I’m sure that most of you have purchased a car or two in your lifetime. Actually, experts tell us we purchase somewhere between 8-10 cars in our lifetimes.
According to Forbes the likely times in our lives that we will purchase a car are;
High School Days (My first car was a 1957 Chevrolet!)
College Days
Marriage / Professional Days
Economical Cars
Nice Ride
Middle Year
Later Years
To say that the American consumer has a lifetime interest in cars is an understatement. What’s your favorite color for a car? What size engine do you need or want? Leather or cloth seats? Does it get good mileage? What brand of tire? How many people can comfortably fit in the car? What about the sound system? Its safety record. And the list goes on and on.
But has anyone every asked, “Tell me about the steering wheel.” I seriously doubt it. I wonder what kind of response the car dealer would provide. “Well, it’s round. You can use it with either hand or both. It does provide steering. Rarely will it fall off.”
So, imagine what you would think while your car shopping and you peak in the window and there was NO steering wheel! That’s an issue, right? What kind of a car manufacturer would build cars with no steering wheels? What would you think if the dealer says, “Ya, but your saving $1,500 dollars.” You could use that money and buy a set of vice grips and grab the steering column and that might work.
OK…no one is going to buy a perfectly good car with no steering wheel. That’s just plain dumb.
Which brings me to why would a person/believer attend a church without a pastor? The pulpit is empty. The “steering wheel” isn’t there. The building is nice and easy to navigate. The people seem to be friendly enough. The parking lot is paved. The stain glass windows are beautiful. The bathrooms were clean. But the pulpit is empty.
For the Christian Church/Churches of Christ we are facing a real lack of pastors and it’s only going to get worse. There are some reasons for this.
One would be the demise of Bible Colleges. A few decades ago, it was our Bible Colleges that were training young men to become a pulpit pastor. Not anymore.
Two, churches can’t afford a full-time pastor. Did you know that a greeter at Wal-Mart is provided health insurance, retirement benefits, a steady paycheck, etc. Most of today’s small and rural churches provide no health insurance. For a pastor and his young family that spells disaster.
Three, for pastors their inner circle of support has diminished. With fewer Bible Colleges things like workshops and conferences are few. Ministerial alliances no longer exist. For those pastors in isolated areas there’s not even a brother to have a cup of coffee with.
Four. Many pastors need to rely on his wife to supplement their income. The question is can she raise her children and find suitable employment at the same time? That very easily puts a strain on a marriage.
Five. My generation, the Baby Boomers, who produced many pulpit pastors is coming to an end. Baby Boomer pastors are retiring or in worst case scenario dying. The scary part of this is there’s no one coming from behind to fill the void.
Six. Many of our congregations have lost sight of their purpose. I would refer to the second chapter of Acts. I have encountered congregations whose baptistry has been bone dry for years. Making disciples is no longer a priority.
Sadly, without pulpit, gospel preaching pastors many churches will close. They’ll become art studios, bed and breakfasts, wine shops.
And when many churches close, the members of that church, will no longer find somewhere else to attend worship services.
Wayne Smith, the great Kentucky preach once said at a North American Christian Convention, “Nowhere in the Bible does it say the church will die, but it doesn’t say that it can’t become ill.”
So, what’s next? If we sit idly by, we will continue to slip down this greased pole.
We need church leaders to assemble and begin quickly to address the issue of our lack of “steering wheels, a.k.a pastors. We need that voice, whoever he is, in the wilderness to cry out and stir things up. Leaders who aren’t afraid of those who see no issue. Willing to take a stand with others and deal with the “sling of arrows and outrageous misfortune.”
It will take all of us who have a passion for the Lord’s church. We are NOT the owners of any congregation. Never. Let’s acknowledge we are its stewards, its caretakers. As the old saying goes, “there is strength in numbers.”
At the Kingdom Partnership we see ourselves, our coordinators, leaders, and pastors as one way to address training more co-vocational pastors.
Bridge Ministry Training is a program that in collaboration with the Christian Church Leadership Network develops Christian men in any congregation to learn basic ministry skills. How to preach a sermon, make a hospital call, do a crisis call, perform a baptism, officiate a funeral, lead a meeting, and teach a Bible study.
Bridge Ministry Training is an eight-week course taken online at the convenience of the student. Each student that completes the course will be assigned a mentor to walk alongside him.
So, what if your next preacher was already a part of your church? From 18 years old and up, men can apply. We at The Kingdom Partnership and the Christian Church Leadership Network are so committed to filling pulpits we are now offering the course for only $100.00 What better way for a church to build a “steering wheel.” Let’s get pulpits filled in the name of our Lord.
Get signed up today. For further information go to: https://ccl.network/bridge
Or go to: www.thekingdompartnership.us and click on Bridge Ministry.
Have questions? Call: 402.297.6876
