Drive-in churches - Are they biblical?

I was just passing through Tim Ellsworth’s blog, and I noticed a post he had on a ‘Drive-in’ church and it got me thinking.

The church in question is at Daytona Beach, and people sit in their cars and listen to the service through their car radios (they must have a frequency where that which is spoken is transmitted through, rather than having booming speakers).

What is shocking is that they even take communion while sitting in their vehicals!

Tim doesn’t say too much by way of his opinion, although there is a remark that would suggest he doesn’t fully approve.

I read through some of the comments, somewhat not surprised when people were supporting such a work. Although there is a drive-in church every summer a few miles from where I lived in Northern Ireland, I never really thought about whether it was appropriate or not (although that work is a lot different to the work in Deytona).

However, reading the comments got me thinking and asking myself a few questions.

I ended up leaving a comment on the post. This is it in full -


“For what it’s worth, I’m not so sure about the drive-in church idea for a few reasons.

Saying that people ‘walked’ to hear Christ and the disciples preach, sat down and listened and then got up and walked home, is not a valid argument to support this work. Such cases were open-air preaching, not church services. Going to ‘church’ was different. I’m sure they would not have come into church services on their donkey’s and the like. The whole idea just tickles the carnality of man - his corrupt fleshly desires.

I think it also just gives a completely ‘lazy’ impression and approach to worship. We are supposed to be approaching the presence of the great Creator, LORD of glory, King of kings…He who inhabiteth eternity!! Can we approach him in such a frivilous and lazy manner?

Quite frankly, I believe it to be almost blasphemous. Even heavenly beings without sin cover themselves and cry, “Holy, holy, holy…” (Is 6). Why should we give the impression that a deliberately pathetic approach to God is permissable?

I may be wrong, but I think (myself included) we’ve allowed ourselves to degrade our approach to God as something we can do in any way we please. Our approach and attitude to God as believers matters more than preaching the gospel and seeing souls saved. Souls don’t deserve to be saved, but God deserves to be worshipped aright.

May God help us all.”

What is your view? Am I wrong? Maybe this comes under becoming “all things to all men” that we might save some?

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Added Commentary

  • #1 of 6
    By Tim Ellsworth
    on 27.02.07

    You interpreted my remarks accurately, Armen. Sometimes I will clearly offer my opinion about things I write about. Sometimes I try to be a little more cryptic in my remarks and see where the comments lead. This was one of those times.

    You and I are on the same page on this matter.

  • #2 of 6
    By Armen
    on 27.02.07

    Tim

    Phew…!! I wouldn’t like to have misrepresented you brother.

  • #3 of 6
    By James
    on 28.02.07

    Something I’ve never been comfortable with. It seemed like the ‘lazy’ option for church-goers.

    I think you summed it up perfectly when you said - ‘I think it also just gives a completely ‘lazy’ impression and approach to worship. We are supposed to be approaching the presence of the great Creator, LORD of glory, King of kings…He who inhabiteth eternity!! Can we approach him in such a frivilous and lazy manner?’

  • #4 of 6
    By Armen
    on 28.02.07

    James - Yeah! No doubt the motives of some who engage in this are God-ward, but sincerity is not truth.

  • #5 of 6
    By Gary H
    on 03.03.07

    It seems to me that these types of churches only fulfill a person’s obligatory need to “go to church”. It has nothing to do with the body of Christ or having a true experience of worship with other believers. It’s very sad, actually, that these people are missing out on what it really means to be “the church”.

    BTW, I’ve just started reading “Real Christianity” by William Wilberforce (a paraphrase in modern English) which speaks to the difference between cultural Christianity and the real thing.

    I believe drive-in churches are simply an unfortunate symptom of cultural Christianity.

  • #6 of 6
    By Armen
    on 03.03.07

    Gary - Welcome! You raise a good point here. America (in particular, but not exclusively) is cursed with the ‘need to go to church’ attitude. The ‘need’ stems from different reasons, but rarely are they legitimate.

    Matt 15:8 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

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