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EP 176 – RECAPTURING EVANGELISM W/ DR. MATT QUEEN

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EP 176 - RECAPTURING EVANGELISM W/ DR. MATT QUEEN
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The boys are back with another EP from their time at Southwestern Baptist Seminary. This time with special guest, Dr. Matt Queen who recently released a new book, Recapturing Evangelism. We celebrated Bob’s honorary Doctorate, and then got down to the serious business of discussing evangelism with one of our favorite all time Evangelists, Dr. Queen, here are some of the highlights.

Why is evangelism difficult?

  • There are some who are for evangelism-as long as someone else does it
  • We often confuse things that are not evangelism, with evangelism: like inviting people to church (which is good) but the gospel has not been shared.
  • We don’t plan or make time to evangelize
  • We celebrate baptisms (which is great) and define it as success and then win. However, success is sharing the gospel (evangelizing) it is important to celebrate that.

It is important to establish evangelistic patterns or rhythms: “Those who fail to plan time to evangelize will fail to find time to evangelize.” — Dr. Matt Queen

 How can I take steps to become intentional in evangelism?

  • One, take a quantitative approach-define a goal of how many times you want to share the gospel.
  • Identify what is an opportunity to share the gospel. It can be as simple as identifying taking the opportunity to speak about the gospel when you: see a person wearing a cross, taking public transportation, or to use a catch phrase: “Have you heard any good news today?”

How do we cultivate a culture of evangelism in a dying or declining church?

  • Understand-not everyone in your church will “buy in” and start evangelizing, but some will support you.
  • Visit and take others with you, teaching them how to share the gospel.  “If your people don’t see or hear of you evangelizing-they will not likely do evangelism.”

How do I share the gospel with those whom I am concerned about losing the relationship?

  • Repent-confess that you’re sorry for not sharing the gospel with them and ask their forgiveness.
  • Reconnect with those in your relationship circles who you have shared the gospel before-and just check in and see if they have changed their thinking and ask; “Would it be okay if we had another conversation?”

Some the best quotes of the episode:

“People are more ready to hear the gospel than we are ready to share it.”

“If you know enough of the gospel to be saved by it, you know enough of the gospel to share it.”

Check out the rest of this EP with Dr. Queen for more great insights about evangelism in the local church.

 

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EP 174 – THE IMPACT OF FORCED TERMINATION

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EP 174 - THE IMPACT OF FORCED TERMINATION
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Greetings Bootcampers!  The boys were living large in Texas while teaching a DMin Cohort at Southwestern Seminary. Today’s topic is an important one; The Impact of Forced Terminations on a Church. Check out the references in the show notes to learn more.  And leave your comments on the blog, email or the Bootcamp hotline.

Forced termination of a Pastor is defined as an involuntary dismissal from service, due to no fault or moral failure, or dereliction of duties on the part of a Pastor, brought about by a few within the local church.

  • Of all pastors, 23-41% will experience a forced termination at least once in their career
  • In 2012, a Lifeway survey, in partnership with Baptist State Convention leaders, a panel identified 452 pastors and staff members who succumbed to a non-voluntary or non-self-initiated separation from the church they served.
  • It is estimated that over the years of their vocational service, four out of ten pastors will be forced out of their church by firing or some sort of pressure that leads to their eventual resignation.

When a Pastor is terminated without cause, it is often a prediction point in the history of a church, it is the place where steep, prolonged, and sustained decline begins. It is the marker under which many dysfunctions are buried.

  • Where Pastors were forced out, 34-45% of those congregations had simmering divisions and internal conflict that predated the Pastor’s arrival.
  • 23% of the congregations who forced terminated a pastor had done the same with previous pastors.
  • 2/3 of the congregations who forced termed a Pastor did so within the first five years of his tenure.
  • The top reasons cited for conflict leading to a forced separation: Conflict for control among groups in the church 68%, congregational stress 43%, values/directional conflict between Pastor and some people in the church 27%

We often think of how a forced termination impacts the Pastor and his family. We may not think deeply enough about the impact of these actions on the local church.

David Meyers, a retired Director of Missions from Chattanooga TN states: What forced termination does to the soul of the congregation is significant in and of itself, but the practical, logistical impact is also significant. The church may lose members who are unhappy with what has occurred or how it was done. The loss of financial support may result from membership decline or withholding money. The name and reputation of the church is marred in the community and beyond. Hesitant, reserved, or negative recommendations of the church are given to prospective new ministers for that church. Many ministers are reluctant to consider relocation to a church that terminated its previous minister(s).

What can be done for the church caught in this act or pattern?

  • Address the wrongs committed to Pastors and their families who were undeserving of a forced termination. Repent and publicly apologize and make restitution where appropriate.
  • Remove those who were involved in or instigated unfounded and unreasonable forced terminations from leadership positions within the church.
  • Address informal campaigns to force a pastor out through biblically based and bylaw-supported church discipline.
  • Make careful note of the actions taken above in the minutes of a Church business meeting so that the record may show these actions will not meet with approval.

Check out these resources on forced termination:

  [1] https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/pastoral-termination-common-but-oftern-avoidable-experts-say/

[2] Musical Pulpits, Baker Publishing Group, 1992. Rodney J. Crowell pg.25, 66

[3] https://ministeringtoministers.org/2017/12/forced-termination-affects-churches-too/

[4] https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/resolution-on-the-forced-termination-of-ministers/

 

 

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