Churches aren’t the answer to social ills

There’s an argument that floats around certain segments of society that says that government should stop providing social services and that churches should do it instead.

That’s a bad idea for numerous reasons.

1. Churches don’t have the resources do deal with all the social ills that we face. Many churches are struggling to survive and meet their budgets. In the next 2–5 years there are going to be a slew of churches that close as a result of the pandemic. Churches simply don’t have the resources to handle all the social ills that we face.
2. Churches don’t have the staff or the training to deal with the social ills we face. On top of that, rostered leaders and staff at churches are already stretched thin and we have never been trained in dealing with mental health issues on top of the many other challenges that so many face.
3. Fixing society is not the churches primary job.

Having said all of that, please keep in mind that this isn’t an all or nothing situation. Churches certainly have a role in dealing with the ills of society. But ideally that happens in partnership with social service agencies, non-profits, government agencies, and more. So many of our societal ills are just too big for any one group to tackle single handedly.

Coordination and cooperation are the key. It’s really the only way to deal with so much of what we face in society.