The expanding industrial revolution of the latter part of the nineteenth century brought to the Church an emphasis on business efficiency as more and more businessmen began to serve on church boards. Church members developed a desire for more education; large gifts were made to schools. During this interval the Church laid a greater emphasis than ever on the social problems of the cities in particular, and the “institutional” church developed. The goal of the Church was often to help raise the living standard of the people by the promulgation of the “social gospel.” There appeared a trend to forget the main purpose of the Church— to preach salvation by grace through faith alone. When the gospel message was diluted, the prospect of changed lives and changed society faded. Christian education was no longer found in the public schools but was now the responsibility of the Church. At the same time, the Church tended to become more formal and liberal in its worship and theology. Foreign missions lost its evangelistic fervor and became simply a spreading of Western culture to backward nations. Pierce, T. Burton (2012-01-30). Ministerial Ethics: A Guide for Spirit-Filled Leaders (Kindle Locations 1483-1491). BookMasters. Kindle Edition.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 00:36:58 +0000
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