Before I make my point allow me to explain how you could misread my point. If you think this is a defense of the SBC or the Cooperative Program you have missed it. If you develop the impression that I am against church planting then perhaps my point has not been clear enough. It is not my desire to paint with a broad brush or even to give an opinion about the SBC, the CP, and church plants. My aim is singular. I want to address the pastor’s heart. I want to humbly say, “Pastor, check your heart is it possible that what I am saying here is true.” If it not then move on.
Buzzwords
I am excited about the Jesus-centered/gospel-centered movement within the church. I am happy that many are giving themselves to planting churches and communicating the gospel in places where it seldom is communicated. I am thankful for the faithful gospel proclamation that is happening all throughout our cities, thanks to the renewed emphasis that NAMB is placing on church planting in our major metropolitan areas. It is wonderful that gospel advancement is being heralded as far more important than petty bickering. That is a good thing.
When guys say things like “what do we gain from being in the SBC” with all of the “baggage” that comes with it, I hear what they are saying. Believe me. As young pastor that happens to be a Calvinist I have dealt with my fair share of “baggage”. So I hear you. And I understand the pull to say, “why stay in the SBC when it is only slowing us down missionally”? Why put up the fight any more? I have asked that question myself.
And that is a fair question for you to ask. And at the end of the day you may find that your church does not benefit from being affiliated with the SBC. That’s not my concern. What I am concerned about is the pastor’s heart. I know my own delusional heart and I know that sometimes I can use gospely sounding buzzwords to mask a love of comfort and a fear of conflict.
Saying, “I want to be free to advance the gospel and not have to deal with all of the SBC baggage” might be code for, “I haven’t the stomach or the faith to faithfully plod through conflict. It’s easier to plant a church because I can set things up the way that I want—the way I believe the Bible teaches—from the beginning, and I do not have to be bothered with all of the baggage of people that disagree with me theologically. So we can get on with gospel advancement much sooner”.
Ten Years from Now
Fair enough. But it seems to me that pastors are often crafted in the kiln of suffering and conflict. I have to wonder what a church and this pastor will look like in twenty years if this pastor’s heart continues to build his kingdom without baggage. Because the truth is, these believers—even the ones prone to being curmudgeonly—are God’s grace to us pastors. We need them.
Is it possible that our passion for gospel advancement extends to applying the gospel to the curmudgeon? Isn’t that one of the things that we say in the gospel-centered movement, “The gospel is not the ABC’s of salvation it is the A-Z”. “We need the gospel for the whole of the Christian life”. Isn’t this true even if the chap in the pew thinks he doesn’t need the gospel from A-Z and he wishes those young whippersnappers would just join the Axe29 network with all their free body spray? Might gospel advancement make this “unnecessary baggage” necessary?
Pastor, your heart is prone to being deceived, just like mine. You have enough theological learning to make shameful fear sound holy and wise. “Good stewardship” can be a great mask for greed and fear. If you are striking out to make a difference and become a church planter, I just ask you to check your heart. Is it possible that you’re just wanting to start a new church because you love comfort and don’t want to do the hard thing of being used by God to revitalize a dying church? Or to be “boring” and faithful plod and proclaim the gospel in an average setting for twenty plus years? Is it possible that in your pride you think you have ecclesiology all figured out (of course, you and all the dudes you hang with) and don’t want to have to be chiseled by different opinions?
If that is the case and you get what you want, I feel for you. It will be to your peril to pastor a church that looks just like you. You needed sharpening even by those that might be theologically wrong. I can’t help but wonder what will happen when the perfect church that you built (with the sovereign Lord’s help of course) starts going a way that you did not envision. Will you leave? Will you plant another church—referring to yourself as “just a pioneer”? Will you continue spiritualizing your love for comfort and fear of conflict? Or will you finally stay and be chiseled?
Don’t leave because of fear or comfort. But don’t stay for those reasons either.
There are a lot of really good questions in this article that every church planter needs to ask himself and answer honestly. To be truthful, I wish someone had asked me these questions before I set out to plant. The church I started has morphed and changed so much from its inception and a lot of that change has to do with the reality of life in the trenches versus the pristine world of books and the academy. I greatly fear for the sanity of anyone who plants with the intention of starting the perfect church. You will go crazy. Trust me I did.
That still does not remove the need for planting churches especially as old churches close and die. What would be amazing is for churches who are dying to welcome in to their midst churches who are being born. Sharing facilities and wisdom with the new congregation and leadership so that the new church has solid footing. I am praying that the young guns of the new will find friends in the guys who have been around for awhile for the benefit of the Kingdom.
Great article.
Ryan,
Your suggestion is an interesting one. It would be interesting to see how something like that might be implemented. Especially the sharing of wisdom part.
My concern with the younger, hipper churches and church planters has been their disrespect for the traditional church. But if some sort of mutual respect could be sorted out something great could come from this.
John,
It may not be 100% what Ryan is suggesting but read Michael McKinley’s book Church Planting is for Wimps. There he talks about replanting/repotting instead of just planting churches. Interesting concept.
Yes that is interesting. Thanks for the reading suggestion.
John, This might hold you over until you can get that book in your hands:
http://www.9marks.org/journal/pros-and-cons-planting-and-revitalizing
Thanks Brother.
John,
I think that can be a fair criticism, it was in my case, but I think it cuts both ways. New churches are often criticized for being less traditional by traditional churches as well.
I know this kind if thing can be done because it makes sense to steward resources in this way, but I do not know of someone who has done it successfully yet.
