To pastor a small Church of God can be a real challenge to a minister and his family. Sometimes that church is isolated geographically and that leaves the pastor without the outside stimuli that he craves and may even need to feel complete. The small church is often dominated by one family who after several years feel ownership. This is not necessarily bad as the church might not exist without them but sometimes nothing can change because of them. A pastor friend has been driving to one remote location, preaching, teaching and usually leading the singing now for 15 years.
Just in the last 2 years a subdivision has grown up within a mile and he and I brainstormed ways to reach out and try to reach the new neighbors. But his group of 12 to 15 showed no interest in doing anything to welcome them in. Deep down in seemed as if they felt inferior and thought the new comers would look down on them. So big or small it takes energy,wisdom and a willingness to break out of the comfort zone for both pastor and church.
I well know that feeling!
If you do get new faithful people they are pushed out. Nobody is
Sent to quick. No one should ask why the new people are gone or what church their going to. I think maybe if you found out why their gone. You could talk to them and get them to come back. That’s the way I feel as a member of a church. Is my thinking wrong, please give me your input.
When you have a coup in a church, like you just described, it only hampers the growth of the church. There will always be problems in the congregation when you have people that think they “rule the roost”. Its a slippery slope my friend.
I have been in small churches, doing everything from teaching Sunday School to senior Pastor since 1986. The one thing I have learned in the last 30 years is that no church fits into the same box. The truth is if people will listen to and apply the word of God to their lives, and that goes for the Pastor too, then the windows of Heaven will open and miricals will happen, wheather it has 10 or 10,000 members. Also, it has nothing to do with small churches in the Church of God, it is true of all churches.
Levi, sometimes it’s not the members that are hampering the growth.
Prayers 4 this group..
In my experience over the past 40-50 years in ministry, I have always found the opposite of what Bro Price has stated. I have always found loving people who had a sincere desire to grow. It seems to me that most small churches have BAD pastors who are not called, or who are using the small church as a stepping stone to a larger church. These type of pastors are very political, and have no burden for the people. I recall a small church that I pastored for a year. We started with 6 people and grew into the 40s. Those few people raised the funds (thousands of dollars) to totally remodel their church. Next pastor let the CoG go to zero. He even sent his children to the AoG, did not even open the CoG on Sunday mornings, but he and his wife slept in. They just wanted a free place to live. It is what I call respectively “welfare preachers.” They are a disgrace to God Almighty and should be thrown out of the denomination. Lazy tails.
Kim, Sincerely, my heart goes out to any small CoG. The international offices and organization would not be the same without the small groups of dedicated women raising money to pay morgages, the pastors families who have made sure the utilities were paid, and small families of the church who have put down foundational work are impkrtant I think a good evangelism leader should see the opportunities for people to be saved and a church to grow. A small group may need additional guidance in that issue. Salvation is the purpose of any church’s doors to be opened. I WILL BE PRAYING FOR ENLIGHTENNENT OF THOSE WHO WANT TO CONTROL..Anything is possible with Him.