the modern american church has fallen into a cycle of denying Christ. wealth and comfort have become the center of how faith communities are built. power is placed in the hands of a few men and often that power is given freely and without question. they continue to plant churches instead of building the kingdom. clergy and leaders take home bloated paychecks while people sleep and starve on the streets. millions goes to buildings and stages instead of to the least of these.
believers must advocate for and demand accountability from their leaders. if decisions on spending and programming are made behind closed doors that must change. decisions for the community must include the voice of the community. the voice of the congregation must be given equal weight in decisions, budgets, and programs. leaders cannot be given unchecked power. do you know where your tithes are going?
salaries for clergy and staff should be made publicly available. not only will this ensure that pastors cannot exploit the good will of the community to line their pockets, but it will give power to those employed by the community to fight for fair wages. there is no reason for this information to be kept a secret from those giving of their time and money to sustain the community.
many american churches resemble country clubs more than the radical vision of christ. instead of feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and caring for the least of these; they budget for millions of dollars for salaries, led walls, sound systems, and expensive buildings. instead of embracing the call from Christ to "...not store up treasures on earth" they embrace excess and comfort over loving their neighbor. community members and clergy alike must wake up from this mammon mindset and embrace the radical gospel of Christ: "He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners, and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." - Luke 4:18-19 *CEB* we must reject the model of getting people in seats, counting conversions and baptisms, and indoctrinating them into tithing. this model is counter to the very heart of Christ's ministry and works against our prayer for it to be "on earth as it is in heaven".
you will often hear from stage that tithing is a spiritual requirement. this is one of the many ways that leaders twist the spirit of service modeled by Christ to their benefit. Christ calls us to generosity and service, especially to the least of these, in the gospels. However, the modern concept of a 10% obligation to your place of worship is twisted from an Old Testament tradition of giving to support the lives of the temple priests. as stated above this funding is often procured and then kept behind closed doors while those in charge lead comfortable lives counter to the gospel. use your dollars to demand reform. withhold your giving from your community if transparency and representation is refused. give your dollars and time to local community aid groups and/or charities that are living out Christ's love for the least of
before leaving your current home behind it may be useful to advocate for change from within. make your voice heard and find others that share you commitment to living as Christ called us to. often the voice of many is harder to ignore than the voice of one. attend financial meetings if possible. pay attention to where your money is going. start a ministry that better represents Christ's values and recruit community members. you will meet resistance. many do not want the status quo to be disturb and will find any way possible to reject the uncomfortable parts of the gospel. if your church cannot fulfill these basic teachings of Christ then it may be time to find a new home. it is not easy to sever from ones faith community and it can often feel impossible to leave. however, in modern america there is no shortage of churches and faith communities. no where is perfect, but you can find a home that embraces Christ's values. you can also join and donate to local community aid groups that are actively working to help the poor, widows, orphans, prisoners, and least of these every week. sometimes the most Christlike communities may not be churches. in no way is this manifesto a condemnation of all churches or christian communities. however, the systemic trends in american protestantism cannot be ignored. thousands are leaving these communities because they have begun to recognize that Christ call is being rejected. for those of us still trying to live out Gospel; Christ didn't promise us it would be easy or comfortable. it should tell us something when our communities seek those over the gospel.