On Church – Part 8 (Buildings)

In his Letters and Papers from Prison written in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer says,

The Church is the Church only when it exists for others. To make a start, it should give away all its property to those in need. The clergy must live solely on the free-will offerings of their congregations, or possibly engage in some secular calling. The Church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling wheat it means to live in Christ, and to exist for others.

This is a powerful statement. The modern traditional church is a building-based professionally clergy-led institution. It’s hard to find biblical support for much of what we do in churches today. For example, which New Testament author encourages believers to spend exorbitant sums of money—or any money at all—to construct an edifice where they could assemble?

For at least the first two centuries of Christian history believers met in homes. Here are a few New Testament references:

• They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. (Acts 2:46)

• Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house. (Rom 16:3-5)

• The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. (1 Cor 16:19)

• Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home (Philemon 1-2)

• Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. (Col 4:15-16)

• If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. (2 Jn 10)

The early believers didn’t need a special building for their gatherings. And yet the Christian message spread like wildfire. In his book The Problem of Wineskins, Howard Snyder talks about a pastor in Buenos Aires who shut down the church building for a month to see if the church could survive under persecution conditions. Not only did the church survive, it brought in more money in that month than in any previous month (p. 73). I wish more pastors would close down their church buildings occasionally, if for no other reason than to remind believers of two things: church gatherings started in the home and church is the people not a building.

The idea that churches should actually sell their property and give it to the poor is radical, but it aligns with Jesus’ instruction to the rich man: “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Mk 10:21). Can you imagine the testimony to society if wealthy Western churches actually did this?

This reminds me of a story of Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). When Francis and his followers learned that people had moved into their little shack, his followers wanted to kick out the newcomers. Francis, however, just let them have it and moved on.

Bonhoeffer continues, “The clergy must live solely on the free-will offerings of their congregations, or possibly engage in some secular calling.” Notice he says “free-will offerings” not tithes. Tithes are not free-will offerings because they are giving a required set amount—10 percent of income. Tithing is not a New Testament practice. Giving freely from the heart is a New Testament practice, especially giving to the poor. (For more information, see this post.)

Bonhoeffer then adds another option for clergy: “or possibly engage in some secular calling.” Where does he get the idea that church leaders should engage in a secular calling?

In Acts 20, Paul tells the Ephesian elders that he worked with his own hands to provide for himself and others, and he encourages them to do the same:

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (vv. 34-35)

Paul worked as a tentmaker and his example stands as a challenge to all in professional ministry today who receive a full-time salary for their work. (For more on Paul’s manual labor, see this post.)

If churches followed Bonhoeffer’s advice our witness to society and experience of church would be more vibrant and dynamic than we can imagine.

Les Bridgeman

I have served as a high school Bible teacher and counselor in Asia and the U.S. I am passionate about understanding and teaching the Bible. Here’s a link to my book page.