Church culture not = Great Commission calling

Thank you for your recent article titled “Stained Glass & Starbucks.” It is no doubt a subject that should be on the front page of every Southern Baptist publication.

I am 41 years old yet my culture takes me back much further as my grandfather was a Primitive Baptist preacher in the west Georgia area. He passionately loved Jesus and influenced many to come to Christ during his pastorates.

After one revival in 1946, 64 people were baptized in the Tallapoosa River. However, growing up as a child, I recall conversations about churches struggling with what they perceived as major issues: things like “Should restrooms be attached to the church building?”; “Should fellowship halls be attached to the church buildings?”; and “Is foot washing a true ordinance of the church?”

He later pastored Southern Baptist churches and some of those issues were dropped into the past and a new generation began to redefine what church is all about. I am in the midst of this struggle myself.

I have now served in Southern Baptist churches for more than 20 years and hopefully I have at least 25-30 more years left of good ministry. My current pastorate is consistently listed among the fastest growing churches in our state.

We are a leader in baptisms, Cooperative Program giving, Lottie Moon giving and have recently planted two additional churches in the west Georgia region.

Most of my ministry I have been a traditionalist to the core. But I believe the real struggle I face along with many others is that traditionalists too often find themselves protecting the church culture as we’ve known it, almost as if that within itself is the Great Commission. Trying to change seems to be the unpardonable sin in our denomination.

According to Thom Rainer’s latest statistics, 65% of those age 60 and up profess to be born again believers. But less than 4% of those age 29 and under profess to be born again. Church leaders must make the decision: “Will we preserve an old culture to reach the same people from other churches (most of who already know Christ) or will we present the Gospel in a framework that a new generation can at least hear and understand?

If not, our churches will be empty in the next 25 years and visitors can walk in on Sunday morning and take a tour and speak of our beautiful stained glass but there will be no one in our altars.