01 Dec Who Owns Your Church? (Part 1)

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
I’ve been amazed to see so many people living in deception when it comes to their relationship with their own church. When disgruntlement raises its head, or when people resist change that will bring about greater effectiveness in fulfilling the mission of the church, it’s common to hear statements like these:

• “But this is my church.”
• “You’re not going to do that to my church.”

Generally, the term “my” implies not only identification with, but also ownership. My computer. My home. I own them. And I determine what happens with them.

There is the deception. Did you catch it? 

It is the same subtle deception Jesus spoke about in Luke 20. He tells a parable about a man who planted a vineyard, entrusted it to some farmers, and went away. He wanted to collect from his tenants and sent servants to do so. But they beat the servants and finally killed the owner’s son because they deceived themselves into thinking that they owned the vineyard. 

They worked it. They spent the time there. They kept the walls up. They watered it. How dare the owner try and take something from them!

So it is with churches. You can deceive yourself into thinking you can do with the church what you want because:

• I am a member.
• I have attended there for a long time.
• I have given money to buy or build or pay off debts.
• I have worked there for so long.
• And no one has the authority or right to do anything without my permission. 

I want to take a couple installments to address ownership of the church and our proper relationship to the church.

To prepare, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I feel I have a shared ownership of the church I attend?
• Do I see my church as a place of shared responsibility to the Owner?

One last thought. Jesus looked right at the people and asked what they thought the owner would do to the tenants? He told them he would come, kill those tenants, and give the vineyard to others. The people responded, “May it never be.” 

I pray it won’t be so for any of us.

27 Nov Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving! See you next Monday.

25 Nov More Thoughts on Momentum

Steve Dennie, Communications Director

A few days ago, I mentioned something Andy Stanley said concerning momentum. Here’s another one of his thoughts.

In the church world, we put up with lack of momentum as long as we can still pay the bills.

Now there’s a sad thought. “I am financially viable, therefore I exist.” Is your church in that boat?

Too many churches choose to limp along, keeping the doors open, as long as they can pay the bills. The only momentum is downward. Meanwhile, they shoo away opportunities which would be to their long-term good–like merging with a nearby church. Such a move would make both churches stronger. No longer stuck in survival mode, they could devote resources  to ministry.
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21 Nov Momentum

Steve Dennie, Communications Director

One blog I follow is by Tim Stevens, administrative pastor of Granger Community Church near South Bend, Ind. They’re doing a one-day Catalyst conference, with Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel. Stanley began the day by talking about momentum. Stevens provided some notes from that session, including this statement:

Momentum = forward motion fueled by a series of wins.

I’ve been thinking about that in two contexts:

• the local church (including my own church, Anchor).
• the United Brethren denomination as a whole.

Throughout my lifetime, I’ve heard people say, especially when things aren’t going well, “What we need is revival.” When things aren’t going well, the answer is the same: revival. That’s true to an extent, and it always sounds exceedingly spiritual, especially when embedded in a prayer. But what does it look like? What exactly are they praying for?

It seems like they’re too often praying for One Big Win, a giant divine intervention that will get everybody doing what they’re supposed to be doing. This does happen, but it’s elusive.

Instead of waiting for revival, what are some small wins my church can pursue? Putting several small wins together is like gradually pushing the accelerator. You build momentum.

At the denominational level, Pat Jones, as Director of Healthy Church Ministries, has been working with a few local churches at a time. He does a weekend consultation, then meets with the pastor once a month for a year. As a result, churches have turned around or been propelled forward. It’s not flashy, but it’s a series of wins.

19 Nov The Spiritual Gift of Leadership (Part 2)

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
I have been around people who have the gift of leadership. It is apparent. When they enter a room, they just sort of take over, even though they might not be in charge of the meeting.

What if I have been elected, appointed, or drafted into an area of leadership? Does that mean I can do it? I believe so, and here’s why.

Even though I lack the spiritual gift of leadership, I can learn to act in the ways of a leader. No, that doesn’t mean you’re being a hypocrite. After all, I can share my faith with nonbelievers without being endowed with the spiritual gift of evangelism. I can help people in need without possessing the spiritual gift of mercy.
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18 Nov The Spiritual Gift of Leadership (Part 1)

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
I talk about leadership frequently as I represent the United Brethren church. When I interact with other denominational leaders, we collectively acknowledge that spiritual leadership is probably our number one problem.

If you check with the local Christian bookstore, you will find numerous leadership how-to books. Go to any Barnes & Noble and look at all their titles about leadership.

