Why Are So Many People Leaving the Evangelical Church Right Now?
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On this special bonus episode, I’m sharing part two of my conversation with Addison Bevere. If you missed part one, listen here for our chat about first dates, vulnerability, and 3 practical ways to know if he’s ‘the one.’ This episode, we’re diving into a conversation about his book he just released called Saints: Becoming More Than "Christians." We explore the current climate of the Western Evangelical church. We’re in a mass exodus right now and to be completely real with you, there are times I’m embarrassed to be associated with Christian culture.
What it Means to Be Saints
The word “Christian” is only used three times in Scripture. The word “Saints” is used over 60 times.
“Saints aren’t people who remove themselves from the struggles of our world, Saints are people who plunge into the messiness of this world. We are all called to be Saints.”
We discuss how so much of the Western Evangelical church has ignored the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We’re a family and a family isn’t whole and completely represented until every single person is at that table.”
The early church (the Saints) took Jesus’ words seriously and shared a Gospel that disrupted the status quo and turned the world upside down. It was a message worth trading their lives for. Can we say the same about today’s “Gospel”?
What Does it Means to Be a Christian
We’re living a post-Christian world, aka they’re moving on to secularism or DIY spirituality. What does this mean for Christians?
“People have reduced the Gospel to a transactional idea.”
A sin is a violation of relationships, and Jesus came to restore relationships.
“That’s where the kingdom advances… at the intersection of relationship.”
The church is full of extremes. Some people think being saved is both the starting line and the finish line. However, other people make the finish line so far away that nobody can reach it.
Getting Back to the Heart of God
Is it possible to recover from feelings of embarrassment with the Christian culture?
Addison shares that he no longer calls himself a Christian. Instead, he says he is a follower of Christ because he doesn’t like the baggage of identifying as a Christian.
“We have to be willing to use new language.”
“Saints” is never mentioned in the singular. That’s because it’s about the “we.”
Resources
Keep up with Addison’s work at SonsAndDaughters.tv as well as MessengerInternational.org and AddisonBevere.com.
Follow Addison on Instagram at @addisonbevere.
You can buy Addison’s book, Saints: Becoming More Than “Christians,” here.
Listen to part one of this conversation with Addison here.
Listen to TRC episode 98 “Why Black Lives Matter” here.
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