Byron Harvey offers a great idea - instead of all these conferences from mega-church pastors telling us how they grew their suburban churches into these huge corporations, maybe we should have a "Church Shrinkage Institute."
I think that instead of listening to pastors who have marketed their churches well, targeted their building in the part of town that was growing the fastest, and grew the numbers in their churches to the size that impresses enough to offer a conference on church growth, we should listen to pastors who have sought to go against this tide, who purposely go to the marginalized in society, and who have small but genuine Christian churches that are impacting their local communities.
I think that instead of lists like "50 Most Influential Churches in America" or the "Top 20 Youth Ministers" (yikes! they actually have a list like that!!), we can list the pastors who love their people and seek to create authentic community in both small-town America and inner-city neighborhoods.
technorati: emerging church
Bob,
ReplyDeleteGood post.
I am not opposed to a church that happens to be "mega" (I doubt that you are, either).
One of the megas I'm thinking of in GR area, exploding in short time, and know nation wide (you'd know it, too, if I name it).
From the same "mother" church another pastor is in a work that is not mega. Just as faithful. More a part of the inner city. A different work and calling. I think just as faithful to his calling, as the other one, I believe is to his.
I do think what you're describing is more the "mean" in reference to churches. Seen even in the bigger cities, but especially in a large part of America. Pastors who don't love their people, need to find other work.