L Cole Harper

Perhaps the most pernicious problem I’ve encountered as a parachurch worker is the territorial attitude that plagues many congregations.

First, imagine the ideal: churches of different denominations, as well as parachurch organizations, sharing the common goal of making disciples of Jesus Christ. They do not let minor doctrinal differences prevent them from working together to evangelize their communities. These groups also desire to serve the poor and meet needs in their neighborhoods, so they work together with government bodies, non-profits, and corporations despite a myriad of political differences. (Of course, it seems that all differences now are political in one way or another.) They learn from one another, share ideas and best practices, are generous to one another with their resources, and serve alongside one another in the community.

The reality, however, is much different.

The Spirit of Cain

Example 1: A few years ago, a Young Life leader in our area sat down with a local pastor to ask how we could partner in reaching unchurched kids with the gospel. The pastor’s first question was whether or not we affirm leaders who engage in homosexual behavior. (We don’t.) Having a different doctrinal position, the pastor declared there would be no cooperation with us.

Example 2: Another pastor recently told me that I am a poor role model for kids and have no future in ministry. He called me to unleash a venomous 11-minute tirade of insults. I chose not to interrupt him, thanked him for his feedback, and told him I would consider what he said. (When I shared this pastor’s comments with my counselors, they invariably told me to ignore him.) What was the catalyst for his wrath? I had aggravated him with a request to access his church’s facilities. He had previously granted me such permission, and I was, to my knowledge, following the process he had outlined for me. Apparently, I had worn out my welcome.

Example 3: In another local church, in order to encourage the congregation during the worship service, I shared a testimony of a student of ours who had recently begun following Jesus. Afterward, the pastor of the church pulled me aside and politely requested that I leave out the name of my organization whenever I share such stories. When I asked why, he told me that it caused tension with other leaders at the church. If we share the same mission, then why can we not celebrate a mission success together? I identified the tension as the problem that deserved immediate attention – not my mention of another ministry. A house divided against itself cannot stand. I explained to him why I disagreed with his reasoning, but I agreed to defer to his leadership and honor his request.

Example 4: Sometimes territorial attitudes emerge even within a church. I recently spoke with a member of a church that hosts both a traditional and a contemporary Sunday service. He perceived that leaders of one service were often “poaching” volunteers from the other service. Additionally, they are often concerned when the “other” service has more in attendance on any given Sunday. The two congregations within the one church see each other as their competition. At best, it’s a live-and-let-live scenario. At worst, they would rather see the other service disappear altogether. There is no meaningful effort to cooperate together in a unified mission.

These stories are only a few of many I could have shared, and it seems that in all instances, the spirit of Cain is at work. This spirit sees the success of another as a threat. Comparison leads to envy, and envy becomes a destructive force if left unchecked. It gives birth to resentment, bitterness, division, hatred, and strife. A territorial attitude results in attempts to retain or even possess members of the group.

The Idol of Quantitative Success

Those possessed by a territorial attitude have one goal: quantitative success. The metric for this type of growth is purely numerical: “Am I doing better than the other guys? Are we bigger than they are? Do we have more than them? How can we get more people to come? What must we do to prevent people from leaving?” Everything that challenges the idol of quantitative success erects itself an enemy to be opposed. Cain begins to harbor murderous hatred toward Abel – not because Abel is wrong, but because Abel is right. Such a vision of success is skewed. Jesus himself failed miserably if quantity is the metric of success. He often turned back would-be followers in favor of his small band of committed disciples.[1]

Any disciple-making ministry ought to have as its vision not merely growth in numbers but the maturation of the disciple. This path is harder, slower, longer, and therefore fewer travel it. The paradox of the kingdom offends our methods: go deep to go wide. The inverse simply does not work. Those that seek to go wide disdain those who go deep, demonizing them as wolves conspiring to steal from the flock. The religious leaders saw Jesus’ deep mission as a threat to their system. They put an end to him.

In reality, it was their system that needed reform.

A Call for Unity

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, some Jews told the Pharisees about it.[2] They called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and began by asking, “What are we accomplishing?” Their lack of awareness is beyond parody. Some honest introspection would have served them well. Instead, they concluded,

“Here is this man performing[3] many signs. If we let him go on like this everyone will believe in him and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

In other words, his methods were working, and theirs were not. Rather than adopt Jesus’ methods, the Pharisees maintained a territorial attitude. The spirit of Cain results in murder once again.

What if we were to view every shepherd as an ally in the mission? What if we did not consider it “our flock” but instead considered it “God’s flock”? Just before his death Jesus prayed for unity among his followers. We could be, in our own small way, an answer to his prayer.

So what do we do now?

Continue to Territorial Attitudes in the Church – Part 2.

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[1] See Luke 9:57-62 for a few examples. See also Matthew 19:16-23, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23, and John 6.

[2] See John 11:46-48 (NIV)

[3] The same Greek word is translated “accomplishing” above.