Churches close for Christmas
While evangelical churches in the U.S. faced media criticism for not holding services on Sunday, December 25, their Canadian counterparts who quietly followed suit wondered what all the fuss was about.
An article in the New York Times stated that the decision by several American evangelical megachurches to close on Christmas Day was "generating controversy among evangelical Christians" and noted ironically that the move came "at a time when many conservative groups are battling to 'put the Christ back in Christmas.'"
Regent College professor of theology and culture John Stackhouse says it's the first time he can recall that churches have elected not to hold a worship service when Christmas fell on a Sunday. "This is new—and that's why it's getting attention—because these churches are consciously deviating from historic practice," Stackhouse explains.
But according to leaders at some Canadian evangelical churches who closed on the Sunday that coincided with Christmas Day, deviation or not, the decision was almost a non-issue.
"The feedback is all positive. People like [not having a worship service on Christmas Day]," says Greg Glatz, lead pastor at Winnipeg's Central Baptist Church. "We actually cancelled for Christmas Day and New Year's Day the following Sunday."
Glatz says the move was a natural extension of a practice his church has followed for several years of holding a service on Christmas Eve and not on Christmas Day.
"Whenever there's a holiday weekend, we cancel the [Sunday] service and do something earlier in the week."
While Glatz says the decision was "partly motivated" by concern for families and time, "for us, Christian community is not just about bringing people together to worship; it's about sending them out to do the work of Jesus, and when we gather to regroup and where we gather really makes no difference."
But Stackhouse cautions that such rationale for Christmas Day is "bad theology that leads to bad practice.
"The bad theology is that the Church exists primarily to work with God in His mission in the world," says Stackhouse. "That is not true. Yes, the Church exists to engage with God in His mission in the world but also for two other important activities: namely the worship of God and the strengthening of the body of believers in fellowship. So those three things, worship, fellowship and mission, together make up the identity and practice of the Church," he adds.
At West Edge Community Church in Port Credit, Ontario, senior pastor Jon Osmond says the decision to not meet on Christmas Day was made "mostly because it's a family day and we just want to let people be with their families on that day. We don't want to 'over-church' people."
In 2004, West Edge cancelled services on Christmas weekend, including on Sunday, December 26 and while they held a Christmas Eve service this year, the congregation did not meet on Christmas Day. "I don't think you have to lose the essence of the holiday and the meaning of it because you don't go to church on Christmas day," says Osmond. "There's nothing really that sacred about the day. Jesus wasn't born on December 25."
He says both last year and this year, they offered families support and ideas to help them worship at home, and added that there are "lots of mainline churches" who offer Christmas Day services for those that wish to participate.
"It's interesting that for seeker-sensitive churches to close on Christmas Sunday seems to work directly against [their mission of being seeker-sensitive]," says Stackhouse. "Historically, there are significant numbers of people on the margins of any Christian congregation who show up only for Christmas or Easter, and to close your doors on Christmas Sunday would be to keep out people that normally we would think these churches are most interested in attracting."
Sunday service on Christmas Day was initially cancelled at Sheridan Park Alliance Church in Mississauga, Ontario, but when several people within the congregation indicated they wished to meet, a simple gathering was planned instead.
"I don't think there's any right or wrong in this [issue of whether or not to hold a service on Christmas Day]," says senior pastor Robert Biggs. "I think what's important is responding to the situation in ways that people feel are most appropriate. To have a service is not any more right or wrong than not to have one."
He adds that the simple Christmas morning gathering featuring songs, Scripture and readings was held out of a desire to be sensitive to the needs of those who wished to meet, and stressed there was no pressure for others—who preferred to celebrate the day at home with
Stackhouse says the evangelical churches that closed for Christmas need to consider the type of hospitality they're demonstrating. "They're essentially saying, 'the congregation that matters to us on Sunday morning is the congregation of Christians who are fully involved…and they all know (because they come all the time) that the church will be closed on Sunday morning.'"
He adds that churches used to embracing anyone who wants to come wouldn't think of closing their doors on Sunday, "because all the people who didn't show up the previous three weeks won't know that you're closing and will just show up.
"It's a matter of hospitality."
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