We are examining in this series of blogs research from the Pew Center on “Why Americans Go (and Don’t Go) to Religious Services,” and in response to a popular survey reply, “I haven’t found a church that I like,” I want to state candidly another significant factor that repels people from church: the lost perceive that the church’s intentions in “outreach” towards them don’t always carry the best motivations.

Recently, in times of reading and reflection, I have confronted myself with this heart-searching question, “Why do you want to reach the lost and the unchurched?”  What are your reasons and motivations for wanting “to seek and to save the lost?”

I know that many pastors will quickly say something like, “for the glory of God,” or “in obedience to God’s command.”  That sounds like the right answer, but all too often “the devil is in the details” in the way a pastor, church leader, or congregation shows off their attitudes when either successes or failures are experienced in the outreach attempts by their church.

The truth of the matter is—perish this thought but it’s true—many churches do outreach out of wrong motivations and intentions: to make their membership roster bigger so that they can boast in their self-goodness, or to get more members so that their budget stays solvent.  You may think, “say it ain’t so, preacher!” but I can assure you that those unspoken motivations are present in some parishes.  The fact that in many communities across this land there are churches that are not cooperating, but functioning in isolation from the rest of the Body of Christ and competing for lost sheep in outreach confirms this. Their motivations are self-centered, not gospel-centered, and the Lord is not pleased with this.

I remember years ago in a previous pastorate when the Billy Graham Evangelistic Organization came to my city to conduct week-long associate evangelistic crusade.  Yours truly was elected to be the Ministerial Vice-Chairman, the second highest position in this city-wide outreach.  I’m pleased to tell you that over 300 churches signed on and participated.  What you don’t want to hear is the number of churches that did not commit to this ecumenical outreach.  I heard it directly from some of the non-participating church officials that they didn’t care to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other professing believers in churches who were competing with them in their own neighborhoods for lost sheep.  This is not an isolated incident from my life.  I can provide other examples in different cities, and I’m pretty sure many of you can think of an example or two also in your own community.

Here’s the catch: the lost and the unchurched can see and smell those intentions and motivations in a big-city minute!  They can quickly detect if your “outreaching” to them is for their well-being or for the church’s benefit.  Many people continue to be turned off by the church because they see a self-serving and a self-gaining motivation behind their efforts.

Altruism (Def): the belief and/or practice in doing good for others solely for their benefit and well-being and not for yourself.

More than fifty years ago, Alasdair MacIntyre, preeminent professor of ethics at Notre Dame published a scholarly essay entitled, EGOISM or ALTRUISM.  The gist of his argument was this: “why do you do good to/for other people?” Is it truly for their well-being and benefit solely, or do you want to get noticed so that other people will think more highly of you?

When you think about it, Jesus was the most altruistic-minded person that ever lived.  We need to follow His example in our personal lives, and in the churches where we live. “When you do this to the least of these my brethren–and don’t care about the credit–you have done it unto me.”

I contend that in this post-Christian culture, the church needs purer altruistic motivations if she hopes to see the Kingdom of God advanced.  Sadly, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.