Alton Garrison was recently elected Assistant General Superintendent for the Assemblies of God. We're thankful he agreed to contribute for our second edition of Leadership Voice Monday. Here is his post!
Although I haven’t had the opportunity to meet each of you personally, I feel I am getting acquainted by reading your passionate thoughts and listening to your visionary concerns.
Thank you for engaging and challenging processes while valuing unity over uniformity within our Fellowship.
Lyman Coleman says there are several building blocks necessary to build relationships, but one of the most important is history-giving. So allow me a few lines to share our background.
My dad was an alcoholic when God saved him at age 37, called him to preach and led him to a small church in Sour Lake, Texas, where he was pastor for twenty-two years. My wife, Johanna, was born in Holland. Her father was a survivor of the Holocaust and her mother was born in Indonesia to Chinese-Buddhist parents. After her parent’s conversion, the family immigrated to a small town in Kansas.
Both of us place a high value on divine direction, supernatural empowerment and a strong belief that with God’s help all things are possible. Inclusion and acceptance are very important to us; however, we believe diversity can be achieved without becoming divisive.
While being hopeful, I am aware there are significant challenges if we are going to be effective in reaching this nation for Christ. It reminds me of Numbers 13 when ten spies gave a negative report about how big the giants were and two spies gave a positive report about the size of the grapes. They didn’t deny the existence of the giants, but were quick to show the fruit of the land. It was (and still is) a matter of focus. They chose to be grape-conscious rather than giant-conscious.
Bill Hybels said it well, “There’s nothing like the local church when the local church is working right.”
I believe the local church is the hope of the world and research shows that church planting is the most effective method of evangelism. We need more effective, missional churches. In 1900 there were 28 churches for every 10,000 Americans. Today there are only 11 churches for every 10,000 Americans. The following are stats we just received from our statistician:
· 84% of towns under 5,000 have no Assemblies of God church
· 834 cities between 10,000 and 20,000 have no AG church
· 301 cities between 20,000 and 30,000 have no AG church
· 175 cities between 30,000 and 50,000 have no AG church
· 76 cities between 50,000 and 100,000 have no AG church
· 6 cities between 100,000 and 500,000 have no AG church
We not only need more churches, we need healthier churches.
As the director of Church Ministries and the Commissioner on Discipleship, my goal is to serve as a resource and equipping facilitator, connecting those who have proven methods of church health and growth with those who need mentoring, ideas, and effective models.
If you have thoughts, ideas, testimonies, or methods you would like to share, please contact me at agarrison@ag.org
L. Alton Garrison
Assistant General Superintendent - Elect
Sunday, August 26, 2007
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29 comments:
Good thoughts Bro. Garrison - I'd be interested in hearing what 6 cities between 100,000 and 500,000 have no AG church.
Beautifully stated! God has surely ordained and annointed our leadership for "such a time as this"!
Blessings...
i would also be interested in knowing which cities that would be. those should be a priority for the a/g
Pastor Garrison,
Thank you for your years of leadership at NLR First. I remember when you first arrived, with no pastoral experience after 18 years as an evangelist, to a church that had been without a senior pastor for over a year. God used you and the team He gave you to help grow the church not just in attendance, but also in missions giving, and ministry involvement of the laity.
Thanks for your encouragement and support when I was going through some tough times.
Thank you for your vision and support for Centro Cristiano Hispano with a special offering 10 years ago to help support the newly arrived pastors when the church was starting up. At CCH I met my wonderful wife, and now in addition to calling NLR First home, we serve the Hispanic community, myself as missions director for the church, and Diana as women's ministries leader.
I know God has placed you in your current position to multiply on a grander scale what He did through your ministry in my life and the lives of many here in Arkansas.
Dios le bendiga ricamente (May God richly bless you).
--Brian Roden
Thank you so much Bro. Garrison!
I'm with Nick Poole on this one. I'd love to hear which of our larger cities are without the AG.
