Evangelicals love to call themselves “people of the book.” The first church I worked for had an advertising sign that said, “The Blood, The Book, The Blessed Hope.” We believed, as Evangelicals do today, that the Bible was inerrant and infallible — without error and true in all it teaches. Yet, for all their talk about the Bible, most Evangelicals don’t read and study the Bible. Oh, they might read it from time to time, but as far as diligently reading and studying the Bible? No time for that, even though they demand unbelievers obey the Bible, not bothering to read it from cover to cover themselves. If this is not the case, why do Evangelical preachers repeatedly “encourage” congregants to read the Bible, warning them about what God will do to them if they don’t. Some pastors throw in the towel and try to at least get church members to read devotional materials such as “Our Daily Bread.” Every day, Christians read a couple of Bible verses and the devotional commentary for said verses, delusionally thinking that they are “studying” the Bible.
Evangelicals claim the Bible was written by God himself; that it is the most important book (actually collection of books) in human history. Supposedly, the Bible contains everything necessary for life and godliness. This supernatural book tells us how the universe was created and reveals to us the nature of God. Its pages reveal God’s redemptive plan for humanity (or the elect), along with how to have a successful marriage and a happy family. What a book of wisdom and knowledge, right? Yet, most Evangelicals never read the Bible through one time. What’s up with this disconnect? Why do Evangelicals demand the unwashed, uncircumcised Philistines of the world read the Bible when they, themselves, can’t bother to do it?
Here’s what I learned pastoring Evangelical churches for twenty-five years:
First, most Evangelicals want to do what is “right.” They want to read and study the Bible, pleasing both God and the maniac who chastises them every week from the pulpit for not being the bestest (and the most giving and obedient) Christians ever.
Second, life often gets in the way of obey God. Sorry, but that’s just how it is. I was about ten years into my ministerial career before I finally figured out what was going on. Most of the people I pastored were kind, loving, thoughtful people. Sure, I pastored more than a few assholes, but most congregants loved God, loved the church, loved the Bible, and loved me as their preacher. They wanted to read and study the Bible, but after working 40-60 hours a week and taking care of domestic obligations, no time was left for them to devote themselves to the Word of God. Did this make them bad Christians? Of course not. They were tired Christians, not backslidden as I alleged. I was paid to read, study, and preach the Bible. I can’t remember a day as a pastor that I didn’t read the Bible. It was, after all, the most important book in my life. I wanted the Bible to be the most important book in the lives of congregants too, but there were not enough hours in the day for them to do so.
Polly spent much of her life as a pastor’s wife feeling guilty over her lack of Bible reading, study, and prayer. It didn’t help the matter that her preacher husband kept reminding her to be a “good example.” Eventually, I stopped badgering Polly, realizing that she, too, only had so much time to devote to the Bible every day. She wanted to read and study the Bible as her preacher husband did, but after raising six kids in a 12×60 foot trailer, cooking meals for them, washing loads of shitty cloth diapers every day, doing ALL the domestic chores (because her soulwinning husband was rarely home), entertaining church members almost every weekend, being her husband’s secretary (she was happy when computers delivered her from this task), and happily putting out when her husband asked, there was no time left for Bible reading.
For five years, both Polly and I taught in our church’s private school. Polly taught church children how to read, spell, and do basic grammar. Our younger students have fond memories of Miss Polly putting them on her lap and helping them read. These same students have different memories of the man they called “Preacher.” I not only taught in the school, I was the principal. Remember, we were Independent Fundamentalist Baptists, at the time. I was the school disciplinarian. No one wanted to be sent to my office.
Based on what I have already shared, when, exactly, did my partner have time to give anything more than a passing glance at the pages of the Bible? Did this make her a bad Christian? Of course not, even though she felt guilty for not being a sold-out follower of Jesus. Six kids, loads of poopy diapers, cooking countless meals, caring for a 720 square foot hillbilly mansion, and devotedly loving a demanding, driven husband dominated her waking hours. Both of us spent years only getting five to seven hours of sleep a night. In retrospect, it’s a wonder either of us made it out alive.
As a pastor, I came to understand that the only Bible knowledge most church members had was what they gained from my sermons three times a week. I accepted that no amount of preaching was going to add more hours in their days. No amount of cajoling Polly was going to make her devote time she didn’t have to leisurely reading the Bible. I eventually stopped nagging people about reading and studying the Bible. I figured if God wanted them to read more of the Bible he could tell them himself. Overnight, preacher and congregants alike took a sigh of relief, leaving the matter to God.
How often did you read the Bible? Did you feel guilty over not reading the Bible as you felt you should (or as your pastor felt you should)? Did you read the Bible from cover-to-cover? Please share your experiences in the comment section.
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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