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Rick Warren: We Need to Be on the Same Team
Speaking at the National Cathedral in Washington, D. C. recently, Rick Warren suggested that mainline churches need to reconcile with evangelicals to counter their mounting problem of membership decline. "The reconciliation is that in a pluralistic world…we [Christians] need to be on the same team because we share the same Savior". He was speaking with the dean of the Washington National Cathedral, Samuel T Lloyd III, who observed that evangelical churches are thriving and full of vitality, whilst most mainline denominations are confronting worrisome membership decline.
During the cathedral’s weekly Sunday Forum: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith, Lloyd asked Warren how mainlines should tackle the problem.
“100 years ago the phrase ‘social gospel’ first came out,” Warren responded. “Some people took that to mean only if we reform the social government and society and not personal faith in Christ Jesus – that is, if we make the world a better place – we don’t need personal redemption.”
That idea led to mainline churches going “one way” and evangelical churches another way, he said.
In general, mainline churches focused on social morality such as fighting poverty, racism and economic justice. Meanwhile, evangelical churches concentrated on personal morality such as personal salvation, fighting pornography, and upholding family values.
“Who’s right? The fact is both are right,” Warren emphasized. “Somehow we got divided like Jesus didn’t care about society or members of society didn’t need Jesus. I think we need both.”
Warren called for “reconciliation” between mainline and evangelical churches and reminded the audience that Jesus taught his followers to love their God with all their heart, mind and soul, as well as to love their neighbors as themselves.
“You can’t just love your neighbor; you [have] got to love God,” Warren said. “And you can’t just love God; you have to love your neighbours. And mainline protestant and evangelical – we need both wings.”
Besides membership decline, many mainline churches also report decline in financial contribution.
Warren said his church does “zero” fundraising, but instead teaches biblical stewardship and generosity. Saddleback raised $7 million for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and $1.6 million for the tsunami with one simple announcement made from the pulpit.
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This post has been viewed 657 times and was added on January 29, 2008 by Todd Rhoades. Filed under: Leadership Issues Leadership Development Share this post with a friend right now! View reactions to this post at other blogs... You can really help us out by subscribing to our free RSS feed with your favorite feed reader, or here at Bloglines. Also, you can add us to your favorites at Technorati.
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I'm Todd Rhoades... the MMI guy. I'm also on the team at Leadership Network (although that doesn't mean that they endorse everything I write here). In my past life, I was the founder and developer of a website named ChurchStaffing.com.
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Posted by Peter Hamm
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 9:58 AM
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Posted by Joe Louthan
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 12:08 PM
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Posted by Joe Louthan
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 12:10 PM
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Posted by
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 12:10 PM
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Saturday, February 02, 2008 at 3:03 PM
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Tuesday, February 05, 2008 at 11:15 AM
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Posted by Hiro Naki
Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 4:16 PM
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Posted by Joe Louthan
Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 11:03 PM
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Posted by Rick White
Monday, February 11, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Post Your Comments:I applaud Warren’s statement, we do need to work together, cooperate, and recognize the need to communicate and partner for the Gospel in ALL its power, both social and personal.
However, that particular Cathedral is a center of some sort of revisionist 21st century pluralistic pseudo-christianity in a lot of ways. I attended an event there about a year ago and was pretty shocked at the list of very non- or anti-christian events that they were planning on hosting in their building, one of which was an open celebration of Buddhism… in the sanctuary of the Cathedral. Also, some of the statements of the Dean of that Cathedral have been REALLY disturbing over the years.
Perhaps if the “mainline” denominations tried harder to follow Jesus and spent less effort “re-writing” scripture and revising what is right and wrong they wouldn’t have the decline they have.
In the EXACT words of The Episcopal Church’s Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire from a years back...(commenting on the fact that he is an open practicing homosexual) “Just simply to say that it goes against tradition and the teaching of the church and Scripture does not necessarily make it wrong. We worship a living God, and that living God leads us into truth.”
Well, Gene, what exactly DOES make something wrong, then?
I believe in the tension of welcoming everyone regardless of where they are at, but at the same time not compromising the truths of God’s Word. And just saying everything is okay (I’m OK, You’re OK, do whatever you feel like) ain’t it…
God loves you so much that He takes you as you are and He loves you SO MUCH that He won’t leave you that way!
Wait a second. I am suppose to love God and my neighbors? How is that different than before? How were those separated before? I swore those were one and the same.
Am I taking the Scriptures too seriously? Oh man.
“God loves you so much that He takes you as you are and He loves you SO MUCH that He won’t leave you that way!”
That is a quotable.
i say preach jesus and let the chips fall, this thing of trying to find another way just do not cut it in my life, and god did say to look out for number one, this thing of compromising with every thing that someone wants to put on the table is a lot of bunkers. if a church goes out and do all they can to get sinners to come to church, then the least/most they can do is tell them the truth. there should never be a debate on what to do, jesus is all there is.i may be out of date as some tells me, but jesus is the same yesterday, today and for ever. as far as social morality, there will always be sinners that will sin, thats what they do, they sin, thats where the church comes in, to get them to jesus. hey my one cents worth
I agree with Rick Warren on this. We had the “social gospel” argument flung at us because we wanted to reach out to our neighbors. “Isn’t that social gospel?” Ugh
Yeah this thought is alive and well in evangelical circles. And I think it’s a sad thing.
But I do have concerns about mainline churches that have abandoned sound theology and exchanged it for social doctrine and activity. And I don’t agree with some leaders in Christian circles who are embracing Catholocism for instance. I think there was a very good reason for the reformation and there still is.
But I think evangelical churches with sound doctrine would do well to reach out to mainline churches and have an influence for Christ. And I think that’s what RW is doing here. And I respect him for it.
We have to face facts about mainline churches. If they stop preaching the gospel, linking up with them won’t help either one of us. I love Rick, but it feels like he’s just looking for some more resources for AIDS ministry. Mainline churches are pretty quick to respond to the social gospel.
And ministry to the poor and the sick is part of what bible believing churches should do. We have sent teams from our church to do real ministry (not religious sight seeing) all over the world including, but not limited to, at least, two teams to Africa each year. We even sent a medical team to the Gobi desert in Mongolia. But the fact is, most mainline don’t believe the Word is infallible. That’s when the glory left and God renamed his child Ichabod. I will applaud help wherevever it comes from. But that doesn’t mean an alliance with people who believe the gospel doesn’t preclude people from commitiing the very sins that are killing their people is a good idea. Amos had it right...Amos 3:3 (NKJV)
Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? We have a different agenda. Our is love, support, minister - oh and by the way here is the truth.
“God loves you so much that He takes you as you are and He loves you SO MUCH that He won’t leave you that way!”
Thats a nice quote Joe Louthan
Hiro: I know… I quoted on my website.
Is that an old pic of Warren or did he have a hair transplant? I know...it has nothing to do with the article, but I can’t help doing double-takes everytime I see that pic.
I agree with what others have said...ignoring social responsibility has always been foolish...however, I’m not sure of the need to link arms with denominations that have gone off the theological reservation.
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