I'm just curious as to what it will take to change these statistics for the better?
I'm thinking that the typical answers of prayer, fasting, sacrifice, etc are a given. Of course it will take that.
Another question that keeps popping up in my head every time I read statistics like these, though I kind of feel guilty for it, is how do we plant churches when so many of the ones we already have aren't healthy? Maybe a better way to put it is; how do we (as a fellowship) bring the older churches back around to life producing churches? If church planting is the only answer then maybe we should close the doors of these and start over.
I feel guilty for thinking those things because I believe in church planting and honestly thats were I would naturally gravitate too if I weren't sure of my call to chi alpha. Its just that I have heard time after time from pastors who tell me, as I'm calling for a service/looking for support, that they can't support the missionaries they are already committed to let alone pick up new ones.
So, this is the reason for my previous questions. If current churches can't support nor mother church plants because they aren't healthy themselves, then how do we plant churches?
I realize that sacrifices and "tent making" has to be done. This question is really more towards, what can the organization (not limited to Springfield) do?
>>84% of towns under 5,000 have no Assemblies of God church
I wonder how many towns under 5,000 are there, and collectively how many people are there in these towns with no A/G church. I imagaine that's quite a large number of people.
Thank you Bro Garrison. I have a great friend in Home Missions who raves about the difference you made in your short time there. That being said what will it take for the Assemblies of God to begin planitng churches with significant resources behind them? I"ve worked with so many church platers who are discouraged and many who just shut it down because their district and sections got behind them...WAY behind them and they were left out on their own. Our model is not working. What changes will we make?
"research shows that church planting is the most effective method of evangelism"
Blah, blah, blah. I get so tired of hearing this. Our fellowship has basically written off established churches that are struggling. We keep sending them pastors, but basically leave them high and dry.
I agree that we need more churches, but if we plant another church in a community that loses a church because the fellowship won't put any effort and resources into it, then what do we gain? Nothing. No net gain whatsoever. We need church planting. We also needs someone in this fellowship to care about established churches and work, not give pansy lip-service to it, but genuinely put some action, and MONEY, behind church revitilization.
Until then we will keep closing churches. Losing pastors. And watching the A/G continue to limp along in its current lifeless state.
Alton and friends on the blog: I'd like to enter the conversation with some information that I hope will help everyone think through this subject as clearly as possible.
I'm Steve Pike, Director of the US Missions Church Planting and Development Department. I've had the privilege of working with Alton for the past 2 years and I can tell you that he's a great leader and our fellowship will be blessed as he serves in his new role as Assistant General Superintendent!
First, here's the answer to Nick's question: The 6 communities between 100,000 and 500,000 are:
Arden-Arcade, CA 100,460
East Los Angeles, CA 138,958
Miramar, FL 108,833
Paradise, NV 206,168
Spring Valley, NV 163,432
Sunrise Manor, NV 175,320
Second, Alton is all about a "both/and" approach to church planting and church health. In Arkansas he left behind a tremendous track record of providing real help and support to existing churches. But he's also demonstrated a strong understanding of the strategic role of church planting in the overall health of a fellowship of churches. It is an absolutely established fact that new church plants do reach lost people with greater efficiency than existing ones. So it makes sense to align our resources to plant as many churches as possible. And here is the counterintuitive fact that many have missed: the best path an existing church can take to move toward spiritual health is to begin the journey of giving birth to a new congregation. The very activities involved in parenting (prayer, fasting, discipleship training, leadership development, community assessments,etc.) will help the existing church begin to refocus itself and move from maintenance toward mission.
Like never before, the Assemblies of God is getting serious about resourcing church planting. In March 2007, the Executive Presbytery approved $2 million in seed money to begin a matching fund pool to assist new churches with start-up funds. The result is the Church Multiplication Network, a collaborate effort of planters, churches, districts and the national office to leverage the rich and diverse resources of this movement to catalyze a wave of vigorous new church plants that partner with existing churches to transform every American community. You can find out more about the matching funds by visiting www.churchmultiplicationnetwork.org.
