Community Within the Church: I like people like me…
The problem I am working on is a simple one at first glance, why do church congregations tend to be inwardly focused instead of focusing on others? When I started reading Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson the first thing I thought of is “are churches imagined communities?”. I wondered what was an imagined community and how can I focus this on my problem. The more I read the more I understood Mr. Anderson’s point. As I see it, it boils down to one truth, we like people who are like us whether we actually know them or not.
I love driving, I always have. I have lived the life of a salesman, having to drive all over the DFW metroplex to meet with customers never bothered me. My first “real” grown up job, where I did not have to wear a uniform, was 57 miles one way through ridiculous traffic. I never complained. Why do I tell you this, well we find community wherever we are. Take for example the following comedic bit from Paige Weldon entitled “Traffic Buddies”.
While listening to this while I was driving brought to mind the community of traffic I spent twelve years spending five hours a day driving in. Community is where we find it, and we love to be with people we are like. Anderson states “All the great classical communities conceived of themselves as comically central, through the medium of a sacred language linked to a superterrestrial order of power. Accordingly, the stretch of written Latin, Pali, Arabic, or Chinese was, in theory, unlimited.”[1] In other words, just because of the language used in the sacred texts, people saw themselves in community with others they had never met. An adherent of Christianity in Italy could have an imagined relationship with a Christian in France because of their beliefs. This was a powerful tool, as it still is. Imagine if you can approximately 55,000 students from all over the United States coming together for the sole purpose of worshiping God. Most will never know even 1/10th of the attendees, but they can see themselves as one community for a three day period. That can be a powerful tool, either good or bad.
Now think of your average Southern Baptist Church. The average attendance is just over 250, give or take. In fact, according to most studies, the amount of attenders at small churches far outnumber those at larger churches.[2] So why do we congregate with those who are like us and not reach out to those who are different? Is it because we are more comfortable in community? Or is it because we are scared of those who are different? I will admit myself, the last place I wanted to be is in the middle of a group of people who are different than me, this is why I always pushed back on my wife when she wanted to attend church. Something happened when I found Christ, I relished being different than those around me. My first mission trip ever was to Serbia not long after the U.N. action taken there in response to ethnic cleansing. I went with a man who had been a missionary but had to leave the field because of medical issues with his wife. One of the things he observed while we were there was the ease with which I moved into different groups while we where there. Whether it was in a home church, a bar where there was an outreach opportunity, an internet cafe loaded with gamers hopped up on the craziest energy drinks and clouded with smoke, or sitting in a garden drinking the strongest coffee I have ever had “Turkish” blend made in a džezva. No matter where I was, I felt like part of the “community”
Is this what God is encouraging us to be when he gives us the fellowship of the believer, that no matter where we go, we can find others “like us”. Or, is the community we have as believers meant to strengthen us so we may reach out to others to share the good news? I feel like it is the latter of the two options. We are never told to build grand buildings, huddle together and disparage the outside world. We are told to go and make disciples, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching all that we have been taught.
I think Anderson is correct in calling them Imagined Communities. We even see it more today by way of social media. I can join any imagined community just by following or posting to some person or group. Into this mix came Twitter, an asymmetric microblogging service: If you follow me, I do not have to follow you. This means that connections on Twitter depend less on in-person contact, as many users have more followers than they know.[3] I can be part of any community I want to be in without even being who I am. The implications are staggering, I can be in multiple communities, encouraging multiple groups in multiple ways. I wonder if Anderson, when he wrote this book, could have ever imagined a more diverse group of communities, most of which have little to no use for nationality?
[1] Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso, 2016. 13.
[2] “Little People In Little Places: The Average Size Of SBC Churches | Said At Southern”. Saidatsouthern.Com. Last modified 2018. Accessed January 18, 2018. http://saidatsouthern.com/little-people-in-little-places-the-average-size-of-sbc-churches/.
[3] Gruzd, Anatoliy, Barry Wellman, and Yuri Takhteyev. “Imagining Twitter as an Imagined Community.” American Behavioral Scientist55, no. 10 (2011): 1294-318. doi:10.1177/0002764211409378.
About the Author
Jason Turbeville
A pastor, husband and father who loves to be around others. These are the things that describe me. I was a youth minister for 15 years but God changed the calling on my life. I love to travel and see where God takes me in my life.11 responses to “Community Within the Church: I like people like me…”
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Hi Jason!
