My Superior Church

“Dones,” when it was discovered that there is an increasing number of people living outside traditional “church” institutions who continue to grow in a relationship with Jesus and connect in meaningful ways with others. The Dones is the most recent label attached to them. They have been called revolutionaries, outside the box, free-range Christians, or the de-churched. Such labels serve the media’s need to talk about trends among specific groups and for others to market products inside those trends, but they really aren’t helpful to the work Jesus is doing in the world. Our fallen nature constantly seeks to find identity and safety inside a tribe, and labels are important to keep “my group” separate from “their group.” It works for sports teams, gangs, and even religious groups. Labels so easily polarize humanity into adversaries, and especially with religious ones where we conclude that our group is not just different, but closer to God. So, it’s not surprising that labels either flatter or denigrate, depending on which tribe is talking. Sadly, most of this conversation about the Dones is either insiders talking to insiders about outsiders, or outsiders talking to outsiders about insiders. For insiders, terms like “dechurched” or “church refugees” may seem fair, but actually perpetuate the myth that religious institutions are the only reflection of Jesus’ church in the world. That is as unfortunate as it is untrue. Using “church” only for religious institutions is no minor slip. Most religious leaders want people to believe it so they won’t consider leaving, too. Even many of the so-called Dones talk about having “left the church.” Likewise, those outside want to claim the titles that make them seem freer, more grace-based, or more powerful than their counterparts in more traditional settings. After George Barna published Revolution in 2006, those outside of traditional structures quickly latched on to it as evidence that they were more spiritually committed, and instead of opening a dialog for the whole family, it only expanded the divide. “The Dones” will do the same thing if people wear it as a merit badge of deeper spirituality, while others use it to question the sincerity of their faith. Any title you wear, be it pastor, bestselling author, or Done, will do more to separate you from others than it will help you recognize the incredible family that Jesus is building. Claiming a label works against his prayer that his Father would make us one. The community of the new creation levels our humanity—from hierarchy and from our narcissistic notions of being in a better group than others."

- Wayne Jacobsen. Beyond Sundays