The Church Has Problems
I know as an insider how disillusioning it can be to see how deep and widespread the ignorance of Orthodox Church members can be concerning their own faith, how low their levels of personal commitment sometimes are, and how bigoted they sometimes act toward other Christians. On the other hand, I have witnessed the hubris of some evangelical Christians, which is often tied to historical amnesia and an idolatrous self-confidence in their own exegetical skills. I've also been a deeply wounded casualty of the broken promises and highly unethical behavior of certain evangelical leaders. But I must quickly add that the good in both communities far outweighs the bad.
-- Bradley Nassif, in Three Views on Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism, 28.
Well put, I think. But these are certainly issues not limited to Orthodox and evangelical churches alone. There are problems in each and every church. We're all sinners. But we have grace and the promise of Matthew 16:18; ergo, Nassif can confidently finish his statement as he did.
