As I've mentioned numerous times in this blog, most churches claim they want to grow but few do. The reasons for that lack of growth are many, but in my experience in judicatory ministry the primary reason has to do with the limits they place on their pastors. Every study I've seen has noted that the pastor is a key player in the growth, or lack of growth, in any church. Some pastors couldn't grow a weed in a field of fertilizer, but many are not given the option. I've seen far too many churches say they want to grow but resist anything that might lead to growth if it might upset its current membership.
I am currently re-reading Winning on Purpose by John Edmund Kaiser. After reading the book the first time I wrote in the back of the book "A church committed to growth must have a leader committed to growth, hold that leader accountable for growth, and give that leader the authority to lead." I'm not sure if that is a quote from the book or a summary I made of the book after reading it for the first time, but I believe it is a true statement.
There are plenty of churches who hold the pastor accountable for growth, and if growth does not occur they are quick to seek new leadership. But, many of these same churches do not give the pastor authority to lead them in ways that could lead to growth.
A pastor friend of mine was serving in one of the fastest growing churches in his community. He had been there for several years faithfully serving that congregation. Serving in a congregationally-led church, he was preparing for an upcoming business meeting where he was going to introduce a couple of proposals that he believed would set the church up for even greater growth. On the night of the meeting he was shocked that his proposals were rejected and even more shocked at the anger his proposals created. As is often typical, only a small percentage of the congregation was present for that meeting, but they were the ones who were threatened by the growth the church was experiencing. My friend was deeply wounded by the response that night and soon resigned from the church. The church's growth stopped and began to decline. Today, it is at half the size it was at the time of that meeting and continuing to decline.
Churches call pastors and tell them they want them to lead, but often fail to let them do so. Everything they do must have board or congregational approval before being implemented. Uninformed board members often balk at proposed changes because "we've never done that here before." Controllers in the church fear their influence will lessen if growth occurs so they oppose any new proposal, and if it is approved they will work to sabotage it.
Because these controllers often have deep roots in the congregation, the churches will often support their objections so as not to offend them. When this happens, the pastor runs into another brick wall and another potential way to grow the church is denied. Some pastors will soon give up and settle for having a maintenance ministry in the church. It doesn't take long before people start wondering why the church isn't growing, and often the fingers begin pointing towards the pastor. Like in sports, if the team isn't winning it's time to replace the coach. Another pastor is brought in, and the cycle repeats itself.
I'm often asked why new churches grow when existing churches in the same community do not. This scenario is one I often point to. In new churches, especially non-denominational churches, the pastors are allowed to lead. They set the direction for the church, and the congregation follows. If the pastor consistently leads the church into the weeds, then something needs to be addressed. What is far more likely to happen if the pastor is being led by God, and the church is following his or her lead, is that the church will begin to grow. If the pastor does not have the authority to lead, he or she cannot be held accountable for the lack of growth in a church.
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