Denominations: What Happened & What Now?

There are almost 7,000 languages currently spoken on earth.

  We started with one.  Then came the tower of Babel - when God confused our languages and sent us running to the ends of the earth, scattered into the small groups of people who could understand each other and get along together.

There are some 33,800 different Christian denominations around the world.

  We started with one.  Then came a host of historical events, which sent us running to the ends of the earth, scattered into the small groups of people who could understand each other and get along together.

What happened?  I feel like Rodney King, after the Los Angeles race riots, “People, I just want to say, can we all just get along?  Can we all just get along?”

  Apparently not.  No, we can’t just all get along.  

Today, we’re talking about denominations (교단) - all 33,800 of them, and we’re going to do this with a few different basic questions.

• What happened?  
• Why?  
• What now?  

What Happened?  The History.

 1. The Early Breaks -  The first major breaks within the Church - kind of like denominations - happened in the 5th century.  Both splits were about one issue: How is Jesus both divine and human?   In 431 the Assyrian Church of the East, centered in ancient Iraq, split away because they insisted on the separation and clear distinction of Jesus’ divine and human natures.  20 years later, the Oriental Orthodox Church, split away for the exact opposite reason.   

Interestingly, in 1984, the Pope and the Syriac Patriarch issued a joint statement about these divisions: “The confusions and schisms that ... arose only because of differences in terminology and culture and in the various formulae ... express the same matter.  Accordingly, we find today no real basis for the sad divisions and schisms that ... arose between us ...”

  

 2. The Great Schism - If the Church is the Body of Christ, the first break-aways were kind of like, losing a finger or a few toes.  But the Great Schism of 1054, was almost like being sawed in half.  After the Roman Empire split into eastern and western empires (around 500 AD), the Church began to separate along the same east/west lines.  The The languages, cultures, worship styles, and theological perspectives grew further and further apart.  

Finally, all of this came to a crisis of conflict in 1054, when the Pope of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople both claimed authority over every church everywhere.  There were real theological disagreements - for example the use of icons, whether priests can be married, and worship practices.  But the basic question was, Who’s the boss?  They couldn’t agree, so they split, and each pope was boss of half a Church.

 3. The Reformation - About 500 years later, the Church in the West had grown into a rich and corrupt political machine.  People complained, and if they complained too loudly, they were killed.  Finally, in the early 1500’s, a German monk, named Martin Luther, objected publicly to some of the most offensive corruptions and worst theological mistakes of the Roman Catholic church.  He was condemned and sentenced to death, but, for the first time in history, he was protected from the power of the Church by a German prince.  

There were good theological issues at stake here - especially how people are saved, the relationship of the Bible and tradition, and how much authority the Pope has.  However, there were also deep political issues here.  Many of the local leaders wanted to escape from the taxes and authority of the Emperor and the Pope.  

So in short, theological and political issues combined to create separate church groups - Anglicans around England, Lutherans in northern Europe, and Calvinists around Switzerland.  Most other places in Europe stayed Roman Catholic.

 4. America - Up to this point, the church was mostly divided geographically, with one type of church dominating each area.  However, when people from all over Europe began to settle in North America, they established their own sorts of local churches.  Suddenly, in the same city, there might be a Lutheran church, an Anglican church, a Methodist church, a Baptist church, and a Catholic church.  In this sense, America is the birthplace of denominations - as we understand them today.  (Thanks America!)

 5. Splintering Schisms -  Once people realized that there are lots of different ways to do church, they also realized that they weren’t stuck with their own system.  All kinds of disagreements led to new denominations: whether people could donate money to reserve the best seats in a church building, whether slavery was OK, whether people should speak in tongues, and whether there’s something more than just being saved.  The divisions continue even today as new denominations are formed around the world.  

But through all of this splintering, one thing has remained constant.  With a few exceptions, all of these groups remained Christian.  All of these dozens, then hundreds, now thousands of denominations - all of them are Christian.  All of them remain committed to Jesus Christ as the Savior of the universe.  All of them believe the same Christian creeds - like the Apostles’ Creed we said today.  Even if they don’t read the creeds or even know what they are, they still believe them, and they are still Christian.

However, all of this division and breaking away, has done something similar to the division of languages at the Tower of Babel.  We have developed our own traditions and cultures - our own flavors of church.  And this isn’t all bad.  I’m American, but I really appreciate a good dish of Indian curry, or Korean bibimbap, or Brazilian barbecue, or Mexican enchiladas.  In a similar way, I appreciate the deep and sturdy words of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, a black Black Baptist preach-along where the congregation is talking almost as much as the preacher, a Pentecostal praise time where people are dancing around the room with total freedom of worship, and chanting the Psalms with Catholic monks when I go on retreat.  I’m all for the unity of the body of Christ, but I also love this diversity that denominations have accidentally given us.  

Why?  Beyond the history, what’s the underlying cause of our division?

Listen to this passage from Paul, and see if it says anything to you about denominations and church divisions.

 Galatians 5

 ¹³ For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. ¹⁴ For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  ¹⁵ But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out!  Beware of destroying one another. ...

 ¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

 ²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

 ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

In short, one reason for denominations is sin.  We are sinful human beings, and even our church leaders are sinful and fallible.  We find it hard to work together.  Despite all our desires to be like Christ, we are still often proud and arrogant and selfish.  “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: ... hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy ... and other sins like these” (5:19-21).  When it comes to Christian unity, we are our own worst enemies.

You might say, “But Josh, there were good reasons for these splits.  At least most of them were because of good theological reasons or because of real corruption and real problems in the church.  They were trying to keep the church pure.”  I understand what you’re saying, but Christian history gives us a different answer.  

