Church closurre

[chev1958]

Fellow pastors,

Last night, our last family (and the first family to join us) told me they have decided to "resign" their membership with our church. They had been attending a weekly Bible study at a Missionary Alliance church in a nearby town, and felt led of the Lord to join there. They were a very young (early 20s), newly married couple when they joined our church three years ago. We had some pretty good growth at the beginning, but one family was disciplined and left, another eventually left due to disagreements on several issues, and two others left due to job transfers. Now our church is down to this young family, a divorced man in his 60s, and my wife and me. They were thirsty for fellowship with others their age, and I understand that completely. So, our church will be down to my wife and me, and the divorced man.

I've visited every house in town at least once with little results. I visited outlying farms this past summer, and was planning to hit the town again this summer, once the floods stopped. Our church is struggling financially because of a shortage of tithing members (our current members tithe, but there's just not many members), and we had some churches drop their missionary support of us. This past winter almost shut us down due to high utility bills.

So, my question is directed to church planters mostly, but anyone can chime in. The Holy Spirit has not impressed upon me that it's time to close Rolling Hills Baptist Church, but it seems the "writing is on the wall," so to speak. I don't want to quit the work, but I'm not sure if my pride is blinding me to the obvious. I know God can still work in this town, but when do you apply Matt. 10:14 and move on?

Mitch

[Pastorj]

Chevy,

I am sorry to hear that. The answer to your question is a difficult one. It is a decision that you have to be at peace with the Lord on. Some options to consider:

1. Doing home Bible Studies with people until you have a couple families involved and can re-establish the church.
2. Knock on every door one more time before you make the decision.

Whatever you decide to do, you just need to make sure it's the Lords decision. We had a missionary friend who stayed 12 years in Ireland and only had a church of around 20.

Pastor j

[OLD fashioned preacher]

MAKE SURE it is the Lord and not discouragement before you quit!!!!! I have a friend in N. Carolina who has seen as many as 25 members, but most of the 18 years that he's been there has been 6-8. He currently has 7. I can't give much encouragement from a personal end of things since I pastor one of the largest IFB churches in a 100mi radius - 17 members.

[PreacherE]

My advice won't be much different from those who have already posted. Mainly to make sure that it is God's will whatever you decide.

I would recommend if you are feeling discouraged to remember Adoniram Judson. He stayed on the missionary field for 7 years before he saw his 1st convert and it was many years before his church ever really began to grow.

Know that my prayers will be with you.

In Christ,
PreacherE

[deputydog530]

I can only say whats been said. My brother in law Planted a Church in Idaho about 7 years ago. He merged with another IBF Church and has been the Accosicate Pastor there. Now he feels the Lord is moving him but the direction is not clear yet. He and I talk all the time. One of the hardest things is to wait in the Lord.

I know our Church has grown and shrunk over the years. A few years ago we could barely pay the Pastor infact he missed several paydays. We are growing again spiritualy and in numbers. Offerings are back up. We built a building (the one on the website photo) and it caused some hardships. The parking lot had to be paved or the city was going fine us. The Lord provided 50K we did not have to pave it.

Looking back I see how the Lord sustained his Church here even through times I thought the doors would close.

May I encourage you brother to seek the Lords direction, that he would make the answer so clear that you know exactly what to do. Perhaps he has somewhere for you to go and a Pastor to take over. Or, He is building your faith. I only want to encourage you. It is a battle for sure.

I was called to preach over a year ago and the Lord has left me here for now. My brother in law and I are praying that wherever the Lord sends him we could go together as a team. Waiting for the answer is the hardest part.

God Bless you and I will be praying for you.

Tim

[Anon]

I'm really sorry to hear it....can't add anything to what these good preachers have said.... might suggest that while you have the time, taking a week off with your wife and spending some time with her as she may be lonely and discouraged as well as you are....just take a break and spend some time with each other and God. Like Jesus went to the mountain to pray...etc.

:pray

[brosmith]

So' date=' my question is directed to church planters mostly, but anyone can chime in. The Holy Spirit has not impressed upon me that it's time to close Rolling Hills Baptist Church, but it seems the "writing is on the wall," so to speak. I don't want to quit the work, but I'm not sure if my pride is blinding me to the obvious. I know God can still work in this town, but when do you apply Matt. 10:14 and move on?[/quote']


Here is an article that has helped me in deciding what to do:

http://www.scionofzion.com/godswill.htm

[chev1958]

Nice article, brosmith. It gave me some things to think about.

We did have an elderly couple join two Sundays ago. They had been visiting for a while, and they were past members of the church. Good people.

But ...

During yesterday's morning service, a single man (twice divorced) who joined our church not quite two years ago came to church after being absent three Sundays. "Bob" lives in a small town about 20 miles away and has a PO Box, so I never knew where he physically lived; obviously I would have visited him before now. So I greeted "Bob" and asked if things in his life were going along OK, or if there was something I could help him with. This was just before services started.

