August 8, 2008

Church Graduation Report and Questionings

Last week I had the privilege of attending the "graduation" service for one of our area congregations--in which it was duly constituted a church.

This is the front of the Filadelfia Regular Baptist Church. The picture doesn't show it, but the church actually has a decent piece of property with ample space for growth and--something that is becoming increasingly important as Brazil's economy grows--parking.

This is me with Marcelino, pastor of Filadelfia Baptist. He is a pastor who is pushing 70, and has more energy than many 30-year-olds that I know.

One of the coolest things about my job as director of ministry internships is how I get to participate in the lives of many churches. In the above picture are seminary students who have worked or are working at the Filadelfia congregation.

From left to right: Ronaldo and his wife Solange (Ronaldo worked at Filadelfia for the entire four years of his course here, and is now a co-pastor), a (temporarily) bearded Andrew, Sheila, and David.

Now a couple observations and questionings that the graduation proceedings provoked.

1. What is our biblical base for starting "congregations" and then graduating them into churches? I recently talked to an experienced missionary on the field who said that, if he had it to do over again, he would start churches and not congregations. Interesting.

3. Are we too protectionist in our outlook? (To give you an example of what I am thinking, a good portion of the constitution had to do with what is to happen should the church dissolve.)

4. If this is protectionism, is this hindering our growth and audacity in "doing ministry"?

5. To what extent, if any, does the infrastructure of the local church overshadow the ministry of the local church?

These are all questions that I am working through as I prepare for future church-planting ministry. They are questions for which I would like to have answers and solutions before I begin. Feel free to answer, expound, and expand in the comments.

Posted by Andrew on August 8, 2008 11:44 AM.