WHAT DOES WORLDLINESS look like when it gets a foothold in the church? In his wonderful book, Embracing Obscurity, the author, Anonymous, paints an insightful verbal picture.
“To
be a success in the local church, apparently, you need to go to school to get
your bachelors, M.Div., and possibly doctorate. Then you work your way up the
ranks of a church, from youth pastor to assistant pastor, and eventually to
lead pastor. Once you’re on top, your job is to grow your church to a
successful number. One hundred will never turn heads, so you’re encouraged to
“think big” and implement a “growth strategy.” You’re going to need at least
four-digit Sunday attendance to be taken seriously at pastor’s conferences.
Then, once you have a few thousand in attendance and blog , Facebook, and
twitter platforms, you can go on to write books. Once you have a book or two on
your resume, you can speak on invitation outside your flock. If you work hard
enough, you can eventually retire and enjoy all the luxuries you’ve accumulated
through your hard work and revel in your five-star reputation.”
Labels: ministry, the world