Does the Church Need a Building?

I recently spent some time in the bush of West Africa. Our team drove down dirt roads from village to village. Okay, the word “roads” is a bit of an exaggeration. In many spots it was just a dirt path.

I’m pretty sure where I was qualified as “the ends of the earth.” People were living in mud houses and grass huts. A well with relatively clean water was a luxury. We saw children surviving on a couple good meals every week. If you are reading this post, you and I are very rich.

It was in the midst of this environment that I may have experienced my biggest frustration on the trip. In these villages in remote West Africa, people are hearing the Gospel for the very first time. When that happens, they want to gather in community with other believers for teaching and worship.

What was frustrating to me is the investment churches are making in buildings. In just about every village we went into, the church building, if there was one, was the biggest and nicest building in the village. It was truly aggravating. Don’t these people realize church isn’t about buildings?

In one village we visited, the indigenous pastor showed us the tree the church first met under. Then he pointed out the first building made out of mud. Then he showed us their spacious, modern, new worship facility.

Get this, some of these churches are filling up their big buildings and they’re building even bigger buildings. Don’t they know that’s not how the early church did it?

The way it’s supposed to work is that you’re supposed to meet in homes. When one home fills up, you start another church in a second home. Or, you rent a building that already exists in the village. Why, though, would a church invest in a building when people desperately need food and water?

Then that’s when the pastors from the villages taught me a lesson about ministry. In these villages, it’s not uncommon for there to be a mosque. Islam is the predominant religion, so they have a significant physical presence. In fact, they are very intentional of building mosques in every village and they try to establish facilities as close to the center of commerce as possible. In a culture that associates “faith” with a place of worship, it’s impossible for the Christian church to grow and for the Gospel to spread if it doesn’t also have a place of worship.

In other words, these indigenous pastors knew their culture better than I knew their culture. Though I had a strategy for growing the church that I thought was more like the early church found in Acts, my approach would have prevented the Gospel from spreading in these villages.

And all of this was a good reminder to me that knowing the Gospel message is obviously very important, but so is knowing the culture that you’re trying to reach. It gave me new understanding for Paul’s words:

“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:22-23, NIV)

It was also a good reminder that what happens to work here in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia may not necessarily be the best approach to spreading the Gospel in Portland, Oregon or New York City…and vice versa. In fact, last I looked around Atlanta, a lot happens in buildings–some very big buildings.

So, what do you think? Does the church need a building? Or, do the pastors in Africa just need to learn how to properly grow a church?

http://www.ebroussard.com eddie broussard

Simple answer is no…tell me again how they are different than America?
http://dannyjbixby.blogspot.com Danny Bixby

For some reason, I don’t feel frustrated by this post…not sure exactly why I should.

I don’t think that a church can look at another church model; copy it over directly without looking at why they did what they did, why what worked for them worked, and NOT appropriately adapt it to their culture and environment and expect it to actually work.

For me, it doesn’t matter if that church you’re using as your model is a mega church in Atlanta, Southern California, Korea, or the model of church that existed 2000 years ago. It doesn’t seem appropriate to just pick it up and attempt to plant it back down somewhere else.

Sometimes the church does need a building. Probably more often than we’d like to admit.
http://jodyforehand.wordpress.com Jody Forehand

Great post Tony. There is no “right” way to do church. I wrote about this in a previous blog post a couple months ago. The church “building” should be a tool and should represent the needs of the community and culture it serves. Our company, Visioneering Studios, has worked with churches across the country, and even internationally in some third world locations, and it is always our goal to design a “Christ-centered community” in whatever form it takes to reach the culture where it is located.
http://www.nickblevins.com Nick Blevins

I think if the culture calls for it, like where you went and for most of America, yes, the church should have a building or some place to gather, even if that’s leased/rented space.

