July 17, 2000

EDITORIAL:
'Nothing a few funerals won't fix'
___Do you need to die for your church's health to improve?
___Would your church and its ministries be strengthened if you moved away?
___Those sound like harsh questions. But they're questions worth asking from time to time. If you have had candid relationships with several pastors, you've had this conversation before:
___"How're things going at church?" you ask the pastor.
___"Oh, we don't have any problems a few funerals won't fix," the pastor replies.
___Does the pastor wish for members of the congregation to die? Absolutely not. The statement represents an honest assessment. The purpose and priorities of the church won't change until some key members move on--in a moving van or a hearse.
___Reflexively, we want to push this answer back on the pastor. This statement surely represents interpersonal conflict between the pastor and a member or group of members. Perhaps that's true--true in some circumstances or true from time to time. But two factors indicate the response has merit.
___First, the number of pastors who have said or felt this is significant. If we had a dollar for every time a pastor has said, "Oh, we don't have any problems a few funerals won't fix," we'd have enough money to fund a Texas Baptist Church Revitalization Center of biblical proportions.
___Second, we've seen it happen. Almost any close observer of church life can recount at least one occasion where a death or transfer of an angry, obstructionist or negative member resulted in a church upturn. Old Brother Fussbudget goes on to glory, and the church experiences new glory.
___So, ask yourself: "Would my church be better off if I weren't around?" That's an unsettling question, but you can flesh it out by answering several specific questions:
___ Does my presence make my church less friendly and inviting? Two types of people in the pew set the tone for visitors' reception in churches. First are the warm, affirming folks who greet visitors with smiles and handshakes, who go out of their way to make newcomers feel wanted and welcome. Then there are the scowlers. They frown. They fume if the visitor sits in "their" pew. They brush past visitors without speaking. The air around them would freeze-dry Lord's Supper juice.
___ Would our church's fellowship be warmer if I passed off the scene? Some churches are marked by feuding families or individuals. Maybe they don't even remember how they got crossways. Maybe they do, and they won't let it go. Other churches are marred by aggressive, antagonistic members. They manage to keep relationships in an uproar all the time.
___ Do I hinder others' ability to worship? In some churches, worship has become a war. Rather than praising God, they specialize in either rubbing their worship format in other's noses or spoiling the moment by their obvious discontent.
___ Would my church be more resilient and adaptable to change without me? Some members put their congregations--particularly churches in transitional communities or with aging membership--at risk by refusing to allow their churches to present the changeless gospel in a manner that is clear and inviting to a changing world.
___ Do I obstruct ministries my church needs to undertake? Sometimes prejudice, limited vision, selfishness, pride or arrogance block churches from doing what needs to be done on behalf of Christ. Usually, that's because some members fail the "What would Jesus do?" test. They're set on doing only what's traditional, comfortable, easy or enjoyable for them.
___ Do I impede the generosity and missions-mindedness of my church? Some members look at budgets from a worldly what's-in-it-for-us perspective. They're blinded to the needs of others by the glare of their own desire. Selfishness contradicts Jesus' Great Commission.
___ Would others feel liberated if I left? Some people are Spirit-quenchers. They seem to excel in deflating others, and they create vitality-vacuums wherever they go.
___If you answer yes to any of these questions, don't quit, leave or die. Change. Ask God to help you be a strengthener and an enabler. Then try to live up to your prayer.
___If fellow church members answer yes to these questions, pray for them. Then approach them in the spirit of Matthew 18:15-20, and seek to help them become the best, most positive Christians they can be.
___Let your life reflect a perpetual "yes" to God and God's plans for your church.
___ Marv Knox

E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

Send this story to a friend

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!