WORSHIP LEADERS
COMBINED CHURCH EVENTS: BUILDING UNITY OR UNDERMINING IT? | Grant Norsworthy
Pastor Joe( not his real name) shook his head. His lips curled with wry resignation as he interrupted my suggestion of a combinedchurch, inter-denominational“ Worship Together” event for the following year.
“ No way! Combined church events don’ t work in this city. I’ ve tried. Waste of effort.”
This sad statement was made to me over a shared lunch. Pastor Joe is a wonderful, passionate guy and the leader of a lively, charismatic-Pentecostal church with a strong prophetic emphasis in a city that I was privileged to be visiting and ministering in at the time. healing ministry!”“ I see. And was there going to be music for the event?”“ Worship? You bet! We used the very best and most anointed worship leader and worship band available doing the best worship songs and giving the people the best worship experience possible.”“ A team from your church?”“ Yep.”“ Choosing songs from your repertoire?”“ Yep”.“ Got it.”
Is my point becoming clear? I hope so.
But those who love those around them will create it.”
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer( 1906-1945)
Over the years I have lived in three countries, traveled extensively, and spent time in churches representing a wide range of denominations, styles, theological emphases, and cultures of sung worship.
I do not primarily think of myself as belonging to one denomination over another. In some ways, I feel equally connected to all of them. I see strengths— and potential weaknesses— within every tradition.
Heads up: This is a true account of an actual conversation from a few years ago. But, like with a lot of story-telling, I will be exaggerating a few things in order to make a point here.
I responded with,“ Wow Joe. I’ m sorry to hear you say that.”
“ Yeah,” he continued,“ Years back we tried to put on a combined church event but no-one from any of the other local churches showed up. We promoted heavily. I personally made announcements at three or four of the monthly pastor’ s lunches leading up to the date. Even printed out color brochures and made sure they each had a stack. A couple of guys just left them on their seats!”
In his own mind, I have little doubt Pastor Joe thought he was organizing a combined-church, inter-denominational event. But he wasn’ t.
I am not at all surprised that other church leaders and congregants did not fully jump on board with Pastor Joe’ s‘ Presence: Rain Down Holy Fire from Heaven’( not its real name) event.
Probably with nothing but good intentions, Pastor Joe believed he was inviting other churches to share in something beautiful and life-giving. But without realizing it, he was actually promoting his church— his style, his aesthetic, his language, his culture, his theology, and his preferred way of worshipping God.
I choose to focus on the fundamentals that unite us more than the secondary matters that can divide us: Jesus is the Christ God speaks through Scripture The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Helper Through Christ we may be reconciled to Almighty God
I’ m trying to put the fun back into fundamentalism!( That’ s a joke, in case you weren’ t sure.)
I would add that we need each other— in all our licorice-all-sorts diversity. If we want people to know Jesus as the Christ, we must be one, just as Jesus prayed:
“ That’ s tough. What venue did you use?” I asked.“ Our venue.”“ Okay. Did the event have a name?”“ Yeah, we called it‘ Presence: Rain Down Holy Fire from Heaven’.”“ Was there a sermon? A message?”“ Sure thing! We flew the leader of our denomination in to preach. He’ s a modernday Apostle. A gifted prophet with a Spirit-filled
Unintentionally, perhaps even unknowingly, alarm bells were ringing in the minds of other church leaders.
The gathering had strayed too far from the unifying core tenets of our shared faith to feel truly inter-denominational.
“ Those who love their idea or dream about community [ or‘ common-unity’] will destroy it.
“ My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
John 17:20-21
Especially when I am asked to help produce a
58 June 2026 Subscribe for Free...