Obviously a church doesn’t NEED one, but I know for a fact that churches without buildings in the north east are viewed as questionable by unchurched people, because of the strong Catholic influence that ties building to faith.
http://www.1429creative.com Randy Vaughn

Wow, I was wondering if you might run into this “dilemma” – having myself spent almost 10 years in Benin West Africa (just south of Burkina), this was the very same issue I would grapple with. During the stage of “evangelism” we would meet under the mango tree and I thought, “WOW, this is IT! This is what church is!” Then inevitably, the church would form and immediately they’d ditch the open mango tree environment for a closed-in building. Argghh! So very frustrating. I’d get back in my 4WD Toyota truck and leave irritated because they didn’t do it the way the early church did it. :)

The various religions so prevalent in Africa (Islam, Catholicism and even more modern groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses) are all primarily building-centered. It is a part of their identity not because they believe the building is so impressive (they rarely are), but because a building signifies stability. Change doesn’t happen in rural West Africa. African families are huge on long-standing tradition, stability, and legitimacy. It was amazing to how much “credibility” seemed to exist with the locals once we would dedicate the new brick facility.

As much as I would have loved to see a rural house-church movement (and they likely do exist out there), what I saw was a group of followers still doing more outside the walls than inside (with no A/C, who wants to linger there!) I was encouraged by that.

There was still a mentality that seemed to turn inward when they went into the building (whereas the mango tree provided an open invitation environment). All in all, I am not in favor of building the buildings for them, but I am also not against them building their buildings either.

Ironically, our church just announced a $10M building renovation. It’s a great church and they do great things all over the world. So I’m not against this spending either. It all depends on what you do with what God has given. It’s a difficult thing to reconcile, but we will remain frustrated if all we do is criticize here or there . . . in reality, we push the local church, here or in Africa, to be a people of influence outside their walls.

-Randy
Jim

In Exodus God commands Moses to build a place where He could be with His people: “they are to make a sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8

Jesus later tells the lady at the well that one day people will not worship in this place or that place, this hill or that hill but in spirit and in truth.

Your question was, “Does the Church need a building?” The answer is certainly not… unless God is telling someone to build one. And if God is telling someone to build one, God will make a way. And if God is making a way, who are we to say otherwise?
http://joshherndon.com Josh Herndon

“Church methods” don’t translate from Dallas to San Francisco, let alone New York to Burkino Faso.
http://www.theRising.org Josh Husmann

Great response by Randy. I definitely don’t feel the building question is a simple yes or no response in any culture. It’s what leads to the MOST Kingdom work that should be our answer.
http://dennismuse.com/wpblog Dennis Muse

No the church does not need a building, you can have church in homes, apartments, parks, on the beach, coffee shops, front lawns, backyards, offices, basically anywhere people can meet.
Rocky

When I lived in Northern Canada buildings were pretty important. Outdoor services were not really an option. Oranizations that want to reach the world (virtual or not) find that organizing and empowering people happen face to face and in stable enviorments, just look at the mega campus’s of Google or churches that are touching the earth in3rd world countries.
http://www.EthosMinistries.com Tim Morgan

Building are used to gather the masses…if there are masses to gather than a building would make sense. However, if countries are emulating american church approach to gain financial support or bring credibility than I would be concerned. Clean water is more needed than a larger place to gather
http://ireidlife.wordpress.com TJ Reid

I live in Detroit, MI. In these very urban areas – having a building is a sign of stability and sticking around in the community. It’s important to them to know that we’re in it for the long haul. And it makes them feel like they’re a part of something lasting as well.

Just a thought from my neck of the woods.
- Gates Jamie Michelle
  
  TJ, like the Savior himself said to His Disciples as the left the temple, “see all of this, these stones, there will not be one left upon another”! Building from the heart….that is what is needed. Ministering to people in truth and love and true need will build stability!
http://twitter.com/creating_value Eric E. Kidwell

I 120% believe that churches are not made up of four walls, but of passionate people wanting to their souls to be commissioned for the great cause of saving the lost.

