Why I Am Repulsed By Segments in the Church

You may be thinking that for a blog entitled The Ramblings of a Youth Guy, of which 100% of his income comes from the church, that this is a very awkward title. However, my employment at a church in Greenville has recently taught me why it is that some churches repulse me. Leeland says competently in their song “Tears of the Saints” when they say “even churches have forsaken love and mercy.” Yet, what Leeland neglected to communicate was that the love and mercy that they have now been forsaken was once targeted towards the lost people going to hell. Two recent encounters have displayed this remarkably to me. A female staff leader at a local church in Greenville has displayed an inexcusable spiritual flaw. This occurred when this female staff person pulled rank in a leadership meeting over a youth leader who was doing everything she could to reach the surrounding community. This included planning events, running errands, and communication of information to people involved in the ministry. The female staff leader said that this youth leader was doing too much and taking control of a ministry that she was never intended to control. I happen to know the youth pastor, and he clearly stated that this was NOT the feelings of anyone in the youth ministry, yet only this one female staff person who was merely pulling rank to retain her position within the church. Not convinced of impure motives?? The same staff person was against the idea of allowing public middle school students to use the youth space at the church for lunch one day. When asked why, she responded, “I’ve worked with those kids – you have no idea what they’re capable of. I don’t think we should let them use it.” In essence what she was saying, is that our tradition, our church, and our stuff within the church is more valuable than the possibility of Kingdom growth by giving other staff the opportunity to build relationships with these kids. Could this church more proudly proclaim to the world: “right now, we’re focusing on us – you can go to hell”?