[DISCLAIMER: Experience tells me that somebody is about to get offended, so right off the bat it needs to be said that I am SO THANKFUL for Ryan Rasmussen, our elders, and leaders at First Christian Church – Canton! They are awesome guys, and in NO WAY does what I’m about to say have ANYTHING AT ALL to do with our church. FCC, we are blessed with good leaders and I am blessed and humbled to get to work alongside them!]
Throughout my years as a pastor I’ve come to the realization that churches that are led by weak, fearful leaders don’t grow, they shrink…not necessarily because those leaders make bad decisions, but because I believe God keeps innocent, good people away from those churches so they don’t get hurt and so their faith doesn’t get jacked up.
If YOU are a leader in a church and your conversations have more to do with keeping a small handful of grumpy, complaining churchgoers happy than with winning people to Jesus, you need to do your church a favor and step down!
The Gospel is TOO URGENT and TOO IMPORTANT to be held hostage by “leaders” who are afraid to lead with wisdom and courage in order to REACH people because their first priority is to PLEASE people. Even Jesus drove more people away from himself than he drew to himself.
Pastors, elders, church leaders: If this is you, KNOCK IT OFF. Stop hurting the church. Stop disrailing the great commission. Stop ignoring the words of Jesus you claim to love. He didn’t go to the cross so you can screw up His church by leading it with your tail between your legs. If these seem like strong words, it’s because they are. Don’t email me. If your foot isn’t on the gas, get out of the driver’s seat. For the sake of the Church, and for the sake of someone who needs Jesus, either step aside, or move forward!