Gates of Charity Close?

When the Church stops being the Church.

I watched a video on Tent City, an un-housed community here in Nashville, a few months back.  A pastor spoke out about allowing the members of this community to remain within his community, although temporary, stating “at some point the gates of charity have to close.”  Hearing this and even thinking about it makes me sick.  It’s statements like this that bastardize the church and create a bad taste in the mouths of many towards Christianity. 

Unconditional love we preach.  As a Methodist Open hearts, open minds, open doors….we exclaim.  But we for sure draw a line.  All churches do, really. 

We’re all guilty of it, myself included.  I could go off on the fact that we should be following Jesus...a  man who called us to get our hands dirty, follow unconditional love, stop being so narcissistic and focussing on our own four walls and our own programming development…but for today I’m going to vent about a specific situation where the gates of charity close and we start to operate as a business as opposed to a community of faith.

My mother began working for the Methodist Church when she was fourteen…probably even sooner…but that’s the earliest I remember her talking about having a job.  She became her small churches choir director in the country of Charleston, SC.  She got her degree in Music Education and Vocal Performance and continued working for larger churches, developing their choral programs. Not only was she a member of Charleston Opera Company, a soloist performer all over town, she worked at different churches around Charleston during her early career. As time went on she and my father traveled across the globe as a military family.  Each church my mom began attending she quickly stepped in to the role of Director of Music and Christian Education.  She built music programs in churches from the ground up on Guam, in Italy, Panama, California to name a few.  She was a rock star.  Musicals, Cantatas, Symphonies, Volunteer Trainings, Sunday School Curriculums…you name it I grew up watching my mom do it.  To say that who I am and the desires of my heart to use my love of dance and music in the church world were shaped by my mom would be an understatement.  Through out most of my childhood she showed me how it was done. 

On August 2 my mother will have been sick in the hospital for exactly a month.  We’re honestly not sure what is wrong.  She’s gotten better in many regards, but something is still neurologically off.  I’ve learned through various experiences that when we find ourselves in prolonged illnesses that while we sit in a hospital bed, unfortunately the world does turn on.  Days go by, experiences happen…life keeps going.  It’s harsh, but real.

My father got a call today stating that the church my mother has worked for the past 14 years has decided after one month that they will be rehiring someone in her place.  Now, there are lots of logical reasons behind this decision.  A Church is, afterall, a business at the end of the day.  Programs continue and need developing.  Children still need Sunday School Teachers to be trained….but it raises my eyebrow and makes me wonder…

After 14 years, more hours worked above and beyond what my mother’s paycheck was and the call of duty, many overworked weeks and weekends later, many job responsibilities well outside her job description later…she is left unemployed.  Now, I understand the rationale behind the decision and I know the United States is so great and has lots of resources to help in situations like this…that is not the point at all…the point is…what is the church?  What is it supposed to be?  I’m not going to answer the question…I’m only going to say…I think at some point some people think the gates of charity close and I think those people give the church a terrible name.  That’s a name I wont ever be a part of.