Overview
The ideal vision of the church is to see wholeness, peace, and tranquility. The epic message it offers is the essence of truth, faith, hope, and love for all mankind. With such a dynamic message, the church should turn the world upside down, and people of all races, nationalities, and persuasions should gravitate to the church and discover God’s never-ending grace. However, a compelling argument is that the main thrust of the church has been overshadowed by doctrinal differences, infightings, and operational contradictions by the clergy, the laity, denominations, and religious affiliates. This unfortunate spectacle within the church has created much confusion among adherents and observers. As a result, severe damage has been done, and it has cast shadows on the integrity of its leaders, pastors, workers, and the universal church.
There is a quest for a united church, which functions with all the spiritual characteristics that reflect the image of the church as an organism. The church that Jesus promised to build is strong enough to go up against the gates of hell, and resolute enough to resist the influences of social pressure, and political interference.
There is a consensus that the church is losing ground and influence in the traditional areas of setting high moral standards and social guidelines. The surrounding wall of security that has barricaded the onslaught of every imaginable foe is being breached from within. Egoistic, individualistic, and noncompliant ministers and laity, who are trending toward a new age message, compromising standards, and questionable operational practices, are establishing the fault line.