Looking at the position of the evangelicals in the Christian Church today, one may thankfully admit that they stand on more solid ground than they did 25 to 30 years ago. Evangelicalism has become somewhat more ‘respectable” than it used to be. There is a revival of evangelical scholarship, an improvement in evangelical literary production and similar advances. Yet while admitting all these reasons for encouragement and optimism, one must also confess that the evangelical cause still lacks real power and effectiveness in the Christian Church at large. So-called liberalism whatever its guise—or disguise—still largely dominates.
While many of the major religious denominations still hold to an evangelical confession, usually these statements of faith originated in the seventeenth century if not earlier, and are now mere relics of the past, rather than living expressions of contemporary faith. Moreover, if one comes to know any one denomination at all intimately it soon becomes clear that the control of the administrative organization as well as the educational institutions often rests in the hands of those who are concealed, if not avowed liberals. The evangelicals may talk all they like within the confines of their individual congregations or even conferences, presbyteries or councils, but in the long run doctrinal indifferentism, if not unbelief, usually has its way.
Much the same appears to be the case in interdenominational movements. At one time evangelicals led the van of such “ecumenical” bodies. The Evangelical Alliance, many interdenominational missionary movements, and other similar organizations tended to dominate the interdenominational scene, but now all has changed. True, many of these movements still exist but they seem to wield little influence, except on the fringes of the Church. Leadership today rests in the hands of the World Council of Churches and the like, many of whose leaders are at least theologically indecisive in temper if not of the same stripe as those to whom doctrinal convictions mean little. Liberalism has taken over the interdenominational field.
In what might be termed the nondenominational field one finds the same situation. At one time throughout the Western world the evangelicals largely dominated the fields of education, public charity, and political reform. One only has to mention the names of men like Wilberforce, Shaftesbury, and others to bring this fact to mind. Here also today, the evangelicals have largely lost their heritage. Partially as a result of the rise of the so-called “social gospel,” they have forsaken these activities, and again the liberals have stepped in to place education, charity, and political reform on a humanistic foundation.
Some may object that this picture is too pessimistic. We have various evangelical movements, organizations, and groups which are very active. While this may be so, the question is: how much real influence do they have? Do the evangelicals make themselves heard in the world at large, or are they vociferous only within their own buildings? If they do make themselves heard in the world at large, do they speak constructively in the name of Christ, or are they usually destructively critical, so that they find themselves categorized as a “lunatic fringe”? The present writer has sat in church courts many a time and listened to debates concerning the church’s work, but although evangelicals were present they seldom took any part, and when they did, only too frequently they had little to contribute. So often their failure to do their “homework” quickly became clear. The liberals remained, and usually continue to remain, in control.
Decline by Default
Quite naturally one asks why this is the case. Why have the evangelicals failed to maintain their position in the Christian Church when during the nineteenth century they obviously had control? Some blame the rise and popular dissemination of scientific ideas. Evolution, relativity, and all the other scientific theories have destroyed modern man’s faith. Others point to the economic order and suggest that men have become materialistic with the growth of prosperity and so lose their interest in spiritual things.
Although much may be said for these and similar explanations, the real reason would seem to be the evangelicals themselves. In making a survey of the past century, one cannot but draw the conclusion that evangelicals, caught off balance by the intellectual, economic, and social developments of the times have simply failed to come to grips with the contemporary situation. If one attends an evangelical church of any denomination, one soon discovers that most of the pattern of thought expressed represents that of the nineteenth century middle class. Watch the programs followed or the techniques employed and the same thing becomes obvious. This does not mean that the Gospel should change with the ages, but the problems with which it must deal do alter. So often the modern evangelical, like the thoroughgoing Marxist, still fights the battles and problems of the 1850s. Evangelicals have suffered defeat by their own default.