He told me that yesterday was his last Sunday as a member of the church. The only reason he came yesterday was to tell me that. When I asked if there was a particular reason, "Bob" said he was upset about some "things" I said from the pulpit that were inappropriate for a pastor to say. Apparently, inappropriate comments have been spewing out of my mouth ever since he joined. When I asked for specifics, he couldn't give me any. Neither could my wife, and believe me, if I said something inappropriate, she'd be the first to let me know!

He then changed subjects and said the way my wife and I "treated" his girlfriend a year ago was un-Christian. From my viewpoint, my wife did everything we could, and we were the ones mistreated. "Sarah" was in her mid-20s and was attending a Bible study "Bob" was leading at an assisted-care facility for mentally challenged folks. He led her to the Lord, and it was my privilege to baptize her.

After some time, "Sarah" improved enough to move out on her own. One night, she called my wife and asked if she could come visit with her. My wife did, and ended up counseling her about feelings she was developing over "Bob." She would go back to the facility to attend the Bible studies. "Bob" found out about the meeting and accused us of trying to take over his ministry. Never mind that he refused to bring those studies under our church's authority. He started those Bible studies and we should stay out of "his ministry." When I told him that "Sarah" had called my wife first, he backed down.

Then, "Bob" told me that "Sarah's" feelings toward him made him uncomfortable. He wanted out, so I began counseling with him to "let her down easy." It was awkward to counsel the two of them separately, knowing each one had different viewpoints on their relationship.

Before "Bob" could end the relationship, a neighboring pastor who filled in for me one Sunday night said something negative against casinos. That offended "Sarah," who would go to casinos when her depression acted up. The bright lights and activity would cheer her up. Because of this other preacher's comments, "Sarah" quit coming to church. After a couple of Sundays of missing church, my wife and I went to her apartment to encourage her to come back. She opened the door, saw us standing there, screamed at us, and slammed the door in our faces. My wife tried to calm her down through the door, but "Sarah" went into a screaming fit. All we knew to do then was leave. So, how we mistreated "Sarah" is beyond me.

Not to stretch the story out any more, but "Bob" was against a visitation program our sending church was using. Titled "Fishers of Men," it taught people unfamiliar or uncomfortable with knocking on doors on how to get over their "fears" and witness to folks. "Bob" said he could teach anyone how to knock doors just by going out with them one time. After all, his spiritual gift was personal evangelism. Without looking at the materials, he knew the course would be a waste of time.

Yeah, I went door-knocking with him. He told people he was taking a survey and wondered if they would answer some of his questions. Then he would speak so low that no one could hear him, and they looked to me for help. I had real problems with his methods and told him so. Our visitation program right now consists of me knocking on Anita's doors one evening a week and one Saturday a month. With only 300 households in our small town, I'm starting to hit them all a second time around.

After our conversation Sunday, I told "Bob" that he didn't need to feel obligated to stay. His attitude would hinder the services, so it might be best for him to go ahead and leave. I went to my office and he followed me. When he got my office door (I didn't know he was following me), he spoke loud enough for my wife to hear. He said that our church by this time should be full of people. We should have a full choir, a vibrant visitation program, and an active youth program. He claimed that my full-time secular job and being mayor were more important to me than the church was. And here's the kicker: "But this church has been dead for 20 years, so I don't know why I was expecting you to do better."

I just looked at him and said, "Bob, I think it's time for you to leave" and I closed the door. He left the building. I was shaking to the point that I couldn't preach. I asked our folks for another 10 minutes, and then we would proceed with services, which we did. I preached on Joshua 10 about how our enemies can gang up on us, but God is always fighting for us, if we just let Him. What a perfect sermon for that situation.

Please pray that God will show us what we should do. I'll be counseling with our sending church this week. There have been five IFB churches planted within a 60-mile radius of our church over the last five years. The established churches have called the plants answers to prayer. These baby churches opened like barnstormers, but now we're all facing similar situations of low to no attendance, and financial support is drying up. You would think the Plains states would be open to IFB churches, but traditionally, this has been a stronghold for Catholic and Lutheran churches, with a spattering of Methodists. And many of these towns are dying, because the young people are moving to where the jobs are.

God's in control, and I know that. My biggest battle is discouragement right now. And, of course, Satan is using "Bob's" comments against me, which doesn't help me at all. I've even been second-guessing my calling to preach and plant this church. My biggest fear is that I'll misread what God's purpose is for us and head in a wrong direction. Believe me, being called to pastor an established church sounds really good right now, but I know they can come with their own set of problems (just ask PastorJ!).

[Pastorj]

I feel for you Brother. We continue to lift you up in our prayers.

[brosmith]

We will be praying for you and your family.

Is it possible for you to have another man of God come and assist you with the work?

[chev1958]

I guess it's possible, but he would have to come with his own financial support.