Evangelicalism is a somewhat broad tent, with sects ranging from hardcore Fundamentalists to liberals who are Evangelical in name only. It is that last group that often emails and messages me, complaining I am wrongly lumping all Evangelicals together. These are the folks who should be mainline or liberal church members, but for some reason they like being Evangelicals or they remain in the cult because of family, employment, or familiarity. I don’t care one way or another, but I am not inclined to modify the word Evangelical just to satisfy their need to differentiate between themselves and the rest of Evangelicalism. Regular readers know that I never mean “all Evangelicals.” In fact, I never mean “all” anything. There will always be exceptions to the rule.
That said, the core doctrines that bind Evangelicals together are generally held by one and all, with allowances made for soteriological, eschatological, and practice differences. The same can be said for differences regarding Calvinism, Arminianism, Oneness, and cessationism/noncessationism. Worship practices can be very different too, yet core doctrinal beliefs are what bind these disparate sects together.
The Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement is a subset of Evangelicalism. They too have a broad spectrum of beliefs and practices, yet most of them agree that there is a set of core doctrines that must be believed to be IFB. There are countless subsets within Evangelicalism, so it takes a good bit of effort and expertise to truly understand to understand the depth and breadth of Evangelicalism.
Within Evangelicalism, there are sects, pastors, and congregants working hard to reform the sect, but much like the Southern Baptist Convention, I am convinced that significant reform will not happen unless the structure is burnt to the ground. Sadly, Evangelical churches are content to start new programs, spice up their worship services, and hire pastors who are hip, cool, and sexy; men who dress in designer jeans with holes, $300 tennis shoes, and Rolex watches. Further, megachurches are the bane of Evangelicalism; churches that breed passive church members who attend one service a week, hoping their felt-needs are met.
Are there Evangelical churches out there truly following in the steps of Jesus? Sure, I am certain they exist. I just don’t know of any. The plot has been lost, and I see no way to get it back unless radical deconstruction takes place. This is unlikely since Evangelicals are known for certainty and arrogance. Deconstructing would require admitting you are wrong, and that is not how Evangelicals typically roll.
Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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