4 Myths About Churches

As a pastor, I've heard and had a lot of people who would not claim to be Christians or belong to a church tell me what Christianity is, what the Bible teaches, and what churches are all about. To be fair, I think a lot of that has to do with either bad experiences people have had, some crazy thing they heard a Christian say or do, or maybe simply trying to make conversation.

And while it is true that there are corrupt pastors and churches, the reality is, the vast majority of churches, pastors, and ministry leaders really do care about people, Jesus, and are trying the best they can. No one is perfect, but as a pastor who has a "behind the scenes" perspective, the list of people in vocational ministry and churches that I know are genuine and have the best of intentions in what they are trying to do.

So that being said, here are four myths people believe about churches.

1) Churches are really just a business

Yes, it takes money and resources do to things, but a church is not a business. Churches do not exist to make as much money as possible. The problem is that we only hear the crazy stories of some pastor buying a private jet or being charged with tax-evasion. The reality is, being in ministry is a like lot being a teacher when it comes to money; you aren't doing it for the money. 

Churches absolutely need money to operate and accomplish their missions, but money is the tool, not the end game. Churches are about people because that church is the people. As someone who is in vocational ministry, I can also tell you this, many of the largest financial givers in churches (in proportion with their income) are church staff members themselves because they believe in the mission. If churches were businesses, many people would not sacrifice financially so others can experience Jesus and who he is.

2) Pastors don't like each other

The reason most pastors are pastors is because they love Jesus and want to play a part in helping other people see Jesus for who he is. At the end of the day, we are all on the same team. When I was preparing to plant New City Church, every single pastor I reached out to in the Raleigh area was happy to meet with me and share their wisdom and experience.

One of my favorite things to do is encourage and help out other pastors as much as I can. That's why I'm involved with Practical Church Planting, which exists to help pastors and ministry leaders. This also plays into the next myth.

3) Churches are in competition with each other

The reality is, we need different types of churches to reach different types of people. While there are certain things that make every church somewhat different from each other, the goal for the vast majority is the same; the great commission. The great commission was the last thing Jesus told his disciples before ascending back to heaven in Matthew 28"

"All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We need each other to make this happen. And just to emphasize this point, here is just a small list of the many great churches in the Raleigh area (near New City Church) that you should consider if you are looking for a church with links to their websites.

• Vintage Church
• Summit Church
• Point Church
• Southbridge Fellowship
• Soul Church
• Hope Community Church
• Vision Church
• Imago Dei
• Harvest Church

4) Churches are full of people who have it all together

To be fair, I've never actually heard someone say it, but I know it is sometimes assumed by what people actually do say. For example, when we think we need to get our stuff together before we go to a church service, we are assuming that means only those who do have there stuff together actually go.

The truth: churches are full of ordinary people who are no better than anyone else. We all have weaknesses and struggles which is why we all need grace. If one of your biggest fears about checking out a church is the fact that you don't have it all together, please know that you will fit right in.