15/06/2026
**An Open Letter to the Church**
Church,
My heart has been heavy lately. Not angry. Not interested in another cultural battle. Not looking for controversy. Just genuinely burdened for the Church of Jesus Christ and for the people entrusted to our care.
Recently, a church in Virginia Beach made the decision to baptize a same-sex couple who openly identify as married and continue to live together in that relationship. As expected, many applauded the decision as loving, compassionate, and inclusive. I expressed disappointment and was told I was too political for the pulpit. But as I reflected on it, I realized my concern was not really about one church or one denomination. My concern was about something much deeper.
My concern is that we may be losing sight of what it means to be shepherds of God's people.
The role of a shepherd has never been to tell people what they want to hear. A shepherd is called to lead people toward Christ, even when the path is difficult. A shepherd is called to protect the flock, to teach the truth, to warn of danger, and to lovingly guide people toward obedience to God's Word. That responsibility is not always easy. In fact, some of the most loving things a shepherd will ever do are often the things that are least appreciated in the moment.
As I read through the Gospels, I am constantly reminded that Jesus never lowered the standard of truth in order to gain acceptance. He welcomed sinners, ate with tax collectors, touched lepers, and extended mercy to those society had rejected. Yet He never confused love with affirmation. He loved people too much to leave them where they were. Every encounter was an invitation to transformation. Every act of grace pointed people toward repentance, surrender, and new life.
That is why baptism matters so much.
Baptism is not simply a public celebration of faith. It is a declaration that a person has died to their old life and has been raised to walk in newness of life through Jesus Christ. It symbolizes repentance. It reflects a willingness to submit every area of life to the lordship of Christ. None of us come to Jesus with our lives perfectly together. Every one of us arrives broken. Every one of us arrives carrying sin, wounds, failures, and struggles. But the Gospel has never been that God accepts us exactly as we are and leaves us there. The Gospel is that God meets us where we are and then begins the lifelong work of transforming us into the image of His Son.
I struggle when I see churches communicating, intentionally or unintentionally, that repentance is no longer necessary. My concern is not rooted in animosity toward any individual. It is rooted in a desire to see people experience the freedom that comes from full surrender to Christ. Real freedom is not found in God affirming every desire we have. Real freedom is found in allowing Him to transform our desires so that they align with His will.
I often think about Jesus' encounter with the woman caught in adultery. It is one of the clearest pictures of grace and truth working together. Jesus protected her from condemnation. He refused to join the crowd that wanted to destroy her. He showed compassion and mercy when she needed it most. But His final words were just as important as His mercy. He told her, "Go and sin no more."
In our culture, many people celebrate the first part of that story while ignoring the second. Yet Jesus never separated grace from truth. He never offered forgiveness without also calling people to repentance. Love and holiness walked together. Compassion and truth walked together. Mercy and transformation walked together.
Somewhere along the way, many churches have begun redefining love. We have started believing that love means affirmation. We have convinced ourselves that telling people difficult truths is somehow unkind. Yet Scripture paints a very different picture. Love rejoices in the truth. Love warns. Love corrects. Love calls people toward what is best, even when that path is difficult.
If a doctor discovers a serious illness but refuses to tell the patient because the conversation might be uncomfortable, we would not call that compassion. We would call it negligence. In the same way, if a shepherd refuses to address sin because he fears criticism, rejection, or cultural backlash, he is not loving his people well. Truth spoken in love is not cruelty. It is one of the highest expressions of genuine care.
My greatest concern is not for a headline or a social media debate. My concern is for the young believer sitting in the congregation trying to understand what obedience to Christ actually looks like. My concern is for the struggling Christian who is fighting temptation and wondering whether holiness still matters. My concern is for the unbeliever who desperately needs the transforming power of the Gospel but may never hear the full message if difficult truths are removed from it.
Most of all, my concern is for those who are being told that surrender is optional. Jesus never made that promise. In fact, His invitation was remarkably clear. He called people to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. That call applies equally to all of us. Every one of us has desires, habits, beliefs, and behaviors that must be surrendered to Christ. No one gets a special exemption from discipleship.
The Church has always faced moments when the surrounding culture pressured it to compromise. Every generation has faced its own version of that challenge. What made the early Church powerful was not its ability to mirror the culture. What made it powerful was its willingness to remain faithful to Christ regardless of the cost.
I believe we are living in one of those moments again.
The world does not need a Church that simply echoes its beliefs. The world needs a Church that reflects Jesus. A Church that welcomes everyone but calls everyone to repentance. A Church that extends grace freely while refusing to redefine holiness. A Church that loves people enough to tell them the truth, even when the truth is unpopular.
My prayer is not for division. My prayer is for revival. I pray for a revival marked by conviction rather than compromise. A revival marked by repentance rather than affirmation. A revival marked by holiness rather than cultural accommodation. A revival marked by shepherds who fear God more than they fear man and believers who love Christ more than they love the approval of the world.
Jesus still changes lives. He still breaks chains. He still heals wounds. He still rescues sinners. He still calls men and women out of darkness and into His marvelous light. And He still invites every one of us to surrender our lives completely to Him.
May we never lower God's standard in an effort to make the narrow road appear wider. Instead, may we faithfully proclaim the Gospel in all of its beauty, power, truth, and transforming grace.
For His glory,
Pastor Michael Morisi
Shepherd of God's Church
