I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I think Falwell is wrong. This time I’m referring to junior.

Half of pastors would leave the ministry tomorrow if they could. Seventy percent are fighting depression and 90 percent can’t cope with the challenge of ministry. Those are the statistics Pastor Jonathan Falwell laid out to thousands of ministers who were in Lynchburg, Va., Tuesday for the “Refuel” conference.

The well-known pastor stated bluntly, “Something is wrong in ministry.”

Citing surveys from such groups as Barna, LifeWay and Acts 29, Falwell lamented that 1,500 pastors walk away from ministry every month because of moral failure, burnout, conflict, discouragement or depression. He was also shocked to find that 80 percent of seminary and Bible school graduates will leave the ministry within their first five years.

Part of the problem, he indicated, is trying to make it to the big numbers and most influential lists or aiming for the most Twitter followers.

“I believe that we have self-imposed measurements of success that are skewed, that are wrong,” said Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church – which is notably one of the largest churches in the country. [Christian Post]

I’ll say that I’ve been there… burned out, that is. I’ll go as far to say that I visit it from time to time. But while I agree, in part, what the findings of this study. I’ve never experienced burn out from worrying about numbers or comparing. Ministry can simply be tough, heart breaking and wearing on you. You invest the best of yourself into people that may not even care. You may never see fruit from your labor (this side of heaven). You’ll be under appreciated and under paid. There will be spiritual battles, BUT, you do get to be a a part of kingdom work. You do get to work for the industry of hope and redemption. You do get to invest in people on a daily basis.

So is it hard? You bet. Will you feel burn out? From time to time yes. But I love what I do.  Take any job where you pour your passions into it 100% and tell me that it’s odd to experience “moral failure, burnout, conflict, discouragement or depression.” When you labor, you sweat. That’s just part of it. None of life is easy. Ministry isn’t exception.

I will agree with him when he said that, “something is wrong in ministry” but I’ll clarify a bit by saying, “something is wrong with [many] ministries.” But it’s not an issue with numbers, it’s because many have become institutionalized, comfortable, and ineffective. They’re less concerned with being missional, relational and incarnational.

Maybe I’m wrong. What do you think?

“Christianity suddenly became a much more intellectual enterprise after the Protestant Reformation, when churches split into different denominations over theological ideas. Preachers and teachers tried to attract followers with compelling insights and ideas. The focus of the faith shifted from the heart to the head, leaving the stomach behind.

Today, congregations are trying to provide more than intellectual nourishment by putting restaurants and coffee bars in their buildings. In our polarized and fractured society, people of different backgrounds are invited to come together in these houses of God to have conversation over a meal or a drink — in spite of their differences.” USA Today

There’s nothing wrong with reaching out to people in different ways. But why does the church have to be the restaurant… or the coffee house? Why do we have to lure people inside the church to have a conversation? Couldn’t we just go to, you know a real restaurant or an actual coffee house? Is it because those places seem less safe? What if someone heard me talking about Jesus in Starbucks? The horror.

I don’t know how many times I’ve head people say that they need to bring someone to church so that they can “hear the Gospel.” Then I typically reply, “Are you a Christian? Don’t you know what the Gospel is?” And at that point, the conversation ends, with that person giving me a weird look, like I’m crazy.

As Christians, we get into this four wall mentality like somehow our faith only takes place inside the church. We make the building the focal point, but the majority of ministry as Christians, should happen outside the church, not in it.

So if this is true, then why are we doing our best to make sure that never happens?

The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of. Our attention would have been on God. 

- C.S. Lewis

How do we return to this? Or is it even possible?

Side note: if you want to find the perfect church go here. It’s actually a churched called "The Perfect Church."

The SBC is losing members, you say? Well, Captain Obvious has apparently made his appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention. 

How do you fix it?

"Tuesday and Wednesday… thousands of messengers are expected in Louisville, there will be a face-off over their organizational future"

It seems battle lines are being drawn to decide the fate of the SBC.

Pastor Johnny Hunt has drawn up Article IX a plain for the "Great Commission Resurgence" to streamline and clarify the SBC. He’s calling for signatures to join this movement online. 

But on the other side the "executive chairman of the SBC executive committee, Rev. Morris Chapman, says he won’t sign. Instead he calls "revival and spiritual growth." [USATODAY]

Hey boys. You know, you’re both wrong – but I can fix this pretty easy. 

You listening (ha ha, I should know better, Southern Baptist don’t listen, they preach)?

For starters you’re Followers of Christ, not Southern Baptist. That means Jesus first, not the SBC. I know that seems simple, but it’s a pretty good starting place. This love of all things SBC can’t come before the love of Christ. 

Secondly, it’s not adopting a new set of values or mandates. It’s also not proclaiming our need for spiritual growth. Both seem good on paper, but to walk them out is a whole different story. Mandates are mere words. And to go tell people to "spiritually grow" does nothing. It’s a heart issue that’s gotten the SBC where it’s at. 

You, boys, are too far inside to see it clearly or objectively.

The SBC’s pursuit has long been to be "right" or "righteous" and kindness & grace don’t come into the equation. Can you actually be righteous without grace or humility? 

And lastly let me ask you this. Are you worried about the state of the SBC simply because your "numbers are down"? Or is it because you’ve feel that the Lord is moving you to change things? You remember God don’t you? He came before RIck Warren. And your allegiance should be to follow Him and not mandates, works, programs or denominations. 

Stop worshiping the denomination. If it lives or dies –  it doesn’t matter. Jesus is still Jesus. Nothing changes that. It all comes back to being a follower of Christ. But I think that was forgotten a while back…

[Note: I'm not just randomly picking on the ol' SBC. I do have a life long history with my boys. I'm a dirty Baptist after all]

I’m out of town for about 2 weeks (rock and raft training) and I’ve invited several bloggers to weigh in on 4 questions.

Blogger: Kevin Bussey

Blog: www.kevinbussey.com

1) Even thought I’ve experienced Pain in ministry, I still keep going because of the Calling .

2) One way God continues to inspire and give me hope is: seeing people give their lives to Christ.

3) Where do you see God moving in the world today? I see him moving in my ministry, the workplace.  People are hurting and need the love of Christ.

4) I am most hopeful about the church today because: God made the church His instrument to reach the world. I am least hopeful today about the church because: it isn’t as relevant as it should be.

“Slavery still exists in America. It comes in the form of a traditional church placing it’s manners & customs above God’s Word.”

-Virgil via Twitter

A bold statement for sure. What are your thoughts?

Agree or disagree?

And for the sake of argument, what are some of these “manners & customs” (or traditions & sacred cows) that some churches hold on to so tightly that it becomes like chains of slavery (instead of freedom in Christ)?

“I imagine that the Church of 2050 will look considerably different from the one we have now: smaller, more culturally-marginalized, less politically powerful and, dare I say, more passionate and true to emulating the way of Jesus. I have no trouble foreseeing that we will abandon our big buildings and return to house churches, coffee shop churches, and meet-in-the-park churches.”

- Brian Kirk in the excellent post: “The Death of Evangelicalism? The Death of Youth Ministry?” from his blog Rethinking Youth Ministry