William Lee

Years ago, a friend of mine engaged me in a debate about baptism. We were both convicted that baptism should occur after conversion and that it is preferable have a believer immersed fully in water. The issue was more about receiving people from other convictions. Can a person be a member of our church if they were baptized as an infant? Is it biblical to re-baptize them?

In the end, I could not give him a solid biblical perspective on the matter. At the time, it was an open-ended question for me. I needed more time to study, pray and consider it. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why he left our church. My guess is that he thought my lack of being able to formulate a biblical opinion meant that I was lacking in biblical theology. As a result, maybe he thought our church was an unhealthy church.

As I consider that experience and certain marks of a healthy church, I wonder what to do with churches that are even more clearly unhealthy. Should we abandon them? Should we rebuke them? Should we pray imprecatory prayers against them?

I'm not sure how to answer all these questions. But I am helped by Paul's example...

Firstly, Paul wrote to unhealthy churches. There is no doubt Paul had huge problems with what was happening in various local churches. His letters to the Corinthians is a pretty good example of this. Take a look at the first chapter of most his letters and you will notice that he has an incredible love for the people in these churches. But he is also not fearful of rebuking them for deviating from the gospel. Yes, he had the unique calling of ministering to people as an Apostle. But there is something to be said about communicating to churches that are unhealthy.

Secondly, Paul visited unhealthy churches. After hearing reports of churches he previously visited, he tells Barnabas, "“Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are” (Acts 15:36). I would not encourage everyone to follow Paul's model here. Only a person given the authority by God to speak to unhealthy churches would be effective. Paul's authority as an Apostle makes that possible. Still, one wonders if God sends certain people to do that in contemporary churches.

Thirdly, Paul strengthened unhealthy churches. It is written in Acts 15:41 that Paul "went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches." Paul went and exhorted, reminded, encouraged and preached to the churches he visited. He was actively involved in healthy and unhealthy churches. Are we willing to participate in churches like that to bring about renewal and revitalization?

I know there is more to say about what we should be doing about unhealthy churches in our context. I know there is more that is written about in the Bible that could inform us on how we minister to unhealthy churches. So let this be the beginning of a conversation. Let us consider, starting with Paul's writings, visiting and strengthening, what we should do about the unhealthy churches around us.