Friends, Foes, Partners, and Statistics

I know this may come as a complete shock...but I realize that not everyone likes me. There are those who actually do not like me, some who tolerate me, a few who like me, and a few who are my friends. And as this goes for me, I am sure that it is the same for the church that I pastor.

There are those who do not like our church, some who like our church, and some who are friends of our church. However, it is my understanding from God's Word that just as I am supposed to love people (no matter what their affection for me)...we should also love other local bodies of believers (churches) regardless of their affinity for our own ministry. Further, it has become so apparent in this current world culture that one church or even a group of church will never reach the world with the Gospel alone. We not only need to love other individuals and churches, but we need to partner wherever possible for the furtherance of the Gospel and God's Kingdom.

This requires that each of us do our part...not trying to do the part of another. It means that we celebrate what God is doing in and through others. But for this to be effective in a world that sees through hypocrisy...it must be genuine, even when we wish the seeming success of others could have been our own.

It was rather confusing this week for me to read about my own denomination claiming to have had greater success in this past year than in any in the last 50 years for reaching people with the Gospel and seeing them profess Christ through baptism. Don't get me wrong. I am very excited to be partnering with a movement that is striving to reach the world...including the 3.5 million people in South Carolina who do not have a relationship with Christ. And I agree with the article that states that newer churches tend to be more effective...thus the need to plant more church. Just look at the fact that over 1/2 of the top 20 SCBC churches for baptisms are less than 12 years old.

But here is what I do not quite understand. We utilize the statistics of these churches in order to make us look increasingly effective. However, it was not that long ago when a major event in our state was cancelled due to animosity over the fact that two of the top 15 churches' pastors speaking. And there are so many church planters who cannot plant SBC churches because local association pastors will not step up and sponsor them...even in name. I frequently hear some pastors of established churches talking about how we do not need new churches or how the contemporary models are irreverent.

As a church planter who came from an established church that dropped sponsoring us when it became unpopular, I have my own emotional struggles at times. God delivered me from any animosity toward those who do not like us...or me for that matter. Truth is...we need established churches and new churches. That is why our five year old church helps and partners with both. God has helped me appreciate more all of my pastor brothers more...and their churches.

But what does the lost and unchurched culture think? We cannot have it both ways. We cannot publically criticize our brother pastors (and church planters) and their churches (and their church plants)...and then claim their statistics. The lost and unchurched see right through it, making us more ineffective and that 3.5 million number will continue to grow.

So with that little frustration vented, Praise God for Perry and Newspring Church...Don and FBC Spartanburg...Perry and Brookwood Church...David and Rock Springs Church...Artie and Cornerstone Community...Don and Northside Church...the ones who have Baptist in the name and those without it in the name. And by the way...Thank God for Jeff Doughty and Total Praise Church (our Church of God brothers) and Covenant Presbyterian and Bethesda Methodist and my Church of Christ friends who are shining the light of Jesus at the local coffee shop. I wish I had more friends and partners like you.