A response from Anonymous

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I don't believe...but I want to give back":

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.

If 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 Savior (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?

Michael's response:

There is the potential for danger, but a nonbeliever would never have a position of authority or leadership, for that matter they would not be on a committee, but to serve, to enter the realm of the church world may be a huge step towards faith in Christ. If the church closes the door, then how are we helping them get their feet wet and meeting and working alongside other Christians?

The hope would be that as the person continues to worship and serve, the power of the Holy Spirit would work on their heart and spirit and they would come to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life. What a great testimony they would have to share with other friends and nonbelievers. It could help break the mold of how other nonbelievers think about the church and Christians in general.

Thanks for the response.