How to Grow a BIG, SUCCESSFUL Church

by Pastor Greg Wilson

  In these difficult days in which we live it is still possible to grow a BIG, SUCCESSFUL Church. It does, however, require a great deal of sacrifice. Sacrifice that I, frankly, am unwilling to make! A preacher must first sacrifice his principles, then his integrity, his convictions, and his self-respect in order to tickle the ears of a wicked and untoward generation that will not endure the sound doctrines of God’s Word.

  To be BIG AND SUCCESSFUL you must be careful not to offend the current mores on the issues of divorce and remarriage. Great numbers are involved in this modern day polygamy. So to grow and maintain a BIG, SUCCESSFUL Church you must take care in how you address this subject. You may still speak of your personal preference against divorce. You may still present it as the "the last option" to be contemplated. Be careful, however, not to mention the Biblical view that it is never acceptable in the eyes of God. Never reveal that remarriage following a divorce cannot be justified Scripturally. Be prepared to ignore the Scriptural prohibitions and put remarried, divorced people in prominent positions within the church. Otherwise you will offend this large portion of the populace. A willingness to perform marriages for those who have been previously divorced will also go a long way towards filling the auditorium on Sunday morning. Try not to be disturbed that you are making light of a practice that is hated by God. Or that the results of your compromise will be reaped bountifully in the wrecked marriages of the next generation coming up within the church.

  To be BIG AND SUCCESSFUL make sure you distance yourself from the stand our Baptist forefathers took against the observance of the pagan, Roman holidays. Though Christmas and Easter remain a stench in the nostrils of a Holy God, they have become almost universally revered. If you dare to speak the truth about their origins or point out the clear Biblical prohibitions against involvement in these ways of the heathen, you will effectively alienate the vast majority of your prospects. If you crave bigness and success, you must be prepared to sanctify, glorify, and honor these days that arose directly from the pit of hell. Have special Cantatas and Programs and pretend that these pagan rites highly honor God.

  To be BIG AND SUCCESSFUL it is still OK to rant and rave about being a Baptist "with a big B." But don’t make an issue of it when folks offer themselves for membership from other denominations or apostate Southern Baptist Churches. The fact that their baptisms are Scripturally invalid must not prevent their reception into the membership, otherwise you might be stigmatized as an "ANA-BAPTIST." And you can hardly expect the multitudes to flock to you today if you take such an unpopular stance. Try not to be made too uneasy as you trample under foot the rivers of blood shed by our Baptist forefathers for their unyielding Biblical convictions about these things.

  You can still be BIG AND SUCCESSFUL and preach hard against sin. Just make sure that the sins you preach hard against are not the ones being practiced by the more prominent members of your congregation. Pornography, witchcraft, and abortion are still relatively safe issues. Be careful, however, when you address such things as modesty and gender appropriate clothing, smoking, drinking, Masonry and the other secret societies, tithing, gambling, attendance at the theater, and television. Or better yet, just don’t address these issues at all.

  One of the most important things to do in building a BIG AND SUCCESSFUL church is to either eliminate or dilute the Biblical teachings concerning repentance. Many people will be willing to make a "profession of faith" so long as they know it will not interfere with their lifestyle. Preaching the Biblical essentials of repentance and forsaking of sin is bound to severely limit the number you can claim to have "reached for Christ." So seek to preach conversion as an escape from the consequences of sin that need not have any effect on how life is lived in the here and now. Try not to concern yourself that these "converts" are now made "two-fold more the children of hell."

  Yes, you can still build a BIG, SUCCESSFUL church in these difficult days in which we live. And I pray that in light of the compromise that it requires that God will keep this preacher from it!

Available as a printed tract from:

Landmark Independent Baptist Church

P.O. Box 847

Archer, FL 32618-0847