In fact, I have a friend who is starting a church in Indy called LIVE (http://www.thelivemovement.com), where they will save tons of money by not investing in a building, but will rent out conference centers for big events and meet primarily in homes. Think of all the money that could be going to outreach to see the world change and God’s Kingdom reign, if all churches spent less money on themselves and more money on others.

The vision of LIVE? To take the Message LIVE. Everyday. Everywhere.

What is the message? The message is that we are the message. That we need to be Jesus to the world.
http://www.burnyourgraveclothes.com Chris Hill

Cool perspective.

Side note: I think commenters should have to click a box that says, “I have read this entire post and fully understand it’s context.” before being able to comment. ;)
http://rockinapond.wordpress.com/ Mason Stanley

This post brings a flood of thoughts to mind, most drowning me in humility.

Not only do our locations and cultural settings determine our fulfillment of ministry but our leadership effects this significantly as well. I have been in a church where I have heard “well, you can’t do that here, that just won’t work.” At the time I thought my pastor was meaning it wouldn’t work in the town that I was in because of the culture. Looking back, it could have been done, just not in that particular church because the pastor set the cultural tone for the congregation. And our congregation was built based on his specific culture, therefor I was trying to go against the culture of our church.

There are so many variables in what a called out assembly needs that one equation could solve the church growth problem. (by growth, i’m assuming we all recognize that it is not about the numbers for the numbers sake, but rather about the number of lives being changed and added to the church.)

God has given us all the tools we need: prayer, scripture, wise council, and a brain. I am certain, using these tools, we can figure out if a particualr church needs a building. We serve an infinitly creative God, to say there is only one way to build the church is to say that God is a one trick creator.
http://rockinapond.wordpress.com/ Mason Stanley

*edit* There are so many variables in what a called out assembly needs that one equation could NOT solve the church growth problem
Nick Henderson

The early church teaches us what we should do, not how exactly how we should do it. Each culture is different, one model works some places and it may not other places. There has to be some relevance to the culture, if the culture looks at buildings as a good way to spread His Word the Good News then use it and use it wisely. I think you can still preach and teach the people that the church is not about a building – it’s about people. As long you do not rely on that building; as long as you do not worship the building and as long as you do not hide behind a building – then there is nothing wrong with a building – a place of worship and a place where Christians can huddle, but the field they play on is the world (community). Use that building to glorify God and use His word to go out and evangelize and disciple.
http://www.fathomtheatrechurch.com/ Tom Doyle

Not judging anyone, however we waste more on buildings then anything. It’s about people not a steeple. Buildings are only brick and sticks. People always remain.
http://www.kcfonline.org JD

Let’s all remember that even when meeting house to house, these early Christian’s were still gathering at the temple for teaching. Does the church need a place to meet, yes. Does it have to be a building owned by the church. In order to be a church, no. Having said that, depending on the culture it can help or hinder growth. Even large cell churches as in South Korea have a larger place to meet (albeit they are only allowed to attend about once per month due to size).
Arturo Machado

I see so much collective wisdom in this blog. I just think we need to be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit of God, which usually speaks through people. Church is about people, about meeting their need collectively, as well as providing opportunities for growth and mission.
Of course we all know that where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is in our midst. There is a collective anointing and impartation in group gathering, but that doesn’t necesarilly mean a church building.
http://halhunter.blogspot.com Hal Hunter

A church “needs” what it takes to respond the the Great Commission in its place. At least a part of the spread of house churches in China seems to be government antipathy to visible, organized congregations, not the planters’ exegesis of Acts regarding what a church properly looks like.

If buildings result in people hearing and responding to the Gospel, I am all for buildings. If house churches or tree churches or internet churches work better in a given setting, I am all for that, too.
Dave Bailey

I think it’s fair to say that the Book of Acts tells us what the Early church “did”, not what the church-at-large-and-forever should “do”. They were making it up as they went along – led by the Spirit and by circumstance and by need. One minute they were the toast of Jerusalem and they needed deacons to administer the massive amount of practical ministries that they put into place, the next minute they were dismantling everything and “getting out of Dodge” as persecution mounted. It’s very unrealistic to use the Early Church as a “pure model”.

