"I don't believe...but I want to give back"
Pastor Dave Ferguson in Naperville, IL wrote about an encounter he has with some new attenders at the church he pastors. The new attenders said, "I'm pretty sure that I don't really believe all the stuff that you believe...but I'm here because I feel a need to serve and I want to give back."
What is your reaction to this conversation? Do you think this is a trend or do you think this is just two isolated conversations?
Do you even think this should be allowed in the church . . . allow nonbelievers to serve?
I think there has to be a way they can serve, because I would hope that through serving with believers they, in turn, would become a believer. But I do believe this could get dangerous.
ReplyDeleteIf someone openly doesn't believe, they should not be a leader of anything in the church. They would become a distraction at best, and a stumbling block at worst.
Only God knows the inner workings of our heart, but if we espouse a belief that runs counter to the church's very foundation, then what does that say to others who don't know Jesus? And doesn't that say something negative about a person that does serve in a ministry that they have no belief in?
I would hope that the non-believer could be swayed to know Jesus as their Saviour (and maybe they have a place in service), but I do think it could be a dangerous game for the church to play. I think that any ministry that is truly working for the Lord will be tested by Satan. When that happens, it can be hard enough for a Christian to stay on track, but what is there to guide that non-believer?