Defund The Church

Before you get all bent out of shape, let me educate you on something: Defund The Police isn't about eliminating the police department.

Got it?

Cool.

(If you’re trying to wrap your mind around what I just said, go back and read it again. Slowly. I’ll wait.)

RATHER.

Defund The Police is about taking the boatload of money that's being poured into a mostly oppressive system that is all too often negligent with its power and redistributing it to places in society that will help lessen the need for such an institution to exist.

It's about reimagining ways of bringing peace that don't involve power, force, punishment, and guns.

(Imagine that?)

Perhaps Police Departments don’t need that much money?

Perhaps Police Departments can exist, but exist differently than they do right now?

Perhaps Police Departments don’t need to carry the pressure they do to keep peace by means of force and intimidation?

I know some very good and loving police officers who work for some reputable departments, but I’m also for defunding those departments and making sure that the over allotment of money they are often given is distributed to places within society that can lessen the need for us to rely so heavily on police and bring lasting, true change to our world.

I wonder if we need to Defund The Church while we're at it? As is true with Defunding The Police, I'm not suggesting that we get rid of the church, but that we take the money that is so often poured into the church and used for ...

Salaries.

Building Maintenance.

Various Ministry Programs.

Etc.

... And poured into a system that very often oppresses people and abuses them with:

Threats of hell.

Public shaming and humiliation for believing things differently than the norm.

The casting out of LGBTQ people.

The mocking of Black Lives Matter.

The cover ups of sexual misconduct.

Etc, etc, etc.

... And place those funds into places in the communities where those churches reside so that more people are empowered, so that the church can stand in solidarity with those who are oppressed, so that the pastors and church leaders and church people can focus more on being Christ to their communities and less focused on inviting people to come to a building to hear about Christ on Sunday mornings.

What does this mean?

Well.

Perhaps pastors shouldn't' get salaries? (** This coming from someone who once pastored a church, mind you, and received a full salary with benefits and a house - I’m not some outsider who doesn’t know how the church works. I do know. All too well. Thus the reason I’m sharing these thoughts). Maybe pastors should preach and teach on Sunday’s, but get a job out in the world during the week where they work alongside those they preach to every Sunday morning?

"Oh, but when would they study?"

"When would they prepare their sermons?"

Perhaps their sermons should be less about theology lessons that have little to do with every day life and real world issues and more about lessons learned on the job in their interactions with people?

... You know, kind of like Jesus' teachings?

AND.

Maybe churches don't need to be renovated and fixed up? Maybe it's OK if they are a bit run down?

"We must be good stewards of our properties!"

"We must keep God's house up!"

Hm.

Well, perhaps a church's beauty could be found in its brokenness as opposed to its decor, streaming lights, fog machines, and espresso makers? Perhaps its beauty could be found in its weakness ... you know, kind of like how Jesus' beauty shined loud and clear in his crucifixion as nails pierced his hands and blood dripped from his body?

Maybe we don't need 10,000 ministries that each have a budget, maybe we just need one budget where church members bring a check with them whenever they go somewhere to volunteer their time or lend a hand?

YES.

What if we Defunded The Church? Not get rid of it, but redistribute its massive funds away from the structure that so often oppresses and into the hands of those who are oppressed or are trying to alleviate oppression?

AND.

Just as so many are advocating for Police Officers to be retrained, perhaps pastors and church leaders need to be retrained as well - retrained in how to speak into the real world issues of BLM, LGBTQ inclusion, etc. and retrained in how to create an environment that fosters dialogue around these very important issues (something that, in my experience, very few churches or pastors do or do well or even care about).

Something to think about.