Something’s Wrong

Last night was the annual meeting.
The featured speaker was a denominational executive from a mission board. I went into the meeting thinking it would be encouraging. My first clue to the trouble ahead was when the speaker didn’t show up until 5 minutes before he was scheduled to speak. Now, he wasn’t late to the meeting. He was in the building just not in the service with the rest of us. I have never understood the rationale behind that. Are they afraid of being overwhelmed with autograph hounds?
I could overlook that, but then he draws out the tried and true big church/big denomination insults.
“If you have baptized 5 or less in the last year something’s wrong,” he shouted from the platform. “If you’re not reaching your community for Christ there’s something very wrong!”
Is it possible to preach and witness and “reach” and still baptize 5 or less? The Small Church pastor knows the answer to that question.
He went on to tell us that passionate prayer will do the trick. We just aren’t passionate enough in our praying. If we were there would be more results. Of course, all of these statements came with a stampede of illustrations from his big church experience that proved his point.
Is it possible to pray passionately, for years, and not see the kind of results he suggested? The Small Church pastor knows the answer to that question too.

Something’s wrong but its not small results.
Something’s wrong with denominational leaders who look down their long noses at Small Churches who are doing their best.
Something’s wrong when those same leaders don’t remember that it’s the Small Churches that sacrificially support the mission and programs that fund them.
Something’s wrong with using numbers as the only standard by which to judge the health/success of churches.
Something’s wrong when denominational leaders are allowed to paint with brooms. They sweep into these meetings, make sweeping statements and sweep out. We need to hold them accountable. I saw lots of pastors walking out of the meeting either hurt or jaded.
Something’s wrong with Small Church pastors who go to these meetings and never say anything. We just take it and go our way. It’s high time to stand up to the big church bullies.
Something’s wrong with me. I had a chance to stand up but I didn’t. I just took it.
At least I have a blog.