One of the least developed areas of theology in the evangelical church is ecclesiology. We just don’t quite know what to do about this whole concept of the Church. We know about “local church”… maybe. We are so bent on “me and Jesus” and those who theologically agree with me 100 percent… the whole idea of “church” just doesn’t get into our practice or thought.

Simon Chan, in Spiritual Theology, writes that part of the problem is evangelicals have focused so heavily on “the priesthood of all believers,” we’ve severely watered down the idea of church. The goal of the priesthood of all believers was noble. It should have lifted up all believers to have a hunger for spiritual activity and ministry. Instead, it has reduced us to the lowest common denominator.

“We wanted to make everyone in the church into robust saints but succeeded only in making mostly mediocre ones.”