There is a Nigerian proverb, which says, "a log may lie in the river for a hundred years, but it will never become a crocodile". Some people are a bit like that: they live a good life, and they attended church religiously. They look just like a Christian, but never having received a new nature from God they remain a stranger and alien to God's family (e.g. Ephesians 2.19). You do not become a Christian by trying to look like one or by doing the `right things'. Whether the right thing is being baptised or confirmed; or doing the right actions, whether holding your hands in the air in praise, or being nice to your neighbour. Unless your nature has been changed by the action of the Holy Spirit, you are not a Christian, no matter how long you have looked or acted like one. Jesus calls this change of nature being "born again" of the Holy Spirit (John 3.5,7) and says that without it "no-one can enter the Kingdom of God".
It is the same with churches. Putting up a sign with `Church' on it does not make a church in the Biblical sense. The Bible gives lots of characteristics of a true church, and just as many `pictures' of the Church - in both cases, far too many even to list here. We can consider only two: the Church as `the Body of Christ' (e.g. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Colossians 3) and as `God's building' (e.g. 1 Corinthians 3, Ephesians 2, & 1 Peter 2). Membership of `the Body of Christ' comes as a consequence of our new nature, obtained through our new birth - and not by any action of ours to join. We are Christians because we have been made part of the `one body'; not part of the `body' because we have chosen to become a member of it (see 1 Corinthians 12). If there is only one body, there can only be one Church. All churches, as we know them, can only be parts of the one Body. Consequently, one `true church' cannot be separated from any other `true church', and still be part of the `one Body'. A church or an individual Christian that does not "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit" (Ephesians 4 again) is a contradiction in terms.
Both St Paul and St Peter speak of the Church as a building into which Christians are being built as `living stones'. Nowadays, we would probably talk about `living bricks'. Too many Christians seem to think of themselves as `freelance bricks'. They wish to be in control of where and when they will consent to be part of the building. An ordinary `freelance brick' is of no value to a builder, it is almost unusable, and nearly always ends up as the brick you trip over! Christians who are not built into the Church in the place and in the way which the Holy Spirit chooses for them are spiritual `freelance bricks': neither use nor ornament, and likely to cause others to stumble. Churches that separate themselves from other churches, no matter how important the reasons they have for so doing, are no different, they have simply become `freelance bricks'.
Unity is not a minor matter. It is of the very essence of `the body'. It is what Jesus prayed for (John 17.20,21). It is what St Paul urges us to strive for (Ephesians 4.3-6). If we claim to be a Church (and especially if we claim to be a `Bible believing Church') we must answer the question: why isn't unity as important to us as it was for Jesus? If we claim to be rooted in the tradition of the Early Church (as Anglicans, the Orthodox and Roman Catholics do) we must explain why we have added further `hurdles' to those the Early Church decided were sufficient to determine a `true church': namely the Nicene Creed (for purists: `without the filioque').
`Actions speak louder than words'. We may label ourselves as a church, and we may even look like a church, but that does not make us a church, no matter how long we have looked like one. What makes a church part of the `Body of Christ' is the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. What characterises a church is its obedience to its head, "that is Christ" (Ephesians 4.15). Renewal in the Spirit and obedience to Christ show themselves by the `fruit' they produce (e.g. John 15, Romans 7, Galatians 5, Colossians 1). Do the churches of Bern act like parts of one body, or are they more like freelance bricks? Judge for yourself, as Jesus said (about `false prophets') "by their fruit you will recognise them" (Matthew 7.16). And, above all, do we act like a true church? Do we "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit"?
Richard Pamplin, January 2002