Why I'm Still All In on the Church!

As Messy as it is!

As I write this, I am two days away from retiring after serving for 41 years as an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

As you read this, I’ve been retired for one day (if you are reading this on March 31, 2025).

I entered full time pastoral ministry in 1984. My generation, Baby Boomers, had left the Church in droves by that point. Over 2/3rds of them. I had the unique joy (pun intended as you will read) and privilege of being part of a Lutheran Congregation in Glendale, AZ, Community Church of Joy (there’s the pun—I didn’t want you to miss it), committed to rethinking how to do “church” for people turned off to the church. Joy was an innovative, mission-centered congregation that grew quickly, reaching those “prodigal” Baby Boomers with an expression of the Gospel that spoke to them in their language. For my first 20+ years of ministry, I saw how a local congregation can positively impact its neighborhood, city, state, country, and world with grace.

In 2005 that congregation sent a group of us out to start a new church, Community of Grace Lutheran Church, in Peoria, AZ. We carried on the DNA, passion, and vision of Joy, continuing to be a positive, inclusive, creative, and missional expression of God’s radical, reckless grace in Jesus.

So full disclosure, I’ve had the unique privilege of serving in two healthy—not perfect but healthy—congregations, churches doing what churches should be doing—following Jesus, carrying out his agenda for being grace and bringing grace to the world. (I also grew up in those kinds of churches. Spoiled, I know!)

That’s not to say that I am unaware of the dark side of some churches. I’ve written about and will continue to write about that side—the side of ungrace, intolerance, politicized, mean-spirited Christianity (which, I would argue, is not really Christianity at all).

I’ve seen first hand the toll toxic congregations can take on their leaders, and the abuse congregations can experience under the leadership of toxic leaders. I’ve seen churches that look nothing like churches.

And, quite frankly, I can understand why once again new generations of people are leaving the church just as my generation did. (My generation tended to drop out because the Church was irrelevant. Today people tend to drop out or not even consider the Church because it’s downright mean.)

I have a hunch that most congregations, as imperfect as they are, live in and live out the light of grace. Week after week they faithfully worship, pray, give, and serve. They don’t make a lot of noise about it, and that’s why we often don’t hear about them. In our current climate, good and caring and compassionate isn’t sexy. It doesn’t get clicks. It doesn’t get the eyeballs. Meanness does. Grievance does. Controversy does.

But those churches are making a difference. A significant difference. Every day.

And that in part, along with my own personal experiences with the Church, in many of its iterations, is why I’m still in.

Name one organization on planet earth in all of history that has done more good for the world than the Christian church. (I know many will want to turn that question around this way: Name one organization on planet earth in all of human history that has done more harm for the world than the Christian church. Fair point. And one the Church needs to own. Unspeakable harm has been done in the “name of Jesus.” I in no way want to diminish that reality. But my point is that that’s always the story we hear. What we don’t hear are the millions of good stories.)

But here’s the real reason why I’m all in:

Jesus is still all in on the church. This often messy, conflicted, broken, beautiful, good, compassionate, out-of-touch group of flawed people—Jesus calls them his bride! His bride! The one he has committed himself to for better or worse, for richer or poorer.

Jesus loves this church and gave himself up for her. That’s all in!

And if Jesus loves the church that much, he must see something we don’t see.

If Jesus is in, then I’m in. With eyes wide open.

And I’m not being paid to say that anymore!