A member of a Christian Science branch church, society, or college organization faced with a personal problem such as an inharmonious bodily condition can proceed to do something about it. He can refuse to accept the false evidence of material sense. He can turn confidently to spiritual sense to reveal to him man's perfection and harmony as a child of God. Then if he is faithful in applying the rules of this Science, he experiences healing. During this healing experience many phases of erroneous thinking may be uncovered. But this does not discourage him, for he knows that error is being uncovered by the Christ, Truth, so that it may be destroyed and replaced in consciousness by the spiritual counterfact.
Were this same member to be confronted by a church problem—an unhealthy condition in the church body such as apathy, friction, decreasing membership, decline in healing as evidenced by uninspired testimony meetings, a falling off in Sunday School attendance, or a mounting church debt—would he meet it as confidently as he meets his personal problems? One's approach to church problems should not differ basically from his approach to individual problems. In reality, there cannot be a sick church any more than there can be a sick member.
The remedy for any maladies the church seems to be afflicted with is to maintain in consciousness the true concept of church as a God-governed, spiritual idea and from this exalted standpoint reject the suggestions of animal magnetism, or evil, that would try to work in opposition. Christ Jesus said of the true Church, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it."Matt. 16:18;
