This article, written by Jerry Davich, was originally published in the NW Indiana Times on October 13th, 2024.
Colleen and I attended Suncrest Christian Church for a brief time and found it to be a God-centered church filled with wonderful people. Pastor Greg Lee has a genuine passion for reaching the people of NW Indiana and beyond. Given their commitment to the region, it’s no surprise they are addressing the dechurching epidemic, which highlights the importance of a ministry like Reframe Church in every community.
When Suncrest Christian Church asked thousands of Region residents why they don’t regularly attend church or a place of worship, the No. 1 response was that the church — any church — has hurt people.
“It’s been sobering,” said Greg Lee, lead pastor of the St. John church.
His church, which has a weekly attendance of 1,500 parishioners, plus 500 more online, began distributing a survey this summer through multiple ways — direct mailings to homes, QR code postcards, social media, emails, the church website, and word of mouth.
“It’s been fascinating to listen to people and their responses,” Lee said, noting that Suncrest’s survey gathered nearly 1,000 responses.
Lee outlined four broad categories to that survey question: tough love, frustration, pain and abuse. Tough love hurts but it can be good for us. Frustration emerges as a common dynamic in every human group. Pain is deeper and more pervasive, and lasting abuse is the most severe category.
“It’s been fascinating to listen to people and their responses,” Pastor Greg Lee said, noting that Suncrest’s survey gathered nearly 1,000 responses.
Historical hypocrisy by church leaders has been a major source of hurt and pain for parishioners, according to survey responses.
“Jesus reserved His anger for the hypocrites,” Lee said, citing Matthew 23:13-33. “I can understand if you’ve been hurt by a hypocrite and it has kept you from that church. But I plead with you not to let it keep you from Jesus.”
Davich: Has a church or religion hurt you? This pastor wants to know
Have you been hurt by a church or by religion?
When Suncrest Christian Church asked thousands of regional residents why they don’t regularly attend church or a place of worship, the number 1 response was that the church — any church — has hurt people.
“It’s been sobering,” said Greg Lee, lead pastor of the St. John church.
Many people of faith frame life in “seasons” that come and go. For example, COVID-19 was described as a season. Questioning faith for a period of time could be a season. Falling on hard times could be a season.
But Suncrest wanted to use this autumn season to reach out to Northwest Indiana residents who don’t go to church, who don’t rely on a place of worship, or who left their church for whatever reason and never returned.
“Instead of us assuming what their answers may be, let’s ask them,” Lee said.
Suncrest Christian Church wanted to use this autumn season to reach out to Northwest Indiana residents who don’t go to church, who don’t rely on a place of worship, or who left their church for whatever reason and never returned.
“Instead of us assuming what their answers may be, let’s ask them,” lead pastor Greg Lee said.
“Whenever someone in spiritual authority — whether it’s a pastor, a priest or the institution of church — does something in the name of God that was good for them but not good for you, it can be labeled abuse,” Lee said. “People listen to pastors. We represent God to them, so we have to be careful with the words we use, the things we say. Otherwise, it’s an abuse of power.”
Otherwise, people get hurt, abused, frustrated, disappointed. And they never return.
“If a spiritual leader or a church condones abuse or says something like 'God wanted it to happen,' that’s not right,” said Lee, whose sermon last Sunday explored the topic of hurt and disappointment.
This Sunday’s sermon theme is, “Why should I take the Bible seriously?”
Lee intentionally uses the word “seriously.” It doesn’t mean you have to believe every word of the Bible or even that it’s the actual word of God or Jesus, which can shut down conversations. Can people at least take the Bible seriously enough to discuss or debate or possibly convert their beliefs, or lack of faith?
Suncrest Christian Church, which has a weekly attendance of 1,500 parishioners, plus 500 more online, began distributing a survey this summer through multiple ways — direct mailings to homes, QR code postcards, social media, emails, the church website and word of mouth.
Next week’s theme in the church’s series explores the compatibility of faith and science — two entities colliding more as modern technology intersects with ancient beliefs.
The final theme of the weekly series will invite people into Suncrest during church services to text personal or theological questions to Lee. The entire series is oriented around the posture of listening, not the traditional practice of preaching.
“I’m going to try to answer as many questions as I can,” said Lee, who knows he doesn’t have all the answers. “And I don’t want any softball questions.”
Since I’ve become friends with Lee, I haven’t asked him any softball questions about faith, Jesus, and eternity. He has helped guide me toward conviction, a concept I knew little about for most of my life.
Most people want certainty from churches and religion, beyond faith, hope, and fellowship. “I gave up certainty and landed on conviction,” Lee told me last year for a column.
In regard to his church’s four-part outreach series, Lee hopes it can prompt people to perceive church differently or to reengage with their faith. To some survey respondents, Lee has apologized on behalf of all churches.
“The church is a global community and I’m a part of it, so I made it a point to offer an apology to people who’ve been hurt,” he explained.
Apologizing is important. But it’s just words. Lee understands this. To begin or renew a path of healing for people who’ve been hurt by a church, Suncrest has invited them to talk confidentially with its pastors or elders. Or to talk with a professional counselor, paid by the church for at least the first three sessions.
“They need someone to listen, not just stand on a church stage and talk about it,” Lee said.
Historical hypocrisy by church leaders has been a major source of hurt and pain for parishioners, according to survey responses.
Suncrest Christian Church in St. John began distributing a survey this summer through multiple ways — direct mailings to homes, QR code postcards, social media, emails, the church website, and word of mouth.
“Jesus reserved His anger for the hypocrites,” Lee said, citing Matthew 23:13-33. “I can understand if you’ve been hurt by a hypocrite and it has kept you from that church. But I plead with you not to let it keep you from Jesus.”
The challenge for Christian pastors is to shepherd those people through the complex labyrinth of pain, hurt, and anger to find Jesus. Either for the first time or the final time. People who’ve been hurt by a church or pastor or priest or imam were harshly jostled into pain, confusion, darkness, anxiety or skepticism.
“I want to jostle them out of it, and ideally jostle them back into faith,” Lee said. “I want to be a voice in Christianity that also listens to people in Northwest Indiana and beyond."
