Research shows that 90% of SBC churches are plateaued or declining and only 2-3% (Aubrey Malphurs) or 3-5% (Ed Stetzer) will ever recover. What does this tell us about how our resources and energy should be focused? Where do you think our resources and energy is currently focused?
My answer?
On expanding the Kingdom of God.
This is not an either or. It should be a both/and. When you aren't planting enough churches to even cover raw population growth and stay at the same percentage of impact, the problem is "brand" wide. Every plateaued and declining church tells the population around it - "no one here cares. We are willing to sit on this corner and pretend we are making a difference." They "poison the water" and create impressions in the minds of everyone they touch which may never be erased.
We simply cannot afford NOT to vigorously attack this problem as a corporate body. The SBC "brand" is hurting badly. Outside of disaster areas where our relief efforts have born fruit, we are looked on as increasingly detached from the marketplace of ideas. We spent far too much money and time in Washington DC, and far too little meeting our neighbors.
It's funny I read this blog post today, because I had a conversation with a church health expert with another denomination recently. He described their "intervention" method of "turning around" churches. I was greatly impressed with the process he outlined which included a "turn-around pastor" assessment much like that which is routinely done with church planters.
The idea was patterned after a successful campaign among American Baptist churches in the Western US. Dr. Paul Borden has given a great gift to the Body of Christ in this effective and biblical method of turning churches headed to closing into thriving healthy congregations. His Growing Healthy Churches is exactly what we should be doing as a denomination. here's a quote from the website.
Since 1997 over 170 congregation have experienced radical transformation and as a result many are intentionally and successfully reproducing new disciples and leaders.
Take that number and imagine what it would be if applied to the SBC.
You hear that? That was Satan's knees knocking just thinking about it.
Having had personal experience with Paul Bordern, both in studying what happened in the US and then here when he consulted in Western Australia, he is someone who is bringing about radical, deep, much needed change.
ReplyDeleteListen to what he says, get him involved.
Also, watch what his former colleague John Kaiser is starting to see happen in Canada.
"We simply cannot afford NOT to vigorously attack this problem as a corporate body."
ReplyDeleteI agree. Thanks for posting those statistics, I hope is causes many to realize that business as usual will not cut it any more and we do not need quick metodological fixes. We need a radical refocusing on the Gospel.