Two Ways of Understanding 'Church'
Kevin Offner
October 1, 1997
On back-to-back weekends in October I had the opportunity to attend gatherings of Christians that had two very different understandings of what is meant by "church." These two different perspectives, I would argue, represent the two predominant ecclesiologies held by Christians today. Any move forward in Christian unity must address, and somehow seek to reconcile, these two views. On October 4, I attended the mega-rally of 700,000 or more Promise Keepers on the Washington, D.C. Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capitol. This six-hour-long men's rally addressed many themes, including the need for repentance from spiritual sloth, lust, lack of responsible care for our wives and children, racism, and so on; plus the hope for renewal and positive change by God's grace. But in addition to these themes was another element to that day's talks and testimonies that is often overlooked in the analysis of Promise Keepers, and that is their understanding of the nature of the church. What is Promise Keepers' view of the church? Despite the attendance of some Orthodox and not a few Roman Catholics (including at least one of the plenary speakers), the ecclesiology set forth at the Washington rally was unquestionably evangelical Protestant to the core. We were repeatedly exhorted not to let denominations and traditions get in the way of the true unity all Christians share in being brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Here is how one chorus went that all the men were asked to sing. "Have we not one Father; have we not one faith; have we not one calling; to be God's holy race?" One speaker, in a burst of emotion, exuded, "We are the church, we are the Body of Christ. Where is the church? Right here! Just look around you: we are the ...
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