Those interested in church revitalization--check out what the NW Resources Network (formerly NW District) is doing with their coaching cohort systems. Actually, a number of districts have been trained and are using the three-year process that involves key leaders in re-visiting the purposes and values, assessing the needs, and adjusting systems to bring health and growth to churches. It's not a quick fix--but my guess is that it took a few years for churches to get in the shape they're in. Mel Ming and Steve Mills are the point leaders for these cohorts. All churches--all districts should adopt this model of coaching.
Steve Smallwood
I ran out of space with my last post so let me add one more comment about another great resource we are providing...Multiplicity 2007 in Surprise Arizona, November 29-30, 2007. This edition of our annual Church Planting Leadership Summit is designed to help church planting leaders from all perspectives interact with outstanding church planting and church parenting practitioners from within and outside of the Assemblies of God. Dr. George Wood and Zollie Smith will be part of this incredibly valuable event. Other speakers include Jeff Leake, Dr. Ed Stetzer, Nelson Searcy and many more. You can find out more at www.churchmultiplicationnetwork.org.
Another great resource we provide is www.findnewchurch.com. This is a powerful tool that allows you to find new church planting projects who are looking for team members to help them carry out their God-given mission. Check it out and find your place on a church planting team.
It's really a great day to be a church planter in the Assemblies of God. It's time to build on the foundation we already have and run boldly into the future that God has already dreamed for us! If you're not sure how to get started give us a call and we'll do our best to help you identify what your next steps should be! Special pricing is available for groups of 5 or more who register together. So gather some friends and call us at 417-862-2781 to register at the special rate!
Art,
I think sometimes maybe the struggling churches struggle because the members expect the pastors to do all the work. Those pastors burn out and end up going to greener pastures, or even leaving the ministry.
But if the pastors are equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, and if the members have an "ownership stake" in the success of the church, are inviting people, doing personal evangelism and service outreach to the community, and caring for one another like a family (sounds kind of like the book of Acts), then the church will be healthy.
All the gold in Fort Knox isn't going turn around a struggling church if the members aren't willing to exercise the prisethood of believers -- not just in the sense of being able to come boldly before the throne of grace, but in carrying out the work of the ministry.
Yes, we need to take on existing struggling churches just like church plants -- helping subsidize their operations for a year or two to get them re-established. Maybe sending lay people as well as a pastor and money, to help give the pastor a support team while the existing church members rise to the occasion.
Art,
I disagree very strongly with you. The net gain of # of churches yes, but we are usually shutting down a church when we are under 20 people in that church, yet the a new church starts with on average over 50 people. The net gain of people in a church community is greater for new churches vs. the churches we are closing.
Our job isn't to just have churches clocked on are stats, but reaching people.
I'm all for a good funeral. We need to close a lot more churches than we have been. A struggling church in a community will put such a bad taste in the mouth of that community that no matter what resources and leadership are poured into that church it will not do anything.
I'm generalizing...which yes, there are exceptions.
We need to have the guts to shoot ol' yeller.
While I agree that the cities need to be reached, I would not be surprised if the 84% of towns under 5000 add up to more people than those cities.
It seems to me that we have so many in our fellowship that aren't willing to pastor small churches in rural areas. Those that do sometimes view it more as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.
I pray that God would enable men and women in our fellowship to go to these small communities. Have them plant churches, since there are NO AG CHURCHES in that area. If we can take that 84% down to 0%, look out world.
I am not really sure that more money spent in churches is the answer....
JDave
Some have argued that the move of HQ from St. Louis to Springfield years ago changed the ethos of the denomination to a decidely rural ethos. Does emphasis on statistics such as the one listed above continue this emphasis? dunno.
