By Paul W. Dennis.
KAMPALA – Bishop Isaiah Mbuga, the founder of Christ’s Heart Ministries International has expressed concern over Christians who keep changing membership from one Church to another, often seeking out what he has called “deeper emotional experiences and quick results.”
In his remarks on Monday, Bishop Mbuga described such Christians as “hunters” and noted that believers in Christ must move past emotions as the starting point of their faith journey.
“Christians who are hunters will never settle in one church. They are always looking for the next spiritual high,” the preacher explained.
Over the years, many church leaders have wondered how to most effectively cultivate durable faith and membership in the lives of congregants.
A five-year project headed by Barna Group president David Kinnaman recently explored the opportunities and challenges of faith development among Christians within a rapidly shifting culture.
In its findings, no single reason dominated the break-up between church and adults. Instead, a variety of reasons emerged.
According to Bishop Mbuga, one reason offered by Christians who keep switching membership in churches is that they feel “my pastor is not that anointed.”
For others, Bishop Mbuga said, are just not willing to take on the sacrifice and invest in their church.
Bishop Mbuga noted that Christians should at a personal level put their faith in Christ, invest in prayer, fasting or reading their own bibles.
“We have to invest in prayer and bible reading. Even us who you look at, and call spiritual have had time when we had to apply ourselves in the word of God. We have stood even when men have let is down. We have stood even when people have spoken evil and ill about us. And the bible says after we have stood; we will inherit a crown – Stop wondering around, be planted in one church.”
We don’t walk by feelings, Bishop Mbuga said, in the kingdom of God, if you are a minister, it has nothing to do with feelings.
“There are people who give when they feel good. There are people who will attend worship sessions and shout loudest because they have just got a pay cheque,” he asserted.
On the other hand, Bishop Mbuga urged fellow Church leaders to invest time in growing and grooming God’s people under their care.
“Let us be farmers, let us be deliberate in everything that we do. Let us reach people genuinely and consistently,” he concluded.
