"For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:9 ESV
A recent Gallup poll showed that American adults' confidence in major institutions such as the presidency, police and television news has decreased from 2019. That's not surprising given the political turmoil ravaging our country, as well as the fervent hatred and division. Is it sad? Yes, just not surprising.
What may surprise you though is adults' confidence in the church. Again, we live in a time fueled by hate and division, two antitheses of the church (or at least what should be two antitheses of the church). Add the increased animosity many Americans have, especially our political leaders, of Christians, and it's easy to see why Americans' regard for the church has diminished. But did you know a higher percentage of Americans have more confidence in the police than in the church?
Yes, in a country filled with anti-police rhetoric, Americans place more confidence in the very people they want to defund than in the body of Christ.
According to Gallup's poll, 51% of Americans have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the police, compared to 37% for the church/organized religion and 39% for clergy. For further comparison, here are the confidence levels for a few other major institutions:
the presidency - 38%
the medical system - 44%
the military - 69%
small businesses - 70%
Now, don't get me wrong, I am glad the majority of those polled had confidence in groups such as the military and the police. But no matter how great these institutions are, they should never outrank the body of Christ. Period.
This is the battle we as God's people are fighting. Yes, we need to tell people about Jesus and help them develop a relationship with Him, but once that happens, where are we to send them? If so few Americans have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the church, how are we to show them that the Church is different than any other institution?
Friends, we are God's people. We are His building. The Church is the very entity for which Christ gave Himself up in order to make it holy (Eph. 5:25-26). The Church is God's temple and is meant to bring Him glory (1 Cor. 3:17, Eph. 3:20-21).
In 1973, 65% of Americans had a great deal/quite a lot of confidence in the church. If we've seen a 28% decrease in 47 years, where will we be in another 47 years? We must change Americans' opinion of the church, the younger generations in particular. The future of the church depends on it.
References:
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). Crossway Bibles.