If a Church Is Going to Be a Voice for Justice, It Must First Exist

TL;DR/ Executive Summary
If a church is going to be a voice for justice, it must first exist.
In conversations with both Matt Rogers in London and Drew Crowson in Texas, I was reminded that early-stage ministry can run for a while on sheer leader energy—but that energy isn’t infinite. Without systems, structures, and a razor-sharp focus, it will burn out before the mission becomes sustainable.

“If a church is going to be a voice for justice, it must first exist.” Ben Crosby

Recently, I was listening to a forthcoming episode of a podcast I produce for TryTank Research Institute with Episcopal priest Lorenzo Lebrija. In it, Lorenzo talks with Matt Rogers, vicar at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Grimsby, London, who is leading a revitalization effort in connection with Holy Trinity Brompton. In the second half of their conversation—releasing today—Rogers makes a statement worth repeating:

“You’ve got to be focused. You’ve got to know what you’re doing and what you’re not doing… We’re not the church who can do everything… If we’re going to pump our resources into things like Alpha, we can’t also be the church that runs the food bank and this project and that project… That’s where collaboration works. We point people toward those projects… We call it our key focus areas: youth and kids ministry, Alpha, growing our leadership, equipping people for mission, and church planting. That’s what we do. That’s what we’re focusing on.”

Lebrija responded with some surprise, but Rogers’ words resonated with me. They took me back to my own church-planting days and the constant external pressure to “do more.” In my Mainline context, that usually meant more outreach, more justice initiatives, more community programs. All good things. But for new churches, focus is survival. Without it, energy and resources dissipate, and after a few years, the church runs out of critical mass, sustainable funding, and the stamina to keep going.

I was reminded of another recent conversation I had—this time on my own Future Christian Podcast—with Andrew Crowson, who is planting an Episcopal church in Texas. That conversation energized me because we were talking about the same reality: in the early stages, energy from a leader or core team can carry things forward for a while, but that energy is not infinite. At some point, systems and structures must take over if the work is going to last. Without that shift, burnout is inevitable, and the mission fizzles.

Micro-churches can sometimes survive long-term on the passion of a bivocational pastor or a committed volunteer core. But most new starts will not endure without narrowing the scope and committing to a few core priorities until sustainability is achieved.

That’s why Ben Crosby’s words have stuck with me: “If a church is going to be a voice for justice, it must first exist.”

When I was leading Missiongathering Christian Church–Thornton, we faced sideways energy from the start—financial mismanagement by a network leader, early core team members leaving over false promises by that same leader, location changes, and, of course, a global pandemic. I remember one Sunday, about a year in, when we had 50 people in worship. I thought, “Holy sh*t, this is actually going to work.” Then came the disruptions.

The result? In my community today, to my knowledge, there is no church that is open and affirming of LGBT persons, none visibly affirming Black Lives Matter, and few offering an inclusive, expansive gospel. That absence matters.

Some of what derailed our church was outside my control—COVID being the clearest example. But the cumulative toll of chasing down paychecks, navigating dysfunction, and managing crises left me exhausted. When it came time to re-evaluate funding and strategy post-pandemic, I had no reserves left. And yet, the message from above kept coming: “Do more.”

This experience is one of the reasons I started my company, Resonate Purpose—to help pastors and leaders identify dysfunctional patterns and build systems that are sustainable and life-giving. I help pastors and nonprofit leaders move from feeling stuck and out of ideas to leading with vision and imagination. Through a process that clarifies your mission, strengthens your message, and builds healthy structures, you’ll be equipped to lead with confidence, creativity, and impact for the long haul.

Whether you’re planting a church or leading a revitalization like Rogers in Grimsby, the principle is the same: be ruthlessly focused on what matters most—reaching people and growing your church. That may sound a little too “church growth movement” for some tastes, but if Crosby is right—and I believe he is—justice work depends on the church’s existence.

Because if the church isn’t there tomorrow, it can’t speak for justice the day after.