WAKE FOREST, N.C.—Some church leaders are so institutionalized and program-driven, according to evangelism professor Alvin Reid, that they hinder the Gospel and are allowing the world to continue on its hell-bound path.

During a chapel sermon Oct. 30 at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is a faculty member, Reid said Jesus Christ did not call believers to produce or preserve programs, but rather to follow Him in a radical movement of evangelization, Baptist Press reported.

"I'm not saying institutions are wrong. I'm not against all programs," Reid said. "I'm saying they're not the point. The program is important, but it's secondary to the life and movement of God in the church."

He distinguished between institutions and "institutionalism," calling the latter the mindset that embraces institutions as an end unto themselves.

"We can poison the movement of God by running so many programs that we can't even hear the voice of God," Reid said.

He also encouraged churches to alter their definition of an ideal church member to emphasize commitment to Christ and sharing the Gospel, not the external trappings of religiosity, the news service reported.

"Our problem is we've elevated behavior over belief," he said. "So we decide that a great Christian is a person who looks and acts a certain way. When you do that, the first belief that goes is a commitment to the Gospel."

He criticized a "go and see" mentality that replaced the "go and tell" evangelistic focus of churches.

"You don't go to church, you are the church," he said. "We think church is somewhere we go … every church building in America could burn down tonight and the church would still be there."

Christianity has been so watered down, he said, that true spiritual revival—a genuine movement of God—is the only remedy.

Reid challenged Southeastern students to make a difference in the church today and to not lose sight of its mission of sharing Christ. That renewed focus will help the church remain effective.

"What are we doing to touch eternity?" he asked. "Jesus gave His followers a mission that hasn't changed. Who's going to take a stand and lovingly teach our people that we're part of a movement?"