The Church as an Institution

We have been saved by Christ, and His Spirit lives in our hearts, empowering us to act like Christ - when we have enough Christians that are actually doing that, in an authentic way, we can look forward to a transformation of this world. Matthew 16 states:
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

I think it's important to consider the role of the Church in this world - we are people on mission for Him, and we have to take that very seriously. As His ambassadors, He intends for us to serve Him wholeheartedly, and to leverage our influence so that people may see Jesus in us. In a world that is adrift, we can point people to the solid rock; and our lives should ideally reflect that sense of confidence in the Lord even when we face the shaky circumstances of life. 

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In Acts 10, we find a passage that highlights foundational truth regarding our Christian faith. We can read there:
39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.
40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,
41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

Historically, the Church is a pillar of our society.  Churches in communities have long been known as places of hope and support, ministering to people in need and being established as a moral force in our culture. Even though there have been incredible testimonies of God working through His people during the pandemic, the absence of the visible manifestation of the Church, with churches not meeting due to COVID, I would project, has had a negative effect by sidelining the Church.

A new Gallup poll has measured the perception of major institutions in our society. And, as the survey summary states:

In 2020, confidence in several specific institutions increased as the nation dealt with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. These include some of the business and societal sectors most affected by the public health and financial effects of the coronavirus situation, including the medical system, public schools, small business, organized religion and banks. This year, these same five institutions show the greatest decreases in confidence. However, they all are perceived at least slightly better than they were in 2019 before the pandemic.

Respondents were asked to gauge their level of confidence in leading institutions, and the summary says:

Currently, an average 33% of U.S. adults express "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in 14 institutions, marking a three-percentage-point dip since 2020 and a return to the level seen in 2018 and 2019.

Leading the way in 2021 is the confidence level in "small business," at 70%.  Just behind it is "the military," at 69%.  The police have a 51% confidence level, which is up three points from last year after dropping 5 from 2019.

At the bottom, "Congress," at a 12% confidence level. A few points above that institution: "television news," at 16%.  Newspapers were higher, at 21%.  What is termed, "big business," was at 18%.

Interestingly enough, the Presidency and the Supreme Court had confidence ratings in the 30's.

Regarding "The church or organized religion," just over a third - 37 percent - expressed a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in that category in 2021.  That is down from 42% last year and up a point from the 36% level in 2019.

When you consider those that expressed "little" or "no" confidence in these institutions, 30% of respondents say they have little or no confidence in the church or organized religion.

Overall, the summary relates:

Average confidence in the 14 institutions Gallup has tracked long-term continues to lag behind where it has been historically. The pandemic thrust many U.S. institutions into the spotlight, and the discussion of these institutions' roles in the pandemic has been controversial at times. Grappling with how to set policies to contain the spread of the pandemic while simultaneously attempting to limit its impact on economic, educational and faith activities has proven challenging.

You could say that one of the challenges for the Church today, based on these numbers is how Christianity can sustain confidence.  Granted, we don't live our lives always by the opinion of others, but we are called to live in a manner that would result in someone coming to Christ - wanting what we have.  We have to be grounded in Scripture while marked by compassion.

So, a key element of confidence in the Church is for the people in the body of Christ to be vessels of His love.  We have to take our eyes off ourselves and be devoted to seeking the Lord, which will equip us to minister in this world more effectively. 

In an age of confusion and tons of information all around us, we have the chance to cut through the noise and speak truth with conviction.  Compromise doesn't set us apart, adherence to the principles of Scripture does.