? In Memphis? In the south? The Bible has very clear commands and instructions for Christians to do missionary work. But no command or instruction for you to force others to be anti-abortion, no instruction for you to fight against gay people or trans people.

But the Bible has very clear instructions for disciples of Jesus to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, take care of widows, those in prison, orphans, and immigrants. So, what about that, Bob?”

“Well, I don’t feel called to that,” Bob said. (I am NOT making this up.)

“See, Bob, the American church is in decline because you guys are more interested in things that are NONE of your business, while simultaneously not being interested in things that ARE your business. If you don’t believe in gay marriage, then don’t get gay married. If you believe abortion is wrong, then don’t get an abortion. If you think trans people are an abomination, then don’t be trans. You guys are quick to meddle in the private lives of others while ignoring the assignments you were commanded to obey. I think Jesus said something about that, right? Condemnation for the speck in your brother’s eye, while you ignore the log in yours.”

I didn’t mean to come down on Bob so hard. But after months of hearing what’s wrong with everyone else, I was weary of being quiet.

As you might have guessed, Bob never tried to corner me again after that. In fact, he seemed to go out of his way to avoid me.

The American church is in decline, not because of societal sins, but because of the church's own disobedience. Any other explanation is smoke and mirrors and theological sleight of hand.

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