Art, I disagree that the revitalization of the local church should come from the top of the leadership food chain or from Springfield. Revitalization of the churches already established has to come from them!! We don't need the leadership in Springfield to do that. If the churches don't want to do what's necessary to be viable, thriving, soul winning, recharge stations then they should close!! We need REVIVAL to come to those churches not REVITALIZATION. Only God can light the fire under those who don't want to be lit!!
I expected that some would disagree with me, and I am 100% OK with that. You are all still good people in my book - just wrong. :)
I am not saying we shouldn't plant churches. We should! Bunches of them.
However, when we send a pastor to a struggling church that "has potential" and ask him, or her, to try and turn it around we need to help him, or her, do it. Not just forget they are there while we keep raising money for our precious church plants. We also need to hook these pastors up with mentors from successful churches that can help them.
We give 2% of our church's income to fund district church planting efforts. I think we are going to quit doing that. We are going to use the money to fund our own revitalization efforts.
As a rural pastor in a church that has struggled for a long time, I am in agreement with both trinity jordan and art good. How is that possible, since they are disagreeing? :-)
There DOES need to be more assistance, and sometimes financial assistance, to those of us who are attempting to strengthen existing churches. AND we also do need to know when to have that funeral and let the old dog die. Knowing the difference is sometimes difficult.
Disclaimer: I'm not currently a pastor though I have been. I'm posting as a Pastor's Daughter.
Comment: For the last 12 years my Dad has pastored a church that during the whole time he's been there has not had more than 25 members and a big Sunday service constituted 40 or 50 people. When my dad took the church it was failing. And by most people's standard's, today it is still failing. However, the town he pastors in has 2 other, bigger AG churches who successfully minister to the normal church crowd. My Dad's church ministers to a very unique group of people who would not otherwise be accepted in the two other churches in town. Now, to the heart of the matter. My dad's church is close enough to two AG Bible colleges that it should be overflowing with students who want to see what down and dirty ministry is all about. But, since my husband and I left to minister elsewhere, my dad has gone without a youth pastor. He has not children pastor. He has no real help. He has been to all of the ministry fairs and even offered the church parsonage as a place for a potential youth pastor to live and still he can raise no help.
I think that coming in under the arms of pastor's like my dad who are ministering to groups of people that no one else wants to touch is a phenomenal idea.Why didn't we think of it sooner? Oh wait! I think at least one Bible college I know of did and they called them "outstations."
End Disclaimer: I have no intention of blaming students, I know the pressures of homework and such.I just think coming in and undergirding small struggling churches is just as good of an idea as planting churches.
Let me begin my congratulating Brthr Garrison. He focused HM in a way never done before. IMO, local churches s/b planting other local churches. HM is able to work along side as a specialist to reach those sub groups that are harder for the local church to easily replicate.
At the risk of sounding heretical, do we really need to have church plants in some of these identified areas? In the rural community, its nothing to drive the 7 miles to the next town to go to church. I'm familiar with East LA. Yes there are many unbelievers, but there are many churched people there. This is Foursquare grounds. Hundreds of independent pentecostal churches. (Many that use GPH materials!) 50 years ago, we would have said there needs to be a full-gospel presence. Now there are many, but just not an AG. 138,000 people sounds like a lot, but in a dense community, it's just several square miles. The Articles of Incorporation of our church shows an East LA address 70 years ago, but it moved further east a few miles to buy property in the 1950's. Unless we are intentionally, missionally using cross-cultural methods to win and disciple substantially differently than anybody else in that area, our dollars are better spent in AGWM or in surgically targeted subgroups that are not on the radar of any fellowship, denomination, or parachurch group.
Proverbial "Both/And"
Bro. Garrison, I appreaciate your words. I've watched you be a champion for the rural south and the innercity and offer help to both.
Art I hear your heart, just this month we joined with another church in our section, it had never run more than 35 in its 20 year history. Revialization is what they call it. Last Sunday they had 80. Not bad for 2 weeks of doing church together. But at the same time we're still working with our other 3 church plants in our area.
