Are Today’s Churches “Of the Culture” or “In the Culture”?

Much has been made recently about America’s mainline church denominations—the changes, division and uncertainty within.

But the American Pastors Network’s says the focus should be on something else—getting back on the basics of Christianity.

“Christians must unite around the core of the gospel, not divide because of man-made denominations,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “Above all, the focus must be on how to communicate the Gospel. Churches can change their music, change the way the pastor dresses, or change the public statements, but many of today’s churches are walking away from the authority of Scripture and the necessity of protecting the authority of God’s Word. That never grows old, and no one can change that without directly attacking the Word of God. Bit by bit, we are collectively retreating from a hard, fast, and firm commitment to Scripture, and searching for ways to make it more palatable to the next generation—whatever that might look like.”

Another damaging matter, Rohrer added, is churches desiring to or giving into the allure of being of the culture rather than in the culture, ultimately straying from the Gospel to meet cultural needs.

“Many churches are trying to change to become like the culture, but the long-term effects of leaving the Gospel will be damaging beyond belief,” he said. “Many elements have pervaded our country’s denominations, such as transgenderism, same-sex marriage, sexual assault, and social justice, just to name a few. The Left loves to see the divide of some of the largest of these denominations, which are doing much self-promotion, inviting media to be part of the ‘experience’ and by moving away from traditional church business and opening the doors of today’s critiques of Christianity, either through the mainstream media or social media. And all the discord is playing out in public, which is not helping the spread of the Gospel one bit.”

APN recently debuted its new television program, “Stand in the Gap,” which considers transcending cultural issues, seemingly difficult to navigate, from a biblical worldview perspective. “Stand in the Gap” TV also seeks to bring clarity to cultural confusion and makes sense of the nonsense around us, focusing on the root problems of our nation and applies biblical principles so God’s people can know the truth.

“Stand in the Gap” TV airs weekly on WBPH-TV60, a station in the Philadelphia market that reaches a potential of 7 million viewers by cable, DirecTV, Dish Network, off-air antenna, and online. Programs air at 3pm ET Sundays and will be rebroadcast Tuesdays at 8pm and Thursdays at 7:30pm Check the WBPH listings for more information on how to watch. here or view a promo for the show Learn more about the program.

Photo by Nina Strehl on Unsplash