In my last post I mentioned an article I read regarding the decline that’s taking place in most churches. One sentence struck me - not because it was new information, in fact, it’s really more of the same and that’s why it really got me - more of the same being ignored…
“…On the Protestant side, changes in affiliation are swelling the ranks of nondenominational churches, while Baptist and Methodist traditions are showing net losses.”
I grew up Southern Baptist - and have been told I should be Southern Baptist “just because”. It was in my blood - it’s all I knew to be. But in recent days (months and years) I’ve been asking some deeper questions that, for me, reveal a deep problem with denominations like my own. Questions like:
- What are Southern Baptist known for? Is it just what they’re against, who they dislike, which political party is “ordained by God” - or that they dunk?
- What do unchurched people think of Southern Baptist? While there are those who try to put pretty spin on it, the reality is they are not drawn to us - the research has been screaming this for years. If the people of Jesus’ day were drawn to him, and we’re suppose to look like, act like and represent him, why aren’t they drawn to us? How did we get to the place where many of our church people would be more drawn to Pharisees than Jesus?
- How many years will go by in the denomination that speaks so much of the Great Commission while we decline and seemingly ignore the facts and reality?
- Are we more proud of being “Baptist” or being Christ-followers?
The reality is I, and many other pastors, am over it. I remember shortly after I became a pastor in the state of Florida going to the executive meetings of our state convention. I remember being astounded at how much of our “missions” money was actually paying some pretty decent salaries here in Florida and never making it overseas.
Hear me - I’m not against people, pastors, ministers… making great salaries. In fact, I believe the Bible teaches those in ministry should! What I do take issue with is those who would tell me to lead my church to support “missions” while painting a picture that it’s for people in other lands who are far from God, when in reality only pennies of each dollar actually get there.
We seem to have this mentality that we’re just suppose to do certain things because it’s what’s always been done. Just because some people who find themselves very important make decisions we’re suppose to simply agree. I’ve got to be honest - all that would be cool if we were really reaching people. But, Southern Baptist are not doing that as well as they used to. And many seem unwilling to change. More energy is put into protecting ineffective structures, impotent programs, and the status quo than really reaching people.
Denomination - it’s not in the Bible… in fact, anytime people began to take “sides” it all came back to “follow Jesus.” Loving God and loving others - it’s not only in the Bible, it’s the bottom line according to Jesus.
Everything that is a relic today was once relevant. The greatest miscalculation is to assume yesterday’s relevance is an entitlement for tomorrow’s success. So, for C3 - we’re not about being _____ (whatever label you can think of) - we’re passionately pursuing Christ and those who don’t know him yet! While the Nominating Committee elects the Committee on Committee’s and they discuss revamping policies that will help some churches look the same old way in a new day, seeking the majority approval vote… our neighbors are going to Heaven or Hell!
I’ve grown up Southern Baptist, and while there have been some positive contributions there have also been things like:
- Business Meetings where people discuss and argue over things that won’t even matter in 5 years.
- Committees that spend more time strategizing and meeting than impacting people far from God.
- A bunch of white people… Hey - if it’s all white it just ain’t right!!!
- Being proud of who we were more than who God is.
- Baptizing people who were coming from the Methodist church because they’d only been sprinkled and then counting it in our numbers of people we “reached for Christ” that year.
Bottom line - “just because” is not enough. I certainly don’t have all the answers - I don’t even know all the questions. But, I do know we must be willing to change. If, rather than changing, we find ourselves defending, I fear we will one day be defending something that no longer exists. Radical problems often require radical solutions - I pray we have the courage.