So Sis. Mabel has given her life to 3rd Assembly, faithfully attending and giving for 20 years and never seen anything happen. Her kids aren't in church, because church had nothing to offer. If 3rd AG just got moving again, she beleives they'd come back. We owe it to Sis. Mabel to give her and her church a chance.
Terrance lives in Paradise, NV and he's never heard or seen an adequate presntation of the love of Jesus. If he wanted to he couldn't find a church in the 200,000+ town with no AG church. We owe it to Terrance to give him a chance to meet Jesus.
So let's plant churches....let's revitalize....but most of all lets be positive for the people/leaders who are leading whichever part of the process they are in. More people in the Kingdom less people in the world.
From Sour Lake to Seattle Go gettem' Bro. Garrison.
Annie, just prayed for your dad--God bless him!
Unless we are intentionally, missionally using cross-cultural methods to win and disciple substantially differently than anybody else in that area, our dollars are better spent in AGWM or in surgically targeted subgroups that are not on the radar of any fellowship, denomination, or parachurch group.
Great point. Let's not just plant for the sake of planting (anyone remember the Decade of Harvest - good grief!). Let's plant only if we are going to reach a group that isn't being reached. Let's plant only if it is a type of church that doesn't exist in the locale. Let's not plant just because we can, and just because there isn't an A/G church within five miles. The community I live in has three A/G churches in a community of 50,000 all within less than five miles of each other. All three basically the same. One larger one. Two smaller ones. What's the point?
Trinity Jordan suggested that we need "the guts to shoot 'ol yeller" at times.
SHOOT 'OL YELLER??? Say it isn't so Trinity--- say it isn't SOOOO!! SHOOT 'OL YELLER???
People get in BIG trouble these days for doin stuff to dogs! Just ask Mike Vick. He's going to do a little bit of time, lost his huge paycheck, dropped from the NFL for at least a little while. Don't shoot the dawg, Trinity!! [lol/ lol/lol] It's just not the right thing to do.
Of course Vick's dawgs were not capable of being reintroduced into society, had no way of being turned into a house pet and were treated brutely by their owners when they didn't perform. Ol Yeller had just gotten--- well--- old!
Instead of shooting the dog [you'll need a waiting period in most states for the gun permit by the way] just take the dawg to the local vet and gas him. That way is quick/ easy and painless.
Some, and I do stress only some, of our churches may simply and easily need to be put to sleep for good. Just don't shoot 'em--- to messy!
Blessings... from gutless!
w.g.smith
wg smith,
you made me smile today.... ;)
Pastor Garrison, I enjoyed hearing your heart in McKinney, Texas at a regional meeting right after General Council. I am more excited about being apart of the Assemblies than ever before. The interaction between leadership and pastors has been phenomenal. Thanks guys for this blog and thank you Springfield for your class response.
bwilson@stonbridgdefamily.com
I hear the thoughts and heart of the first level of discussion in this blog. It is good but we need to get to the next level of discussion that talks about some of the deeper issues. For example, the fact that we so often keep doing the same things that didn't work the last time and probably won't work this time.
It is going to require us to think differently and then do differently. Once we get to this point there might actually be some hope. One thing is for sure, we will be uncomfortable because we are going to have to talk about a lot of stuff that gets people upset.
We know that we need to plant churches. We also know that we need to bring unhealthy churches to health. And I think it is becoming evident that we cannot continue to plant churches and work at developing healthy churches using the same church sub-culture that we have relied on for so many years. It isn't working and only transfers church members rather than reaching people who do not know Christ.
Would love to hear ideas about different ways to impact a community through a healthy church. Let's do more than recoginize the problem, why not come up with something to make a difference. Jesus called us to make disicples and that is what needs to be the focus of both church plants and restoring unhealthy churches.
Thanks for sharing your idea. They are worth reading.
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