What is a soul worth?

While serving as a judicatory minister one of my pastors was being attacked by a group within his church. I attended a business meeting and was pleased that the church's deacons stood up at the start of the meeting and affirmed the pastor's ministry and what the church was doing. The budget and other items were approved with no negative votes. When the meeting ended about two dozen people surrounded me with their complaints. One of the complaints was the amount of money being spent on youth ministry in the church. The spokeswoman for the group said the church had recently spent $800.00 to rent a rock climbing wall for a youth retreat, and they believed that was a poor expenditure of the church's money.

I explained to her that I received the church's newsletter each week, and in almost every edition there was a report of the number of people, including many young people, who were saved in the church during the past week. I then asked her, "What do you believe a soul is worth? Do you think spending $800.00 is too much to reach one person for Jesus Christ? If you do, I have churches that won't spend $800.00 a year on their youth ministry. Maybe you would be happier attending one of them." The group walked away, and many of them left the church over the next couple of weeks. Because of the ministries of the church, it was able to replace them, and more, within a few months.

Many churches would have given in to this group of church critics, but the pastor, the deacons and most of the congregation refused to do so. They understood God was doing a good work in that church, and they were not going to let a group of discontented people hold up that work.

One thing is certain...when a church begins to be effective in reaching people for Jesus Christ, Satan will come in and try to stop it. The weapons he most often uses are people within the congregation. They will point out that things are not being done according to the constitution or Roberts Rules of Order. They will question whether funding was achieved through "proper channels." They will loudly cry out the seven last words of the church: WE NEVER DID IT THAT WAY BEFORE!

For too long churches have caved into to these critics, and our churches are suffering because of it. Men, women and young people are dying and going to hell because we permit critics to limit what we and God want to do in our churches. Tom Bandy wrote in Fragile Hope some words that have affected my ministry since I first read them. He wrote

All you need to ask is: "Do you love controllers more than your own children, parents, neighbors, and work associates?" Is it more important to keep controlling clergy, matriarchs, patriarchs, wealthy trustees, or dominating institutional managers, rather than welcome your own teenagers, parents and immediate loved ones into the community of faith? The choice may be as profound as "Christ or institution," but for most people it is as simple as "Controller or my teenager.? If one must go so the other can belong, what will be your preference?

I'll ask again...what is a soul worth?