$228 per Family Each Month

Ten thousand dollars each month.

With the average of 175 people in church every week, each person in church would be required to donate $57.15 per month just to service that debt. Every baby in the nursery would have to give $57.15 a month. Every seventh grader and fifth grader would need to give $57.15 a month to service that debt.

A family of four would need to give $228+ each month just to service the debt. Then you still have to give regular donations to keep the doors open. And last I heard, the stained glass windows are not even going to be moved. Those are the windows paid for by the founding families of the church, the families and individuals whose names are on the windows.

Here is the irony of the situation:

1) People who have NO MONEY voted FOR the new building!

2) Young people who have NO MONEY voted FOR a $10,000/month debt!.

(They have NO MONEY!)

3) People who have NEVER REACHED EVEN ONE SOUL FOR CHRIST voted FOR the building.

Let, me ask you a question. Will a modernist "auditorium" that feels and looks more like a sports arena than a place of worship reach lost people in Alamo? Will softball fields and video screens help reach those people in Alamo who now live close to the church but do not attend? What has happened to a traditional sense of place (in terms of church buildings) in the Southern Baptist Convention that has characterized the South? Why has building replaced soul winning? Why has "new and improved" replaced preservation and conservation of our heritage? This constant treadmill of building new buildings with all the fund raising and dislocation that goes with it is hardly conducive of a settled sense of continuity that develops a spiritual community. This entire enterprise has been a fiasco.

Yes, I understand that church buildings are only tools. But when the current "tools" sit half empty on any given Sunday morning, what makes you think that moving the building out of town will reach more lost people in town, as was once stated as the purpose, to reach lost people? If the church buildings are only tools, why aren't you using the tools you have now? Like I said in an earlier post, if you aren't reaching lost people now, you certainly will not reach lost people when you move. Sure, you will draw some families from other churches (People are always drawn to new paint), but that is not evangelism!!

There is much to be gained to see and feel the presence of one’s parents and their parents in the same place in which one is baptized, sings in the choir, stands before the altar in marriage, sits in the pew for weekly services. There is much to be lost as one sits in a building with no links to the past. That is especially true of modern buildings that were designed to be austere, arid, depersonalized, detached, and ahistorical.


Even though I am not currently a member of FBC Alamo, that does not mean that we cannot see things going on that should be addressed. Ideas and observations have power. The discussion of ideas produces a sifting process in which the truth can emerge. That is why forums such as this are incredibly valuable. I would hope others can read these posts and discuss what is happening at FBC Alamo.

1) Membership is stagnant.
2) Virtually no lost people are actually being reached for Christ.
3) Moving the church will put the congregation in a terrible debt.
4) Ministry that is non-existent today will be non-existent after the move.
5) Every person attending church will need to pay $57.15 per month just to pay down the debt.

With truths such as that, who has time to reach lost people?

Time For A Decision

What is happening in your life? What is happening in the life of those who live across the street from the church? What is happening in the life of those who live within two blocks of the church building? Do you know who lives within a block of First Baptist Church? Are those local citizens in your Sunday School Class on Sunday morning? If not, where are they at that time? Why aren't they at FBC?

Who visits the sick folks in town during the week? Who gives comfort to a family when someone is dying in the hospital? My Dad was a member of First Baptist Church for around sixty years. However, when my Dad was dying, there was not a church member or church leader in sight, nor had there been for several days!

Do you think THAT is ministry? Do you call that representing Jesus?

Is softball still more important to you than actually knocking on doors and inviting lost people to church? Do you ask for real ministry from the leadership or are you satisfied with the status quo?

What about plans for the future? The "new club-house" building program was put on hold because God forgot to tell the congregation and the church leaders about His planned mini-recession for the economy. So what's gonna happen in Alamo now? First Baptist has been a nice, little neighborhood club for many years, a little religious club with weekly activities and a stagnant membership. How long will it remain a club, for members only, making very little, if any, impact on Alamo or Crockett County?

When will First Baptist actually reach out to the individuals in the local community, one on one?

When will First Baptist move from an idle, fruitless "we all together should..." style of ministry programs to a powerful, effectual "I, personally, will..." style of individual ministry? To have an impact on the community, it must happen. To have a positive, active spiritual influence on Alamo, members of First Baptist must each convert from the passive "we" idea to the active "I" idea of actually talking to individuals, one on one, and reaching them personally.

When you personally reach individuals, then the community receives the results.

First Baptist can remain just another, basically ineffective church, just another one of several in the community, as it has been for so many years. Or the individual church members can demand active ministry, positive, people-reaching ministry, life-changing ministry to individuals in Alamo.

Will First Baptist remain just another religious club, coasting along, serving up the status quo week after week? Or will each individual church member become genuinely involved in reaching an individual in Alamo, personally impacting the life of a citizen of Alamo, acting out the great commission of Jesus...one on one?

