The Nature and Mission of the Church (Part I)
by Wesley S.K. Daniel

Let me first define the word "church." The Greek word for church, ecclesia, means, "an assembly of called-out ones." The term also applies to the whole body of Christians in one place (Acts 1:22; 13:1); a whole congregation (I Corinthians 14:19; Romans 16:5); and the whole body of believers in this world (Ephesians 5:32). Our English word church derives from the Old English cirice, which ultimately comes from the Greek kuriakos — "that which belongs to the Lord." Therefore, the church is a group of believers who are called out from the world and who profess their allegiance to the lordship of Jesus Christ. (For more on the etymology of the word "church," see "What Does Church Mean?" and "Where Did the Word 'Church' Come From?")

Many people today think of the church as just another organization. Although the church is, in some sense, an organization, it is not merely an organization. I believe the church is primarily an organism. It is a living fellowship of believers where the Spirit of God is present and actively working. The church is not a club where members pay their dues every month and attend weekly gatherings. A friend of mine once shared a fine illustration of the difference between the church being an organization and the church being an organism. He told me about an interesting program on the radio that produced a number of sounds amplified several times beyond the normal volume. One of the sounds was that of a precision watch. The watch ticked, "click-clack, click-clack, click-clack." Later in the same program, the announcer had told the audience to listen to the heartbeat of a world champion runner. The runner's hearbeat produced a steady throb, "lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub."

My friend explained that a watch is a mechanism that consists of several parts put together with the purpose of telling time. But the heart is an organism — made by God to give and maintain or sustain life, growth, and vitality.

Likewise, the church of Jesus Christ is not a "click-clack" human-made organization. Rather, it is a "lub-dub" God-created organism that must throb with life, growth, and vitality. The church of Jesus Christ is truly an instrument of Christ in the world. It is not just a human-made institution. In l Corinthians 12, we see that the church is spoken of as the "body of Christ." We are thus called to be God's points of contact to the world in proclaiming the good news of reconciliation, grace, love, and discipleship. God has no hands, but ours; God has no feet, but ours; God has no lips, but ours. Therefore, as members of God's church, we are the instruments of God's work in the world today. We are indeed God's ambassadors and agents of reconciliation, growth, and revitalization.

Wesley S. K. Daniel, former staff of the General Board of Discipleship, is now serving as a superintendent in the Des Moines District of the Iowa Annual Conference.

posted 11-19-02