Why Worship and Discipleship Must Come Before Activism

I’m working on a bigger post about the influence of progressive ideology/theology within Mainline Christianity, but after reading recent post by

Ben Crosby

, I wanted to to sort of setup my lengthier post this way.

In his post, “The Current State of the Anglican Church of Canada,” Crosby observes that the ACC, like other Mainline Protestant bodies, is on a trajectory toward collapse. He essentially wrestles with this fundamental question: What is the purpose of the church? Should it primarily focus on worship and discipleship, or should justice and activism take center stage?

Many Mainline Protestant leaders today argue that the church’s mission should prioritize justice and activism—I see this reflected in my own denomination, which recently promoted new ministry emphasizing “Contemplative Action, Prophetic Advocacy, and Faith-Rooted Organizing.” To be clear, like Crosby, I am not against justice and activism, nor do I see them as antithetical to the church’s mission. However, I agree with Crosby that the work of the church must center on worship and formation. For practical reasons, if nothing else, Crosby’s point is striking: “You can’t mobilize your people to fight for justice if you don’t actually have any people. What good is an Anglican church taking bold stands for justice if such stands are ignored because the church doesn’t really represent anyone?”

I’ve observed this in my own denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Recently, certain clergy proposed a General Resolution for the 2025 General Assembly condemning Christian Nationalism. While I share concerns about Christian Nationalism, I wonder what real impact a resolution from a declining denomination of approximately 200,000 members would have. This reminds me of another article by Crosby addressing similar efforts within The Episcopal Church, where energy for social justice resolutions often outweighs their real-world impact.

Setting aside the intent and impact of such resolutions, Crosby’s observation bears repeating: “You can’t mobilize your people to fight for justice if you don’t actually have any people.” As a new church starter, I often found myself emphasizing this truth: If a church claims to champion inclusion and welcome, it must first exist!

Recently, I attended an evening service at my in-laws’ Baptist church (a long story). The pastor, leading a study of Acts 6 and Ephesians 4, made a compelling case for focusing on ministry and evangelism. While I disagree with him on many theological matters, I respect his boldness and dedication to renewing a graying congregation—a challenge familiar to many Mainline churches.

A verse from Acts 6 in particular stood out to me, where the early Christians are debating about how to care for the poor and marginalized in their communities. Beginning in verse 2, “and the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, ‘it is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables’”(pretty bold words there!). Then, after advising for them to select deacons for service, they say in verse 5, “‘we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word’” (my emphasis).

Looking at Ephesians 4, where Paul talks about unity in Christ and the gifts of the Spirit, Paul notes that “the gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (my emphasis).

My observation here is that, based on these two texts from the early Christian witness, worship and discipleship/formation are the essential elements of Christian leadership and the body of Christ—the Church. This is not to dismiss justice causes, but rather to recognize that acts of justice flow from worship and discipleship/formation, not the other way around.

And I think this is a key point I want to emphasize—activism does not form new disciples. Lest one disagree, consider the many rallies for justice from 2020, especially among young people, and how Gen Z has subtly shifted away from matters of justice and inclusion. Without formation and grounding in why justice matters as essential aspects of living out one’s faith, many of the same young people (and young men especially) who were marching for Black Lives Matter have since wandered toward Trumpism.

Recent analyses reveal a notable shift among some members of Gen Z from progressive activism toward conservative ideologies. A Vanity Fair article highlights the increasing presence of young male Trump supporters on college campuses, suggesting a significant change in voting patterns within the generation (Stein). This trend is attributed to factors such as a backlash against liberal establishments and post-pandemic disillusionment. Similarly, The Atlantic discusses the misconception that Gen Z is uniformly progressive, noting how economic concerns and a desire for stability have led some young voters to support conservative candidates like Donald Trump (Petersen). These findings underscore the importance of grounding activism in worship and discipleship, as activism alone may fail to sustain long-term commitments to justice and inclusion among young individuals.

Even beyond these practical observations, this misplacement—treating worship and discipleship as secondary or even unnecessary—reflects a broader theme within Progressive Christian spaces. Many of today’s Mainline leaders seem to question whether God has truly appointed Word and Sacrament as the normative means by which the Spirit draws us to new life in Christ. Instead, they often appear to place their faith in human action as the primary vehicle for change, resulting in an emphasis on justice and activism. However, such a path inevitably leads to a dangerous conclusion: that the church itself—its worship, its prayer, and its communal life—is little more than outdated overhead, irrelevant to the world’s needs. As I will argue in my forthcoming post, this shift undermines the very foundation of what makes the church distinct and essential. Stay tuned.

Works Cited:

Crosby, Ben. "The Current State of the Anglican Church of Canada." Substack, 2024, bencrosby.substack.com/p/the-current-state-of-the-anglican.

Stein, Sophia. "Men in Red: Why More and More Young Male Voters Are Being MAGA-fied." Vanity Fair, 2024, vanityfair.com/news/story/why-young-male-voters-are-being-maga-fied.

Petersen, Anne Helen. "The Not-So-Woke Generation Z." The Atlantic, 2024, theatlantic.com/family/archive/2024/11/gen-z-woke-myth-election/680653/.