All religions are cults...

In the last two weeks, I have been engaged in conversations around the topic of "church hurt." I put that phrase in quotation marks, and I intentionally spell church with a small c. Why? Because there’s a distinction we often fail to make.

When we look at Jesus' recorded conversations, the word Church appears only twice in His teachings. In Matthew 16:18, He declares, “I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Here, Jesus establishes the Church as an unstoppable force under His leadership. The second mention is in Matthew 18:17, where He speaks of Church discipline, reinforcing its authority in dealing with disputes.

But when people speak of church hurt, they are rarely referring to this divinely established entity. Instead, they are talking about pain caused by a church—a congregation, a denomination, or even individuals within an organization.

The Bible defines the Church in two primary ways: the Body of Christ(organ not organization), with Christ as the head (Ephesians 1:22-23), and the members(organs within) of that body, believers grafted in through faith (Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Sadly, many people reduce Church to a physical structure—a place they go to rather than a reality they are part of. This misunderstanding leads to statements like "Nimeenda Church" or "Church yetu ilifungwa," as if the Church were merely a location. But scripture reminds us that we the believers are the Church. If the Church were just a building, then it could be destroyed, but Jesus assured us that His Church is indestructible (Matthew 16:18).

Growing up in a pastor’s home, I heard such language frequently. So I'm writing from a place of transformation through the renewing of my mind. One phrase that stuck with me was “tunahamisha kanisa” whenever our congregation changed locations. As a child, these ideas took root in my mind, making it difficult to break free from the notion that Church is a people rather than a place.

Let’s be clear: you were not hurt by the Church that Jesus established. You were hurt by an institution—an organization run by human beings, who, like all of us, are prone to flaws and failures. Denominations and congregations are organizations; the Church is a living, spiritual body. Paul emphasizes this in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, where he teaches that we, as members, are called to function together in unity. Unfortunately, where the Church should unite, denominations often divide.

If we don't distinguish between the two, we risk blaming Christ’s true Church for wounds inflicted by imperfect people and systems. In actual fact, based on the fact that you think The Church hurt you when it wasn't, speaks to the reality that you never were a member of The Church but instead just a member in a congregation. You had placed your hope in the wrong thing and place. Read Hebrews 6 and see in whom and where our hope is.

A newfound friend recently said to me, “All religions are cults.” That statement gave me pause. I haven't fully engaged her on it yet, but I see where she’s coming from. There’s something to think about there. Could it be that in our efforts to build institutions, we sometimes drift from the simplicity of faith in Christ? Do we, at times, create systems that control rather than liberate? Do we realize that God did not establish religions but simply wants a relationship?

I leave that thought with you to ponder. What do you think?