We have received a Great Commission and basically we should do whatever works to facilitate the accomplishment of that commission to the best of our ability. Church buildings should be “facilities” – in other words, whatever we have for buildings should realistically be facilitating the fulfilment of our commission and calling. That’s it, plain and simple. If that’s not what they’re for we’ve already lost our way.

Unfortunately, I suspect that a lot of buildings get built to fulfil the ego needs of the builders no matter what we say our real motives are (which is why a Building Program can often devastate a church body)…

We say we build buildings “to the glory of God”, and to that my response is always, “Really?” We need to get a little honest with ourselves. Has a fabulous Mormon temple ever made you want to become a Mormon? Has a cathedral made you want to leave your evangelical roots and become Catholic. Has the most amazing mosque in the world made you seriously consider become Muslim? Buildings don’t mean a lot to unchurched people… it’s only as they’re used for ministry that they take on any significance.

So whatever you have – or don’t have – use it like crazy to touch people for Christ!!!
http://twitter.com/theatre_sexton Jeff Wright

Enjoying the discussion here. I’ve built churches with hammer and nails abroad as well as “built” them with my tithes and alms here in Denver and all over the world. For a living, I work with churches utilizing local movie theatres (US equivelent to a mango tree?) to plant, or multi-site, or transition to one way of being more missional and incarnational in their community.

I concur with many of the statements being made and do believe that cultural, geographical, socio-political context has a heavy hand to play within this debate. I can understand that a building in West Africa or even certain cities in the US can show a commitment and permanence to remain. How many of these places have had zealous missionaries, evangelists, or planters come and leave over the years? Sometimes these buildings, as in the middle ages or the Spanish missions, may bring jobs, commerce, trade, learning, and art to an area and ultimately be for the good of the whole community.

Yet, as mentioned above often the buildings usurp God’s purpose and consume resources that could be better used to feed, clothe, and take in the widows, orphans, and strangers. My questions are do these facilities have to be the nicest building in the village or have better (mostly unused) living room furniture than most of our homes? Does it have to have monthly utility bills that are larger than most median household incomes yet remain empty most of the week? Is it sustainable in a good and bad economy?

While we say we don’t have to do church like the Acts church we often end up following the culture around us whether it’s the Muslims building a Mosque or the “flavor of the month” church’s coffee shop or teen rec room full of Wii’s and PlayStation’s. I just can’t help wonder if we lack imagination and then the faith. I know I do most days. I pray that God works through our churches, people and buildings, despite our mistakes, poor choices, luxury and comfort driven selves, and egos.
Pingback: Friday Links :: jasonpetermann.com
jonathan

what did the Holy Spirit tell the Africans to do? Did their fancy building hinder or enhance what scripture tells us about how the Gospel cares for poor, hungry, thirsty, & dying people? Who cares about the culture…Jesus transcends that…i think answering these questions helps us get closer to knowing the answer to yours. I’ve never been to Africa, but I think my neighborhood could do with a few less buildings and a whole lot more people who live a life that looks like Christ.
Sandy

What I wonder is why people don’t build community centers instead of “church buildings.” They can meet there weekly as a congregation of believers, but also host meals and needed services to the community, so all feel welcome there. Having lived in the south all my life, I am very frustrated with all the churches that spend more money on buildings than on helping people. We are the temple of the holy spirit and don’t need a building to “house God” like they needed in the Old Testament. Forget fitting into the culture and do what is right regardless. As for Africa, why not meet in the mosque? Perhaps it would soon turn into a Christian congregation rather than Islam!
- Gates Jamie Michelle
  
  Amen Sandy! I know you said it 3 years ago; however, it’s still true today!

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