Jonathan Leeman interviews David King on how their church removed 575 non-attenders from the roll.
That church got a lot healthier as it got a lot smaller.
David King:
“The pastor really shouldn’t expect to whack a hornet’s nest and not get stung. Thankfully, the majority of the church shared my belief that the pain of getting stung is worthwhile if it means we become more biblically faithful. “
Read the whole thing.
Amazing how foreign this whole concept is in this day and age when numerical growth is almost universally the standard of success. Ironically the church seems to grow not only in spiritual health and holiness when biblical church discipline is practiced but it also seems to produce numerical growth. For a historical example the early Methodists experienced phenomenal numerical growth when Mr. Wesley would come riding in and hold examinations and “put out” members of the Methodist bands for gambling or drinking or cussing, and they seemed to grow in quality as well since only the really committed and willing to take up their cross, members remained.
Dr. Hamilton,
Thanks for sharing this. It was encouraging to read their biblical, thoughtful, practical, and patient (which is also biblical) approach.
Gunner