Area Minister Says Need for Tolerance Is Getting in the Way of Jesus’ Teachings
Citing declining attendance and an increasingly empty sanctuary, local minister Rev. Daniel Mercer said Sunday that his church has no plans to soften its message, warning that modern calls for tolerance are making it increasingly difficult to follow the teachings of Jesus.
“We hear a lot these days about tolerance,” Mercer told the 14 people scattered throughout the church’s 280-seat sanctuary. “But messages of tolerance only allow for us to tolerate sinners, and Jesus would not want that.”
Mercer said the church has lost nearly two-thirds of its congregation over the past decade, a trend he attributes primarily to society’s growing expectation that churches welcome people with different beliefs, lifestyles and backgrounds.
“We could fill these pews tomorrow if we were willing to tell people they were accepted as they are,” Mercer said. “But at some point you have to ask yourself: What would Jesus do?”
The minister acknowledged that some critics frequently point to biblical accounts of Jesus spending time with outcasts, helping the poor, forgiving sinners and showing compassion toward people rejected by the broader society.
Mercer said those stories have been badly misunderstood.
“People say, ‘Jesus helped people,’ and that’s exactly how I view what I’m doing,” he explained. “I’m helping my followers avoid the sinners in today’s society.”
Mercer added that his church remains committed to creating what he called “a safe spiritual environment,” primarily by ensuring members encounter as few people unlike themselves as possible.
“That’s what community is about,” he said. “Being surrounded by people who already agree with you.”
Several members of the congregation nodded quietly from opposite ends of otherwise vacant pews.
Church leadership said it remains unconcerned about dwindling attendance, noting that a smaller congregation is easier to keep doctrinally pure.
“If the choice is between a full church and compromising our values, I’ll take an empty church every time,” Mercer said, looking out across dozens of unoccupied rows.
He then reminded attendees that next Sunday’s sermon would focus on why Christianity has become increasingly unpopular in modern America.