Consider just one example from the 4th and 5th century - the Donatists.  The Donatists had to deal with a difficult issue.  At that time, in Northern Africa, there was off-and-on heavy persecution of Christians.  Some Christians refused to give in to persecution, and many were killed.  Other Christians thought this was foolish.  When the persecution got heavy, they would lie and say, “Sure, sure, we reject Christ, whatever.”  Some of the priests even handed over the local copies of the Bible - which was a big deal in the age before the printing press.  Then, after the persecution was over, all of these Christians and priests wanted back into the Church.

The majority Church accepted their repentance and welcomed the traitors back as members and priests.  But the Donatists said that this wouldn’t work. They said the Church was corrupt and no longer the real Church.  In response, they pulled away and formed their own Church that would be pure and without corruption.  

That is bold, and they had very good intentions.  However, the Church throughout history has said that despite their very good intentions, the Donatists were very wrong.  They were actually declared heretics - not because of any major theological problems - but primarily because of their separation from the Church.

Listen to what Augustine said to the Donatists in 402 AD.  Augustine referred to Jesus’ parable about weeds and wheat in Matthew 13, which we read earlier. 

Your imagination that you are separating yourselves, before the time of the harvest, from the [weeds] which are mixed with the wheat, proves that you are only tares. For if you were wheat, you would bear with the [weeds], and not separate yourselves from that which is growing in Christ's field...  What grounds have you for believing that the [weeds] have increased and filled the world, and that the wheat has decreased...? You claim to be Christians, and you disclaim the authority of Christ.  He said, “Let both grow together till the harvest” ...  Awake to the interest of your salvation!  Love peace, and return to unity! ...  If you hate those who do evil, shake yourselves free from the crime of schism.

Before the Donatists were the Novatianists and the Montanists in the 3rd century.  They all formed separate schism groups because they thought the church was becoming too worldly and impure.  They were all declared heretics, not so much because of their theology but because of their stance of separation from the larger Church.  Even Tertullian, one of the best Trinitarian theologians of all time, was declared a heretic because of his connection with Montanism and its schism from the Church on moral grounds.

The witness of Christian history is that it is better and more Christian to disagree and stay together than to break apart.  The witness of Christian history is that when we start thinking that we’re right and almost everyone else is wrong, then we are dangerously close to heresy.  The witness of the Bible and Christian history is a strong request to stay together and work out our differences.

What now?

Alas, we can’t change the fact of denominations now.  We have denominations - 38,000 of them.  Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put Humpty back together again.

While we lament this brokenness of the Body of Christ, we can still appreciate the blessings that have come from this diversity.  We can sample and blend all the different flavors of church.  

We can also look for opportunities to work together on both macro and micro levels.  Here are two examples.  The Church of the Nazarene used to have an internal company making building loans to churches, but they recently sold it to a lending company with the Wesleyan Church and signed a cooperation agreement to work together in the future.  On a micro level, Galilee Methodist Church is joining us in sponsoring Cheonan Migrant Shelter, and we look forward to inviting other churches into this partnership to serve migrants in our community.

But on a fundamental level, we as the Church need to relearn some basic Christian virtues.  To deal with the amazing diversity of the Church universal and the church local, we need three fundamental virtues.

Kindness.  Kindness seems to be a lost art these days.  Sure there are big issues for us to discuss.  Our world is changing, and not every change is good.  But through it all, Christ calls us to simple kindness.  Through it all, Christ calls us to listen well, to give each other grace, and to make sure we always speak with respect.  

Listen to how Paul explains Christian kindness in Ephesians 4:  

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Humility.  We always need to remember that we may be wrong.  And even if we’re not  completely wrong, we still might not be completely right.  Brian Postelwait, one of my friends from seminary, often said, “There is no holiness without humility.”

Listen to how James explains Christian humility in chapter 3 of his letter.

¹³ If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom...  ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. ¹⁸ And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

 Patience.  When we have conflict, the temptation is always to run away.  Individuals find another church - or quit going to any church.  Churches form another denomination.  But that is neither the only option, nor the best option.  These days I’ve seen two beautiful examples of Christians who are staying in their denominations and trying to reform them from within - with kindness and humility.  

Emergent Christians are concerned about how to help the Church of Jesus Christ adapt faithfully to postmodernism.  However, most of them decided to stay in the denominations where they are and to work for faithful progress right there in their own traditions.

On the other hand, some Christians have felt that we are making too many changes and that we are losing our footing in the Bible.  Christians scholars in many big denominations (like Methodists and Presbyterians) have joined the Confessing Movement.  Rather than leaving and starting a new denomination or nondenominational church, they are working to steer their denomination back to faithfulness to the Bible and full-hearted love of God and people.  

If you are dissatisfied with your denomination or with this local church or with the Church Universal, you are not alone.  I am too, and most people here today want things to change too.  But breaking away or walking out won’t solve anything.  Commit yourself to the change process.  Work with us from within to help us be transformed to be more faithful as the Church of Jesus Christ.

Listen to how Paul explains Christian stability in Romans 15:

 ⁵ May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. ⁶ Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  ⁷ Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

Denominations happened.  They basically started 1,600 years ago, and in the past 200 years, the division of the Church has gone into overdrive.  Sometimes the divisions include real theological or moral issues, but usually the underlying causes are cultural misunderstanding, pride, and selfishness.  As we enter the 21st century, we can allow this trend to continue, splintering the church even more.  In 50 years, we may have 50,000 new denominations.  

Or we can say enough is enough.  We aren’t going to allow our disagreements to divide us anymore.  We choose to follow Christ’s path of humility and love.  We choose to find our unity amid our diversity.  We choose to put our faith in the Gospel rather than our dogma.  We choose to put our faith in God rather than our leaders.  We choose kindness and humility and stability.  What do you choose?