Fighting an Illiterate Church

Do we have an illiterate church?

I don't mean illiterate as in not being able to read and write.

No, I mean illiterate as in not knowing the basics of the Christian faith.

Dan Dick has recently written an excellent article on this very issue. He sees Christian illiteracy as showing up in four areas: prayer, stewardship, evangelism, and Bible. And in his view, there is little good in trying to plant new congregations or revitalize existing ones without attention to these core areas of our faith.

"In our fever to grow, get new people, build more buildings, pay our bills and keep up with the newest 7 Steps, 12 Keys, 40 Days programs," Dick writes, "we have drifted from the basics. We have cultivated a Christian culture of biblically illiterate, nominally connected, scarcity-minded non-evangelicals."

In Dick's experience, the problem isn't a lack of hunger on the part of the laity. On the contrary, he finds that they consistently wish they knew more about the Bible, prayer, and the calling of discipleship. They simply don't have anyone teaching them.

There's a significant part of Dick's commentary that is aimed at the clergy. And rightly so. The whole ministry of the church should not be loaded on the backs of the elders and deacons of the church, of course. But as the pastoral leaders, it is up to the clergy to actually lead.

Teaching the essentials of the faith should be a primary component of all pastoral leadership. We do way too much in the church that amounts to little more than playing at dolls. There are great riches of the Christian tradition which could be utilized as a means of grace if we would but teach them to our laity.

And you know what? The better trained and formed our laity become, the more they will be willing to step forward in leadership roles to help nurture discipleship in others.

If you haven't read Dan Dick's commentary, you really need to do so. Find it at this link. And feel free to offer your comments!

Note: Dan Dick blogs at United Methodeviations.