Divisions that lead to church splits are a sad and all-too-common occurrence in the body of Christ. The effects of a church split, regardless of the cause, can be devastating.
This does not happen in Uganda alone, this epidemic cuts across the globe. Notable through scripture, ‘The Body’ of Christ’ is a common New Testament metaphor for the Church.
Scholars who have seen how catastrophic such divisions are continuously teach that the Church is the ‘Body of Christ’ because of a number of biblical facts; Members of the ‘Body of Christ’ are joined to Christ in salvation, they follow Christ as their Head, they are the physical representation of Christ in this world, they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Christ and share a common bond/mandate with all other Christians, regardless of background, race, or ministry.
Whether we know it or not, Church splits distress and dismay mature believers, disillusion new believers.
As secular media houses that break such stories have an increase in sale, havoc in the lives of pastors and their families bring reproach upon the name of Christ.
But there is hope; churches that split can experience healing and restoration.
This quickly leads me to one song by award winning gospel singers; Coopy Bly and Pr Wilson Bugembe.
The two teamed up to remind the church about the need of becoming who we really are – “One Body”.
I will be honest, I didn’t expect it but ,all too thankful that they took on a subject seldom addressed at the pulpit.
In my view, no Christian is perfect, and no pastor or elder or deacon is perfect – we are a work in progress, running the race faithfully toward the goal to win the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
If our expectations of others are too high, disappointment is inevitable and can cause further feelings of hurt and resentment. Our response to one another should be to forgive one another in kindness and compassion.
Once we are committed to forgiving, loving and serving one another, we will see each other’s differences the way Christ does. But if we react to differences of opinion by taking sides and gossiping, the split will widen, more harm will be done to the church members, and our message to the world will be further compromised.
Popular Preacher John Piper puts it this way, each of us is in relationship to Christ, we are therefore in relationship to each other. “If I am Christ’s brother, and your are Christ’s sister, then you are my sister. By creating relationships with himself, Christ creates the relationships in the body.”
He also urges that the Unity of the body of Christ is created in Jesus Christ.
The church is so influenced by secular culture that we think, talk and act in its image, instead of in the image of our Head, the Lord Jesus.
Through their collaboration, Bugembe urges that we must realize that it is the enemy’s plan that the body of Christ splits.
Coopy bly notes that Christians must understand that Christ sees us as one body.
“Why should there be divisions in church. We have to forgive each other and unite back. We lag behind as the the body of Christ as we continue fighting. ” Sings Coopy in “One body”
Of course controversies arise – who is true and who is “practicing cult”? Not all who call the name of Christ belong to Him, a truth He made clear in Matthew 7:16-23. We need to be on guard for those the enemy places among us and exercise both wisdom and discernment – speaking the truth with love in all things.
Listen to “One Body” – Coopy Bly and Wilson Bugembe Below.
By Paul Dennis.
