The Church-In the World, Not of It

Those of us who have lived over a half century have seen vast changes in the church. It has gone from being a strong force in improving the world to feeling helpless to stem the tide of evil creeping over the world. It has gone from seen as a positive presence, sought by communities to a negative one shunned by many communities. Many people wonder what happened. There have been vast changes in the family and the community that have greatly affected the church and its effectiveness. Yet, these changes are nothing new. The early church faced similar circumstances, as did the church down through the ages. In fact, churches in underdeveloped nations face very similar situations where they dwell in a community which is hostile to the Gospel. The difference lies in the fact that the church was so successful in America in changing the communities around it that it forgot what it meant to be an outcast and is shocked by its fall from influence. The church has repeatedly overcome the opposition of the world through its witness, but the church in America has allowed its witness to be lost as it has become like the world around it. This course reviews the changes in society and the effect they have had on the church and how the church has overcome similar circumstances in the past.