(Editor's note: Chad Hall wrote a few weeks back that the contemporary church bears little distinction from a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charitable organization. We have confused the organization with the authentic, relational body the organization should help create, he says. Many readers responded, agreeing and disagreeing with Chad, including a thoughtful reply from Doug Johnson. To wrap up this conversation for now, here is Chad's counterpoint.)

Click here to read Chad Hall's first article, "Why Church Isn't Really a Church."

Click here to read Doug Johnson's reply, "In Defense of the Church."

Of the many responses to the article a few weeks ago, the editors highlighted the one from Pastor Doug Johnson. Like many of the readers who found fault with my article, Doug's concern revolves around three sets of issues that I will categorize as primitivism, people, and problems.

Before diving into a retort of each set of concerns, let me first offer a general assessment. I believe these critiques ...