You jumped right in with “are churches imagined communities?” and I would say yes, they most likely are. What are your thoughts on that? Expected? Discouraging? And what does that mean for us as Christians? Great post!
Jean,
I think we are supposed to be communities but the problem lies in we close ourselves off to the outside world. If we can be a community but inclusive I think we would be better off. Just my two cents.
Hi Jason,
Great opening paragraph for us to read, especially with your thought, “it boils down to one truth, we like people who are like us whether we actually know them or not.”
I think you nailed it. Which is why it is tough to have multi-cultural churches, and to truly have fellowship with other believers from different denominations because we aren’t close to each other doctrinally.
But ultimately, the church, called the “Bride of Christ” in more than one Biblical text, will be presented to Jesus, “without spot or wrinkle.”
Only God could do that!
Jay,
You are so right that only God could do this and He has given us the opportunity to learn how to do it. I look at George Fox and say to myself, this is outside of my comfort zone but I know God has called me there to learn from other points of view.
Jason great insight. Indeed this does apply to churches and churches at 250 and under. Perhaps most people go to a church that size because they desire more than an imagined community?
Walking into mega churches is indeed an imagined community to some degree.
Are you familiar with Dunbar’s number??
“Dunbar’s number is a suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships—relationships in which an individual knows who each person is and how each person relates to every other person“
Dunbar’s number suggests that humans can comfortably maintain only 150 stable relationships. Is this the number of real community someone can have before it is imagined? Is this why most churches are around 150?
Is this why there is a 200 growth barrier that churches face?
Kyle,
I am familiar with Dunbar’s number having recently come across as I was searching for why we tend to focus on ourselves. I have been in mega churches and tiny churches and anywhere in between. What I have seen is most people tend to congregate with people in like situations. I am not a big fan of age graded small groups for adults, for example, I want people from all walks and all parts of life so the sharing of wisdom and knowledge gets passed on.
Jason,
Great introduction and question, “why” are Christians so inward focused? If you give any credence to my research on spiritual warfare, then one reason is because most Christians struggle with resisting Satan and his legions of demons harassing, disrupting, deceiving, and destroying Christians and their ability to witness to the world. As such, they are focusing on themselves and their problems instead of focusing outward and on the needs and salvation of others.
Revival does create community, which is a great illustration you gave! I can relate to your Serbian experience, moving in and out of communities, cross-culturally without fear or hesitation. That is a wonderful place to be with the Lord. I agree, Option 2 on your community choices- “reach out to others.”
I am not Twitter savvy, but I can connect with your example of using that to engage and reach multiple communities. Praise the Lord! Tell me more how that works for you in ministry and I may try to adopt that into the Armor of God coin ministry.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Mike,
Like any other social media twitter can be good or bad. I see so many flame wars show up on my feed it begins to become depressing. On the flip side, I have been able to share in triumphs of the Spirit, and pray with brothers and sisters from all over the world because of it, with urgency might I add. It is a tool, the good or bad is up to those who choose to use it.
I agree on the satanic influence, I have begin to broach this in a bible study with some friends of mine and it is well worth the time.
We have become a society of smorgasbord nationalists. Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and even Pinterest, we pick and choose the areas of our nation and leave the rest. You and I may both love “The Lord of the Rings” but my fascination with “Star Wars” leaves us divided. We are happy when others share our opinions and believes, and sometimes almost resentful when they don’t.
I am not entirely sure that we can even see a “national” view formed with any accuracy anymore because I believe one could venture that some nations these days are more cyber than physical.
Great thoughts Jason.
Shawn,
I’m not sure what you are saying about Star Wars, I love Star Wars…went to see the first one when I was 7 and been going ever since…I agree on the view of “national” starting to be blurred because of the online community don’t you think?
Jason,
Thanks for this post (and the comedy insert as well!). I really think you are right about your central point: that we naturally “like” or are attracted to or are comfortable around people who are like us. One idea I am working on is that churches are meant to have those kinds of “enclaves” or safe spaces (i.e.: the youth group is for the youth, the choir is for those who enjoy singing, etc). BUT– I think that the overall church (or Sunday worship, etc) is not meant to be that kind of enclave community, but is actually a place for larger connection, for being with people who are “other” in some ways. I think we need both of those experiences in church to be whole. Anyway– I’ll read your post again later down the line, as this is part of my research topic. Thanks!