Later, Buck tweeted, “I just received an email from a lady who recently visited our church. She said how lonely Christmas is for her because she doesn’t have family, and how thankful she is to come Christmas Day. Think of who you could be shutting out on Christmas Day by shutting up church’s doors.”
Adam Page of Amelia Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, expressed a view similar to the previous church leaders. “I’m no legalist,” he said, “I just think cancelling church on Xmas Day sends a weird message to a church culture already plagued w/ watered down doctrine, half-hearted allegiance to the gathering, a fear of altruism, ignorance of self-denial & self-centered pragmatism void of discipleship.”
A number of pastors pushed back on the idea that believers are in error if they do not hold or attend a Christmas service on Dec. 25. “I’ve been a bi-vocational pastor for years, and my family often loses out to church,” said user Tyler Robbins, responding to Aniol. “This year, I choose to spend time with my family on Christmas Day. If this invites God’s wrath, or drives people away from our congregation, then I guess I’ll accept that.”
User David Ynzunza, responding to Buck, said, “I am a pastor at a large Calvary Chapel. We always have 3 morning services and will have 3 services on Christmas Day. God bless those who want to come worship on Christmas Day and God Bless those who choose to stay home.”
