Tuesdays with Morris

A church is supposed to be a welcoming place for the broken and wounded in our world. Let’s face it…we’re all a bit broken and wounded. The church should be a refuge, a place of healing and hope. The church is full of sinners, whether we admit it or not.

So, what happens when someone’s sin hits the spotlight? How do you deal with a messy situation?

In light of recent events at a local church, questions have come up about the role of the church. The church in question basically kicked a guy out on the basis of some serious accusations. Many have questioned the church in doing this, asking “shouldn’t the church extend grace, love, and care to all involved?”

And that brings up a very sticky situation. Yes, the church should extend grace, love, and care. I don’t know the whole story or what the truth truly is…But, at the same time, the church has a responsibility to be a safe place for families. If you have a person hanging around that has brought much pain to members of the church community bigger problems could arise.

There is a time and a place for church discipline. There is a time when a church needs to say, “I think you might need to find another church home.” That time usually arrives when the safety and security of others is involved.

I do not believe the church was wrong in asking the young man involved to leave. However, I hope they did extend an offer to provide him with counseling and any other source of help and healing. I also hope they extended counseling to the young girl and her family.

There are blurry lines when it comes to grace and responsibility. We have a call to extend grace. We also have a call to be responsible. This is one of those both/and rather than either/or situations.

I do believe the church also has a responsibility to be honest and transparent in its interactions with its members and community. When accusations were made and the young man was asked to leave, was there communication between the church leadership (who obviously knew much of what was going on) and the congregation (especially the parents of students involved with the youth ministry)?

I have always appreciated the honesty and integrity of Mark Beeson and Granger Community Church. They have faced their fair share of controversial scandal over the years. But, they have been open, honest, and upfront about each situation. They have not left room for rumors. Mark has addressed the entire congregation in worship, put statements on the church website, and addressed those impacted by each situation. In the situations I’ve been aware of, Beeson has come forward and said, “This is what has happened. This is how we are dealing with it. And please keep all of this in your prayers.” That really helps build a sense of trust and integrity within the church and community.

When you hear, “Yeah, we knew about it and kicked the guy out of the church” does that make you feel a sense of trust?

Grace and responsibility…sometimes they go hand and hand. And, sometimes they cause us to seek the safest middle ground.