Asking the Right Question, Part 2

Twenty five years ago this month I left the comfortable setting of Seminary life for my first fulltime ministry position (a pastorate in Middle Tennessee). As my wife and I packed up to move, said goodbye to our friends and headed off to our new ministry adventure, I asked myself the key question I had been trained to ask, "How can I grow my church?"

St. Joseph, Tennessee is a wonderful little hamlet on the Tennessee-Alabama state line. It had a population of 900 within the city limits, along with its only traffic light (yellow). About 8,000 people lived within 8-10 miles of our church, on both sides of the border. I was the first seminary trained pastor in the history of the church.  They called me as pastor on a 49-0 vote. I was thirty years old.  The church had been plateaued for twenty-five years. What was I gonna do?

We went to work. We started new units. We trained new workers. We promoted outreach activities. We used every program in the Southern Baptist lexicon to train people to share their faith. I helped organize activities at the local Senior center. But for eight long months.....not much happened. But we kept working .....serving.....and praying.

Then God began to work. People starting coming to Jesus.....back to Church......back to service. There were frustrating days but blessed days as well. We bought property. We found buildings to put on the new property.....and God blessed. And we were then and remain now grateful for what God did through us.

But if I were starting again twenty five years later I would ask myself a different question. Instead of asking "How can I grow my church" I would ask instead: "How can I impact my community.....and my world?"

This does not mean that the question I asked twenty-five years ago was the wrong question. I just happen to believe the second question is a better one. Why do I believe this? First, it takes the emphasis off of 'us' and puts it on 'them'. It's less selfish. It puts the needs of others before our own. Second, it's visionary. It allows you to widen your vision and get you into the community and out of your comfort zone. Finally, it does not mean we should not give attention to buildings, budgets and baptism. We still need to train workers,and teach people how to share their faith.  We must remain faithful to the gospel. And it remains faithful to the New Testament mission of the church.

That's why its a better question.

It's the right one.

Asking the Right Question, Part 1

Recently a prominent DFW based pastor criticized churches with a different theological outlook than his. It was much more than an honest critique, it was a rant. One of his criticisms was that, in his view, these other churches were less focused on evangelism than his church. This is the issue that I want to address, not some of the other issues he raised (although I certainly could). He accused them of being less evangelistic and anti-missions, branding them guilty of being committed to the social gospel. During this rant he told his congregation that the question they should ask when evaluating a church is, "who are they reaching?" This pastor and his church reach a whole lot of people. I am glad they do. I believe that's what churches should do. I applaud them for their faithfulness to that New Testament emphasis.

However, I must take issue with the key question for evaluating churches. The primary question should not be "Who are they reaching?" The primary question we should ask in this and in every age is, "Who are they preaching?" That is the critical question. Are they preaching the Jesus of the Bible? The exclusive Christ in a pluralistic world (Colossians), the superiority of Jesus in all things (Hebrews), the pre-existent, first and last, Logos of John's Gospel?

This is the critical issue confronting the Bride of Christ in our day.

Recently my 21-year old son, a future PCA pastor/theologian and I were talking about this very issue. I told him when I began my ministry thirty years ago the key issue was biblical authority: 'Can the Bible be trusted?' People had to choose. Churches and denominations split (mine did). That was the key issue then.

Now, the key issue is the Gospel of Jesus Christ Himself. Whether you're a pastor, denominational leader, Bible study teacher or lay person in your church, always ask yourself and your partners in ministry, "Who are you preaching?"