Why I Didn’t Leave the Church
by Matthew W. Bassford
The posts appear pretty regularly on my Facebook feed. Some poor soul, simmering with hurt and anger, explains why they left the churches of Christ. The explanations are generally long and filled with accusations of bad behavior by brethren. I get it. Like many preachers, I have suffered at the hands of other Christians too. Far be it from me to insist that disciples can't be jerks!
However, I have never considered leaving my religious tradition behind. I will allow others to explain why they left. I want to discuss why I didn't.
Mostly, I didn't leave because I agree with the core convictions of the churches of Christ about the Bible. These are twofold. First, we believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Second (and this one, though much less discussed, is equally important), we believe that ordinary people can read and understand the Bible for themselves.
I find this idea compelling and beautiful. The Bible isn't some mystical, incomprehensible tome. You don't need a doctorate in divinity to comprehend it. Instead, anyone of ordinary intelligence can sit down with a Bible, figure out what a text means, and figure out what they ought to do about it. This is especially true of groups of ordinary Christians studying the Bible together. Collectively, a village of believers possesses great wisdom!
Admittedly, Bible study is a skill, but all of the churches with which I have been associated have been good at teaching it. Furthermore, these congregations have been willing and able to put their skills to use in learning more about the text.
As a preacher and writer, my blessing and my curse is my unique perspective. I don't spend a lot of time keeping up with the full latest in brotherhood thinking. Rarely do I read books about the Bible. Instead, I read the Bible, meditate on and pray about what I have read, and speak and write accordingly. Frequently, I have found that my conclusions do not align with those of most brethren.
I have also found, though, that Christians are almost always willing to give me a hearing. This is not necessarily true online, but it is true in person. If I say something they haven't heard before, they'll press me on it. They'll want me to show them the Scriptures. They'll ask me to explain my reasoning so they can test it. However, unless they are emotionally committed to an alternate explanation already, once I have done those things, they are willing to be persuaded.
This is vital. Without such willingness, the work of the Holy Spirit in revitalizing disciples and churches is impossible. Under a religious veneer, people will do what is right in their own eyes.
With it, the work of God can continue. People can become better disciples. Churches can adhere more closely to the example of the first-century church. All of us can grow up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Thus, I'm still here. I'm not here because Christians and churches are perfect or ever will be. The devil certainly has not given up yet! Instead, I continue to labor among my brethren because I believe that they are uniquely open to the one thing that can help them become better.