I also like Mikes link but I am not referring to church revitalization although I think it’s valid. I’m more referring to the living helping to bury the dead and then inheriting their resources to continue the mission in a different way. I am all for revitaliztion but I am not built at this time for that process. I pray some men who are will begin to rise to prominence in my part of the country because we have more dead and dying churches than we have vibrant and thriving ones.
Mike,
I think I understand your intent, but I could be wrong. To me it seems like you are encouraging Calvinists oriented preachers, like yourself to infiltrate churches affiliated with the SBC and then turn them to your beliefs rather than go out ans start a Calvinistically based new work.
Over the course of more than 40 years I have had the privilege of pastoring churches in Europe and the US as well as working with church leaders in the Middle East, Africa, the Carribean and elsewhere. In the early ’70’s thru the 80’s I found myself fighting Pentecostals and Charismatics who were sending groups into small Baptist churches claiming to believe as they did, joining and then using their membership position to try to turn the church into a pentecostal church. As a result, many believers were hurt and many nonbelievers were confused and discouraged. Churches often split and in most cases neither flourished. In the 90’s I began encountering young men seeking the pastorate who professed one thing to be called and then began to agressively preach the Calvinist doctrines which the membership was diametrically opposed to. The result has been that churches are split, pastors are terminated, communities are left bewildered and the cause of Christ weakened.
I just worked with a church for more than a year that had called a young man as pastor who categorically denied he was a Calvinist only to begin preaching Calvinist’s teaching 18 months after his call. He split the church when he was terminated. He took a portion of the church with him and began a new work 1 mile from the original church and named it the “NEW” and used the orignal church’s name. After 12 months the “NEW” church no longer exists.
My belief is that (1) God does not bless anyone who is not truthful about their beliefs and intentions and (2) if Calvinist believe their doctrine is the right doctrine go out and start Calvinist churches instead of seeking to infiltrate an established church and then attempt to bring them into the Calvinist fold.
I’m all for reaching the lost for Christ – like the Apostle Paul, I don’t care who does it, I just want to see it done.
I guess I stand in staark contrast to you: theologically and positionally. I can not accept the Calvinist teaching no matter what shroud it may wear and I don’t hold with people of any persuassion using deciet and deception to seek to “lead a congregation in the ‘right’ way.” I wholeheartedly recommend every Calvinist leave traditional Southern Baptist churces alone and go start their own. Lieing, Stealing and Destorying are not Christ honoring!
Pastor Tribble,
I believe you missed the entire point of the post. It was about pastor’s checking their hearts to make sure that when they do plant a new work that they do not do so primarily because they want to control everything so as to attempt to make their life perfect and easy.
“I think I understand your intent, but I could be wrong.”
Yes. You swung and missed on this one. This has nothing to do with Calvinism or infiltrating churches or anything of the sort.
Mike,
I guess I honed in on your statement “Is it possible that you’re just wanting to start a new church because you love comfort and don’t want to do the hard thing of being used by God to revitalize a dying church? Or to be “boring” and faithful plod and proclaim the gospel in an average setting for twenty plus years?”
To me it seemed like you were suggesting the subtrifuge I mentioned and have been seeing the last couple of years throughout the midwest. I am truly glad that this is not your intention.
Blessings
Richard,
I know Mike pretty well (as well as you can over the internets, having never met in person).
He has gotten in trouble with other Calvinists for calling Calvinists to account and he has made it clear that converting the world to Calvinism is not his goal. Nor is it his method.
I think your interpretation of his view here is just not fair.
On the other side, Mike makes some of the worst football picks you will ever hear and he cheers for the KC Royals, so questioning his judgment is not completely out of bounds.
That’s a good point. The truth is that I’m just a Calvinist because I like the underdogs. Once we rule the Convention..and then the world…which we will…bhwahahahaha…then I’ll probably become a Traditionalist once they are the underdogs.
Go Royals!
Dave,
Thanks, I just responded to Mike’s response. As I noted there I guess I honed in on his statetement “Is it possible that you’re just wanting to start a new church because you love comfort and don’t want to do the hard thing of being used by God to revitalize a dying church? Or to be “boring” and faithful plod and proclaim the gospel in an average setting for twenty plus years?”
It seemed to suggest my original understanding which is fueled by what we are expereincing throughout the midwest. I’m thankful that Mike said this was not his position.
Blessings
Just one more example of Trads seeing everything through only one lens. Rick Patrick please take note.
Come quickly Lord Jesus or we may just destroy ourselves.
The most powerful evidence that the gospel of Christ is supreme is flawed saints living together with love. When you relegate entire communities to a scrap heap in search of the perfect church, you lessen the witness of the very power you want to proclaim.
Now, to be honest, the practical application of this truth can be painful, lonely and exasperating, but wasn’t that the point of your piece?
These same questions need to be asked by every church planter, not just those of the Reformed persuasion. I had the same questions as a young pastor in the Northwest back in the early 80’s. For me and many others, Calvinism had nothing to do with it. Believe me, being SBC in Oregon had it’s baggage even without Calvinist theology being a part of the issue. Still does. I’d say that’s probably the case across the nation.
You’re right. Stay for the right reasons. Leave for the right reasons. In every circumstance, seek to glorify God in what you do and how you lead.
“You’re right. Stay for the right reasons. Leave for the right reasons. In every circumstance, seek to glorify God in what you do and how you lead.”
Perhaps a discussion about what are the right reasons to leave would be fruitful. How about from several perspectives?
From the perspective of the:
a) founding/lead pastor
b) staff pastors
c) Members
Very well said Mike. I think many young preacher see themselves as race horses and they want to run. They fear the yoke of a plow horse. I know I have struggled with this myself.
perhaps the young need to see themselves as ‘the plow’ . . .