Kraemer on church

“The only true church is not the hotel Church, where guests rather avoid than meet each other, but the family church, life under one roof in communion, a church that can stand tensions and quarrels.”

Hendrik Kraemer, Dutch missiologist, 1888 – 1965

Andrew

Andrew Jones launched his first internet space in 1997 and has been teaching on related issues for the past 20 years. He travels all the time but lives between Wellington, San Francisco and a hobbit home in Prague.

2 Comments

  • mike ross says:

    I can’t really think of a better way to put it. I’ve been reading a lot of Bonhoeffer lately and Life Together is like a neon arrow pointing to authentic community.
    I find the family church is something that cannot be ‘created’ or ‘planned’. It has to be brought together by God and it can take many shapes and forms. It seems that human nature, or at least mine, is to try and control what God is doing.
    Bonhoeffer talks about this in Life Together and it has been a real wake up call to read.
    Thanks for this quote!

  • Paul Ferree says:

    That’s a great quote. What’s sad is that it was written almost 50 years ago and it still rings just as true (or more) today.
    When we stop approaching church like a business meeting and more like a family/friend relationship with PEOPLE then I think we will have authentic, genuine growth and development leading to a more genuine proclamation of the gospel.
    Just snooping around and saw this post and wanted to comment, thanks!
    Paul Ferree

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