Is a Congregation an Exclusive Love Club?

I have recently been pondering the phrase, “Love your people.” This phrase is often used as a directive to measure the effectiveness of being a Corps Officer.

Let’s break down this directive.


LOVE: The first assumption for most people who use this word in this particular phrase is that every person is to be loved the same way. To love everyone the same way would be less than productive, because not everyone feels loved by the same approach. For instance, I have three sons and each one feels loved through a different love language, borrowing from Dr. Gary Chapman.
One of my children is annoyed by kisses and hugs, while another would feel unloved without that kind of physical touch. One child desperately needs a lot of quality time spent with him, while another would feel smothered.

YOUR: The assumption here is that we have people. This is the result of the exclusivism that has permeated evangelical congregations as a marketing strategy used, not to build up the Kingdom, but rather to build up my church.

I don’t have a church and neither does anyone else.
In fact, there is only one church. We are all simply parts of the worldwide church of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I don’t have any people that are separated for me to love. To love my people would be to claim the existence of us verses them, when obviously Jesus Christ calls us to be a we. The people whom I minister with are just a small part of all the people that I am to love, which is also only a small part of the Christian people that I am to love, to say nothing of the non-Christians that I am to love.

PEOPLE: People are people no matter what semantics someone tries to muster up. People are those whom we like and those whom we don’t. People are the lost and the found; they are the hurting and the whole.

I have nothing against loving people; I do love people. But I’m not going to think so small as to believe that God has directed me to a group of people of which I am to treat as though they belong to me and whom I am to love more than others. The people in the corps are God’s people, As the Corps Officer, I am to train and equip them, as servants of the King, to do the will of Jesus Christ, not treat them like an exclusive love club.

I truly hope that no one thinks that I am his or her people. If someone does, then I want to let you know that I belong to God alone.

The directives that are used to measure the ministry of Corps Officers are the same directives that measure the ministry of all Christians. Jesus doesn’t use different directives for different ministries. It is true that Paul teaches in 1 Timothy, chapter three of a more stringent measurement for those who choose to be a leader, but he doesn't teach that Christ uses a different set of directives.

The directives are laid out in Scripture for all to see and learn. These directives began in Exodus 20 and ended at the end of Leviticus, numbering 613 directives in all. Later, Jesus reduced those 613 directives down to 12.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall make no idols.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
4. Remember the Sabbath.
5. Honor your parents.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not slander.
10. You shall not covet.
(Exodus 20:3-17 and Deuteronomy 5:7-21)


11. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
12. Love your neighbor as yourself.
(Matthew 22:37-39, which is Jesus quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18)

The twelfth directive is the only one, which could cause some to be misdirected, should he or she misinterpret the text. But surely all Christians understand that your neighbor does not refer exclusively to the people who live next door to me or who share the same worship address.

So what about this “Love your people" directive?
I can’t seem to find where we are told to, “Love Your People.” This directive would actually seem to be in opposition to Scripture.

“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.” James 2:1 (NIV)

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” Matthew 5:46-47 (NIV)

I believe that “Love your people” comes to the lips before it passes over the Scriptures and/or the mind. If we are going to use the directive of loving people as a measurement for our Christian leaders, then it should be stated as "Love All People." This directive is certainly more Biblical and Scriptural; it is also more inclusive and empowering.

I certainly can’t justify loving my people as a measurement for my effectiveness as a Christian or a leader. But I can definitely say with a clear conscience that I, as all Christians, am to love all people.

Congregations are not exclusive love clubs!

My name is Johnny and I am your friend.

Peace and Grace to you.