George Jones had a hit a couple of decades ago titled, "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?" It was a song about the legends of Country music. His question was, as these men get older and pass away, who will play the Opry, or come up with classics like the Wabash Cannon Ball. (I realize some of this might be Mandarin Chinese to some of you, but bear with me).
Country music has a long tradition of being a part of American life, especially rural America, where people would tune in their radios to WSM 650 AM on Saturday nights in hopes of being able to pick up the Grand Ole Opry, and hear the Country Music Stars of the day playing their signature hits and engaging in playful banter, both for the audiences in the Ryman (which is no longer the home of the Opry), and those on radio (based in Nashville, WSM covered most of the Southeast US at night).
In addition to Opry stardom, these artists recorded new albums almost every year and toured relentlessly. Then there were the TV show appearances and movie cameos (Who could forget Mel Tillis in Smokey and the Bandit II.... "We're cl-cl-cl-cl-We're closed!")
Despite the passing of generations, Country music is still one of the top formats in America. With artists like Brad Paisley still growing in popularity, and the legends like George Strait still cranking out popular music, it looks like the traditions of the Opry will continue for years.
More important than the Opry, however, is the state of our churches and evangelism. I look back on the years following the ABA split of 1950 with some amazement. The men who surrendered to the ministry in those days really surrendered. They left everything behind to go to seminary at TBI, or LMBIS, or another seminary. Then, they ministered to where God called them regardless of financial situations. They sacrificed. They went out and did mission work without the promise of an associational salary. They went to areas where few ABA churches were, where fellowship would be limited, and attacks on their new work would be numerous. Still, they ministered, discipled and evangelized. I think of the work Jack Dean did at Northcrest MBC in Snyder, or how about the work of Jim Slocumb in Andrews?
Where are the missionaries and church planters today? Where is our zeal for expanding the Kingdom of God? (It may be alive and well, just show me!) I think the statistics being compiled by Bro. David Smith are telling. Few new works are being started, and often times once a new work is started, it may take 10-15 years for that new work to be self-supporting, and even longer for it to reproduce. At the same time, the lost and unchurched population of our nation, our state, and even the counties where we have numerous churches is quickly rising, and our average attendances are quickly falling. Who's gonna fill their shoes?
Look, I'm not calling anyone out. Nearly every minister I know is banging his head into a brick wall trying to figure out what more could be done. Many church members I know are overwhelmed by the task at hand. I am not being critical of our work at all!
All I am saying is "Who's gonna fill their shoes?" Where are the men going to come from who will plant new churches, lead existing ones through revival, and work sacrificially for the cause of Christ, throwing worries to the wind?
2 comments:
I appreciate that you have conceded that the problem is not because pastors and churches are not trying.
Jesus did say "...Occupy till I come." (Luke 19:13), and we should still be trying to reach as many as we can. However, why can't we realize that we truly are in the last days, and that people "will not endure sound doctrine." (2 Timothy 4:3). Our method, however, must still be to "Preach the word.." (2 Timothy 4:2) and our worship must be "in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24). It is honorable to be kind, welcoming, and to truly love those that are lost, but we cannot relax our standards and just give them what they want.
I don't like to hear people run down our pastors and churches and write them off as lazy. One's attitude towards the Lord's churches are indicative of their heart toward the Lord. If you are repulsed by Christians, chances are, you are not one.
As for your comments, I agree wholeheartedly, even though it seems at times that I don't. I don't agree with relaxing standards, and people truly seeking the Lord don't want churches who compromise.
That being said, there are some new techniques to reaching lost people that we have previously thought to be unreachable. Examples include churches in multi-housing communities (apartment complexes & trailer parks) and Set Free churches (churches in the inner cities that actually remove repentant drug addicts from their environment.) Both utilize sound, doctrinal preaching, and none violate landmark principles (if done scripturally), and have been proven to be effective.
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