3. Unity in the Midst of Diversity

Iam in Germany at an unusual place as I type this chapter—the Mother House of the Deaconess Movement of Aidlingen. I have been coming here for about forty years. In a few weeks they will again put up a huge tent on their property and have one of the largest youth events in the nation with more than 8,000 coming from all over to hear the Word of God and great Christian music.

I remember speaking here some years ago, and it is always amazing to see God working in the hearts of so many young people. These dear sisters take vows of chastity and some think of them as Protestant nuns (though they are actually members of the Lutheran Church here in Germany). I consider it a great privilege to have some of these sisters in Jesus as close friends. This is one of my favorite places in the world to slow my pace and give myself to prayer, writing, and walking in the great forest surrounding the grounds. I also share from the Word of God with them and have great fellowship around the wonderful meals they provide. Their deep love for Jesus and His Word and desire for world missions are very evident.

After sixty years of ministry in close to a hundred nations, I have come across a sprawling diversity of movements, churches, and people. Just on our ship Logos Hope alone, you will find forty different nationalities. No wonder the prayer nights are so interesting!

Wisley Garden, a botanical garden with thousands of varieties of flowers just outside London near Heathrow Airport, is another one of my favorite places. My close friend Danny Smith, who came to Jesus when I first met him in Calcutta almost fifty years ago, lives near there, and we sometimes go for walks among the flowers. The breathtaking variety of this vast garden reminds me of the church across the world with its more than 40,000 denominations and movements—a number that’s increasing every year!

I have heard leaders I respect speak about this colossal explosion of movements and denominations in a negative way. I, too, was once of that mindset. But seeing the diversity of people the Lord used in the Bible and the variety of the stars and galaxies in almost every area of creation, I realize it’s largely a wonderful and positive thing. Truly we are one church spiritually, united in Christ. But in an earthly sense, why are we not all united as one church in the same denomination? I think the answer is easy. That’s not God’s way of building His kingdom on Earth. So within the stream of orthodox, biblical Christianity, we should celebrate this great diversity. Even in the midst of the messiness caused by our sin—divisions, discord, disunity, strife—God is at work.

There are many secondary issues that have caused churches and denominations to split, but the great global split has been between those who believe the Bible is truly God’s Word and those who don’t. Many years ago, the word “fundamentalist” was coined to distinguish those who believe the Bible is the Word of God from those who do not; those who do not were often called “liberals” (not in the political sense). In more recent decades, “evangelical” came to describe those who hold to the biblical faith but who generally do not want the label “fundamentalist,” which has been connected with hyper-legalism and judgmentalism, and even compared to Islamic fundamentalism. That’s why thousands of churches and hundreds of movements associate themselves with the WEA (World Evangelical Alliance) or the national counterpart in their own nation. The WEA helped to cultivate in me a greater respect for the wonderfully different ways God was working in so many denominations and movements.

We must face the fact that so much of church growth, social concern, and service takes place within the context of the local church. Yes, God uses interdenominational movements as well. But we should eschew an either/or mentality and realize that God works in different people in different ways.

Of course, the more we can have times of praise, fellowship, worship, and evangelism, as the body of Christ united together, the better. Certainly without sincere love for one another we only hinder ourselves and our own church or movement.

God works through culture, language, people, situations, and all kinds of circumstances. Most churches or movements over the last two thousand years were started by a visionary leader. Up until Martin Luther in the sixteenth century, there were only a few major divisions, but at the same time the Catholic Church learned how to channel diversity into different orders, so we saw a huge range of them—like the Jesuits, Franciscans, and Sisters of Mary. There isn’t enough space for me to write about the great errors that crept into that church in those days, many of which still remain today. It was truly a “messy” time in church history. But would any of us dare to say God was not doing anything in the midst of it?

Many today are especially critical of all our different churches and denominations, but I recommend they go to Wisley Garden. As fallen human beings, everything we touch—yes, even the church—will be fraught with sin, weakness, faults, and failure. But God is at work even in our fallenness and humanness. The great mystery is how our great God keeps working and doing wonderful things in the midst of it all.

This does not mean we should lay aside our battle for greater holiness or forget that Satan is a roaring lion seeking those he can devour—even by appearing as an angel of light. The reality of the spiritual warfare outlined in Ephesians 6 is very real. We must not make excuses for sin and folly, but always repent and try to make things right, by God’s grace.

Moreover, we are well aware that some churches and denominations are spiritually dead. Heresy and false teachings have arisen, smothering the gospel and replacing the truth with error. We must all fight the good fight—pursuing sanctification by the Spirit, seeking unity in the church, and guarding against falsehood. Yet, don’t be surprised if God remains steadily at work in the midst of the mess, bringing lost souls to Christ and glory to His Name!