What do you do with a church that is not a church?

In my last post I suggested that when a church has abandoned the gospel and its leaders have led the way, then it is a least reasonable to consider it not to be a church. In terms of the Church of England this raises a somewhat tricky issue, which is that it is a denomination and not a local church. It's clear (even from the voting in synod) that lots of local churches are not on board with the gospel change that is being pushed through.

So I suggested last time that there are a couple of questions to answer to unpack that.

1. What do we do with a denomination that rejects the gospel?
2. What do we do with an orthodox church that remains within that denomination?

Let's start with question 1: what do we do with a denomination that rejects the gospel? I think we need to separate from them. Let me be clear, by changing the gospel, it is ultimately the progressives or revisionists or whatever we're to call them who are causing the division (I know they spend ages trying to put the guilt onto the horrible conservatives, but if they didn't like what the church taught they could have either never joined or left, instead they brought division!). So when Paul writes:

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. (Romans 16:17 ESV)

it applies to the revisionist bishops and denominations. We are to avoid them. Similarly when John writes:

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. (2 John 1:9-11 ESV)

it applies to revisionist denominations and bishops who are not abiding in the teaching of Christ and do not have God, so we don't want to be involved with their wicked works, we're not going to be in fellowship with them.

We have plenty of examples of this that we are broadly agreed on. I don't have fellowship with Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons for example. More controversially (although not really!), although we might recognise a somewhat closer affinity on some creedal and ethical matters, we don't have fellowship with the Roman Catholic church, because, critically, they are wrong on the gospel.

Without a huge u-turn and serious repentance (and the beginnings of real discipline for those who are not being faithful including bishops!), we need to recognise that the Church of England is in this position. If you are in that denomination, then you are now part of an apostate denomination and separation is the key if you want to avoid the condemnation of 2 John 11. I think it may need saying that this needs to be for real this time. It's not about fine words, bullish sermons and symbolic gestures. It means you leave and you take the hit for being faithful. If you're a church leader it means explaining it as clearly as you can to your congregations and bringing as many of them out as possible. The faithful will come if they understand.

As someone now outside the Church of England, clearly I will stay separate from the Church of England. For my brothers and sisters inside the Church of England, I'm praying for you. I genuinely think concerted action to separate would not only be faithful, but would also be revitalising for you and your congregations. I think you could focus on evangelism, being healthy churches and building true gospel partnerships with actual beliving churches, instead of messing about with heretics. I know you're working out what separating means right now. Please, please don't go for the weakest option, the minimum where you think you might be able to pass yourself off as being faithful. Please don't get all tied up with the heretics to "negotiate" by which you mean compromise. Don't think any of us are fooled! Now is the time for courage and sacrifice. Don't fold!

For those of us on the outside, I suspect we we will be forced into difficult decisions in the months and years to come. How much fellwoship do we want with a supposedly orthodox, but seemingly compromised local Church of England church? How convinced are we that they have separated from the apostate denomination? How easy is it to tell? This will have huge implications for gospel partnerships, conventions and conferences and links to parachurch organisations. Should that speaker be invited and should I go if they have been? Should an organisation recommend that local church to students and should I be involved if they do?

This, of course, all leads us to my second question, but that will take another post I think.