One obvious area of default appears in that of churchmanship whether at the denominational or interdenominational level. The evangelicals in the various denominations have preached the Gospel, it is true, but when they have faced the responsibility of action in their church’s courts or administration they have shown themselves woefully lacking. In doctrinal issues they have displayed some interest, but to the appointment of church secretaries or even of theological professors they have only too often manifested frank indifference. The eventual control of their denomination by efficient administrators indifferent to doctrinal issues has frequently resulted, and before they knew it evangelicals have found themselves on the outside, tolerated perhaps, but ineffective in the larger work of their church or interdenominational group.
Not infrequently at this point, some evangelicals, awakened to their position, have endeavored to rectify the situation by taking action in the courts of their church or have tried to warn the church by publication; but by and large they have gained little or no support from the other evangelicals. The latter will devote large amounts of time to organize interdenominational prayer-meetings or evangelistic campaigns, but they are unwilling to take a stand within the church for the crown rights of Christ, and they refuse to give any effective support to those who do.
Another area of default one may find in the realm of thought. Most evangelicals, with the exception of some scholars in the Reformed tradition, do not seem to have worked out their own intellectual position particularly in relation to contemporary thought: science, history, economics, sociology and the like. Such seems to be the case even in most so-called Christian colleges where the authorities often lay more stress upon chapel attendance and the evils of tobacco than they do upon academic standards or faculty research. This has meant that to a large extent evangelicals have fallen out of the intellectual race. Non-evangelicals generally regard them as intellectual nonentities which most of the time they are, simply because they have defaulted in the application of their Christian faith to the thought of their time. Here too defeat has come by default.
The Drift to Isolation
The outcome of all of this has usually been isolationism. Failure to assume their responsibilities within church courts or within other Christian movements has eventually led to a situation from which the only escape has been separation—sometimes within the denomination by ignoring it, sometimes by physical removal from it. It has also meant intellectual isolation often resulting in obscurantism tainted with religious pride. Defeat has to a large extent meant ineffectiveness except in very limited aspects.
What might one offer as the explanation for this state of affairs? To this the first and perhaps surprising answer would seem to be sheer worldliness. One finds that Mr. Pious Talk only too frequently fears what liberals and the like may say about him or do to him.
Another type of worldliness exists which one can only term laziness, both spiritual and intellectual. It comes out in so many ways when one attempts to arouse evangelicals to action. New ideas, new forms of ecclesiastical activity bring forth pious phrases and platitudes, but generally fail to result in anything more. They all with one accord begin to make excuses in order that they may remain comfortably in their old retreats.
Spiritual Issues
Spiritual causes also lie at the root of this default. One may of course say that the worldliness already mentioned is a spiritual problem, which it truly is. But one finds too that so frequently evangelicals have a false spirituality which consists of a refusal to take action. “If we just place the matter in God’s hands, He will solve the problem,” is a frequent rejoinder. But such people fail to realize that God acts through men. His people are his instrument. With all their talk about the Bible as “the Word of God,” and the importance of prayer, so often they seem to take neither seriously, for James stated that “faith without works is dead.” One sometimes wonders how vital most evangelicals’ faith really is.
Even more fundamental, however, one receives the impression that so many evangelicals have been immobilized by a false spirituality which derives from an erroneous doctrine of the Church. They tend to regard the visible, organized Church as relatively unimportant, primarily because in it one finds many who have little faith, if any at all. They seek for a church on this earth which manifests perfection, and unless it does, they feel that they have no personal responsibility to it. Consequently they refuse to take action because they see no point even in trying.
What evangelicals in the various denominations need today is a renewed sense of the sovereign power of God manifested in Christ Jesus and a revived sense of responsibility to Him as their Lord. A Luther, a Calvin, a Cromwell, a Jonathan Edwards did not call it quits when he saw the Church falling upon evil days. Rather he raised his voice in protest, and with increased vigor set forth to reform the Church by every means possible. Today evangelicals are suffering defeat by default because they fail to realize that Christ has called them to action in his Church to the glory of his Name.
W. STANFORD REID
McGill University
Montreal, Canada
