From the Pastor's
Heart...
Church
Government & Structure
At
Powhatan Mennonite Church we are in the early stages of trying to reconfigure
our present church structure. As pastor and chair of the Restructuring Team,
I’m anxious and am looking forward to see how and where God will lead us.
Having Mel Shetler from Maple City Chapel
maplecitychapel.com in
Goshen, Indiana, come and share about our church structure and give counsel
where it needs to change was very helpful. Mel has a lot of experience and
wisdom; his visit has given us plenty to think about.
It is a fair warning, though, to say that church structure does not
answer all of a church's challenges. I am sure, however, that good structure is
a big help in doing ministry while poor structure can impede and hamper it. But
we are mistaken if we are looking at church structure to be the answer for all
of our shortcomings.
I
look back at the past six years that I’ve been pastor at Powhatan Mennonite
Church. Our growth as far as new believers coming into the church is less than
impressive. We have had many, many church services, special meetings, sermon
themes, adult classes, small group meetings, lots of committee meetings, a
yearly budget of around $145,000, and we have very little to show for all that
effort as far as new converts coming to faith.
Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again
and expecting different results.” We are “insane” to think that we can
continue with church as we have been and that somehow people will just wander
in.
Are
we in a leadership crisis? Is it a spiritual crisis? Is it a church structure
crisis? Is there no personal evangelism anymore? Maybe it is some of all of the
above but regardless, change must happen in many places including the pastorate.
Hopefully that work has already begun.
As
a pastor, I turned into a politician trying to make the system work. I
officially quit that job! I will no longer try and make everyone “happy” as
it doesn’t work anyway and it only impedes effectiveness. God has spoken to me
to “rally around the lost” and that is where I’m putting my energy to
lead. There are other important ministries as well that will follow this; mainly
discipleship as new people come into our fellowship. All the rest of church
“stuff” we must maintain at a level that will allow us to be most effective
in reaching those who are not following Jesus. I am not looking for a new
message or a new gospel or a different Jesus. Only as Mel Shetler stated so
eloquently, “It is time for a new wine skin.”
I’m
also reminded that one person shouldn’t be the lone decision maker in a
church. The Bible teaches a principle of a group of elders leading.
Jack
Hayford writes in his book, Appointed to Leadership,
“One person cannot be all things to all people. We all have blind spots.
Teamwork is needed if adequate leadership is to be provided. Jesus and His
disciples worked as a team. He taught them and trained them, and when He left
earth to return to heaven He was able to leave His work in their hands.
Where
there is personality-centered leadership there is weak structure, but where
there is team leadership the church structure will be strengthened. The apostle
Paul said, “For we are laborers together with God” (1 Cor. 3:9, kjv.
Read also Phil. 1:27; Col. 2:2). If teamwork is to exist, then
there can be no loners or ‘Lone Rangers.’” In fact,
another author writes about lay leadership, “Men want to contribute, but if
the pastor calls all the shots, the men wither. John Eldridge sums it up this
way, “You want a team, not a one-man show. If you have a one-man show, the men
you’ll get are going to be sheep, rather than tigers.” Sorry ladies, you may
be doing fine, but we need some men “tigers” led by a vision and a focus
from God, giving leadership to our fellowship. Clearly, it is time to take some
risks and step out of the boat! We need leadership and the leadership needs the
jurisdiction to lead.
Just a reminder as we begin the restructuring process. This process is not a
democratic one, although no one will purposefully be left behind. We will not
necessarily be following the majority; or Mel Shetler; or the
"loudest" voice... we will be following God and yet He may employ
all/some of the above to speak to us. We are looking for a word from God in this
and I believe He is speaking to us.
Will you endeavor to pray that as God speaks to us by the power of His Holy
Spirit, we would be ready to receive it?
Blessings,
Your pastor, Tim.