Ministry must produce fruit

(Oct. 20) Lovett H. Weems Jr., director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary, wrote in a recent article: “Why isn’t faithfulness sufficient? Generations of clergy have grown up with the saying: ‘We are not called to be successful; we are called to be faithful.’”

Obviously, there is deep truth in that. I believe it. I have said it. But I do not say it anymore because I fear it is used as a way for clergy to avoid accountability beyond faithfulness.

“The Bible talks about accountability in terms of fruitfulness,” Weems continued. “For John Wesley, fruit of ministry was a key concept. He liked to ask three questions: ‘Is there faith?’ ‘Is there fire?’ and ‘Are there fruits?’”

Because we are called to fulfill the central purpose of disciple making, it is essential that the Cabinet in its supervisory role be clear that our clergy and laity leaders must be held accountable in regard to this evangelistic goal of disciple making. Furthermore, each pastor and congregation must be held accountable for their contribution to mission and ministry in their own communities. “Is there faith? Is there fire? Are there fruits?”

Bottom line for pastor and congregation

The bottom line for each pastor and congregation from year to year must be: Has ministry and outreach in the community served by them grown or remained the same this year?

Evangelism is based in the congregation and is achieved by means of personal witnessing, which leads to the explicit presentation of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit through the worship service. Of course, evangelism is transforming every Christian to become a disciple.

Now to the nitty-gritty, as some might say. It is essential that the Cabinet in its supervisory role use documentable statistics as the bottom line for supervision.

Church folks have a tendency to do evaluations in terms of questions such as “How did you feel about . . ., What did you like best . . ., What gave you hope . . .,” etc.

One of my personal regrets is in working with congregations in their dying years. They felt good about everything that they had done and were doing. They closed with dignity. They died happy. But they closed, having reached fewer and fewer people each year over the course of decades.

“How do you feel?” questions are ultimately useless for evaluative purposes.

Verifiable statistics are essential. There is helpful evaluative information to be gleaned from most of the statistics required in annual reports of congregations. Among these, however, one is essential: the number of people present each week in worship. This figure is more accurate than membership. Some congregations maintain many inactive members; others prune their roles. But if reporters do not lie, attendance is attendance.

High value on outreach of congregations

I place a high value on the outreach of congregations, their involvement in community service, advocacy, etc. But at present we have no mechanism for statistically evaluating this outreach other than the growth it may bring to worship attendance. And even these ministries are made more effective if there are more people engaged in their doing.

The quality of worship has a major impact on church attendance and, therefore, on the power of the evangelistic experience for newcomers and disciples alike. The true goal of evangelism is to produce more and better worshipers.

I must believe worship is the first priority in Christian living and it is the ultimate purpose of the church. Worship as the number-one priority will attract those who seek a place for life transformation.

My hope is the Cabinet will be able to celebrate supervision ministry for growth rather than continuing to supervise for maintenance. It is evident that God has given us a beautiful community for ministry and equipped us with the talents and passion for its leadership. May the work of the Spirit maximize our talents and passion for fruit-producing and transforming ministry.