I recently flew to an engagement. The free magazine in the seat-back pocket contained several ads for books, CDs, DVDs, and college courses on the subject of leadership. Often, the instructors were people I recognized as having a reputation for leadership.
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29 Oct Revised Pastoral Ministry Handbook

The revised Pastoral Ministry Handbook (revised in early October by the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team) is now available. You can view it online or download as a PDF file.

The nature of the local church license was changed:

• Before: It was the first of three steps toward ordination, which was the expected goal.
• Now: It’s still the first step in our licensing process, but there are two tracks: one leading toward ordination, one leading to a Specialized Ministry license.

The Pastoral Ministry Handbook explains our ministerial categories and requirements. It was part of the Discipline until 2005. Then it was removed and placed under the PMLT, which can revise it whenever they wish.

24 Oct 2009 Pastor’s Compensation Guidelines

Ron Ramsey, Bishop

The Pastor’s Salary Compensation Formula was updated October 14 by the Executive Leadership Team. For 2009, the minimum suggested fulltime Standard Base Salary was raised from $35,000 to $35,700.

However, that’s only part of the fulltime salary package.

Some churches use only the suggested Standard Base Salary. They figure that if the total salary package equals $35,000, then their pastor is fulltime. That’s a wrong assumption.

The minimum fulltime salary includes that base amount, plus additional compensation depending on:

• Years of service.
• Education level.
• The church’s average attendance.
• Staff size.

Plus these benefits:

• Housing allowance.
• Utilities.
• Medical and disability insurance.
• SECA and pension.
• Vacation.

If a church doesn’t meet the criteria in full (the base salary plus the additional factors plus the benefits):

• The pastor is not considered fulltime.
• The pastor may pursue supplemental employment to achieve this compensation level.

And keep in mind: this is only the minimum. I would hope that many of our churches could exceed these guidelines for their pastor.

You can view the formula online.

23 Oct What Does it Mean to be United Brethren?

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
What does it mean to be a United Brethren today?

In rereading Christian Newcomer’s journal, it seemed clear: we were passionate about reaching lost people. They took seriously the Great Commission. Being a United Brethren wasn’t simply a matter of taking a membership class in a local church.

In many of our churches:

• The Great Commission is merely a slogan we hang on the wall or print in a worship folder.
• The Great Commission is not an eternal truth that compels us to become strategic in reaching people for Christ.
• There is little passion or conviction to reach lost people with the Gospel.
• There is little talk, if any, about the passion that drove Christian Newcomer and others of our early history.

If we are to have a lasting future, we must take seriously the Great Commission.

No denomination has an inherent right to exist. Any church or denomination that loses its passion to make disciples for Jesus stands in risk of having its candlestick removed from the candelabra.

For our early church fathers, being United Brethren required a conviction that people apart from God’s saving grace are lost in their sins. They leaders would do anything, go anywhere at any cost, at any time, in order to:

• See people come to Christ.
• See them gain an assurance of salvation.
• See that faith begin to grow in their lives.

21 Oct Making a Connection with God

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
In early October I attended the 140th anniversary of the Liberty UB church in Stockport, Ohio. Bishop Milton Wright, father of the Wright Brothers, preached when the Liberty church was dedicated. I love being in the hills of southern Ohio. That’s my roots. And being at Liberty turned out to be among the highlights of my three years as bishop.

The pastor is Charles Simmons, a converted oil derrick worker. He told me, “I’ve done every sin imaginable.” A few years ago he found Christ in a Nazarene church, and through a series of circumstances, he became the preacher at Liberty when the former preacher left. He doesn’t have a ministerial license or any formal training.

They have a girl with Down’s Syndrome who reads well. She selects the music for every service and tells the pianist, who tells the chorister. She doesn’t know what the pastor is preaching about. But it was absolutely amazing how her song selections fit what he preached about that day. It gave me goosebumps. I spoke in the afternoon, and she had no information about my sermon. But again, she chose appropriate songs.

At Liberty, the preacher preaches. He preached loud, walking down the center aisle and across the back and around the sides and back to the front. The church was full, with about 75 people. They had a sound system, but you didn’t need it for him, or for me.

Liberty is so different from Mainstreet, the church I pastored on the outskirts of Toledo. But I sat there thinking: those people are happy, they lead a Christian lifestyle, and you sense God’s Spirit in that place. I enjoyed being there. They didn’t have printed bulletins, no projector or video. But they knew how to connect with God, and it was very evident.

What works at Liberty wouldn’t be appropriate for every congregation. But one thing belongs in every church, regardless of style: to make a connection with God in worship.