FLASH! Economy Affects Spiritual Radar - Folks Unable To Discern God's Actual Will

ECONOMY AFFECTS GOD SPEAKING TO CHURCHES

Yes, it seems to be true. God has been speaking to Christians, telling them to go into debt (never mind the Bible) and build new buildings. It is happening all over the country. One church had drawings prominently displayed on the wall. They also had a scale model of the new Christian retirement center God already told them to build.

The economy got bad and suddenly God changed his mind. So they moved the church five miles away instead, abandoning the drawings, abandoning the property and abandoning the people who live there. WHAT??? What happened to God speaking? Did God change his mind? Is God so fickle that he doesn't know what he wants?

God told another church to go into ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS of debt to build a new building. Today, three years after the building was finished, they still owe several million bucks on that fiasco and the new pastor is trying to convince the deacons that they need a NEW sanctuary to reach new people.

Isn't it amazing (and convenient) that "God's will" usually follows the economy. It's a miracle and it saved our reputation as representatives of Christ. And so, with no evangelism to speak of, resulting in stagnant church membership, and no professional people in the church (with big bucks), and in a depressed economy, isn't it convenient that God has personally "put a hold" on the new building.

I wonder to whom God spoke first about waiting? Did God tell one of the deacons or the pastor first? Or did God tell one of the little old ladies that perhaps we should wait awhile?

Often we hear that God speaks through circumstances. When we say that, what we really mean is, we will "go with the flow" but we use spiritual sounding platitudes to rationalize our decision and make it sound like we are actually HEARING FROM GOD. Again, how convenient.

People say, "We missed God's timing" or something just as evasive, and phony. How can you claim to hear God speak so clearly about going into millions of dollars of debt, then claim to "miss God's timing" when the plans fall apart?

Someone is lying. Either "you" or God. Or perhaps God just can't make up his mind.

I need to visit and talk again to those folks who told me they had prayed about building a new church building and it WAS, without a doubt, God's will. I want to ask them what God told them about the multi-year delay in his plan from the time he originally told them personally it was "God's will" to move from a historic and prime location out to the edge of town, away from the very people to whom the congregation is allegedly trying to minister.

How convenient this recession really is. Perhaps now the church folk can actually DO the work of the church, the work of actually making disciples and teaching them to make more disciples...to reproduce. Then maybe one day, in the future, there might actually be a need for more room.

Or maybe the status quo will be maintained and the new FBC Clubhouse out in the country will have to wait awhile. If only we REALLY knew God's will! If only...

Accountability and Integrity

ACCOUNTABILITY:
responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability

INTEGRITY:
honor, uprightness, candor, forthrightness, goodness, honestness, honorableness, incorruptibility, incorruption, principle, righteousness, sincerity, straightforwardness, virtue

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I know of a church that used to have over 2000 people in Sunday School. Culture changed, the neighborhood changed, the church split, etc. A few years ago, they had a pastor who did not get along with many in the congregation, so many more left that church and went to other churches.

Three years ago, the church hired a new pastor. He is a nice guy, good preacher, but he does not actively practice spiritual reproduction. So the church is drifting, slowly dieing. A handful of members have worshipped together for over thirty years. But the "young people" have drifted away, and I can't blame them. You see, this church is in a large city and people have more options than they do in Alamo. A handful of "long-time" churchmen have their hands on the controls. The pastor preaches well and doesn't rock the boat. So they keep plugging along and member keep drifting away.

Even now, trouble is brewing. They are having to dip into the savings to keep the church programs going. Some say the church is dieing. But others will keep hanging on and hanging on, doing the same thing, yet expecting different results. Status quo wins and the people don't.

First Baptist Church of Alamo used to have no competition. But today, folks will drive to Jackson or to CrossRoads or to other churches in the area. They don't "need" FBCA. And they are flocking elsewhere.

When church leaders railroad their personal agenda (in the name of Christ) on a congregation, unless true accountability is asked, a man with a strong personality can get away with murder...murdering a congregation.

My father died a few months ago. My family has been members of First Baptist Church of Alamo since the late 1940s. I still call FBCA my church home. Yet in the ten long weeks of his illness, I only recall one visit by a staff member of the church. I was only there half the time so perhaps there were more visits. But considering what "ministry" is supposed to be, I think long-time church members have been on the losing end of ministry at FBCA over the past few years.

The church was packed, wall-to-wall, at his funeral. But why aren't those folks in church there every Sunday? Where do they go? I personally know many of them do not regularly attend church anywhere. So why does FBCA not have "wall-to-wall" attendance every Sunday?

Integrity and Accountability may be part of the problem. How would you feel if your dieing parent only received one or two visits from his church leaders in two months? What would that tell you about the integrity of the church leaders? Is anyone accountable for this non-ministerial behavior. Have other church members noticed this? Yes they have. They have told me about it several years ago, long before my Father became ill.

Is it any wonder that long-time church members have been disrespected and alienated by a handful of leaders at FBCA? Is it any wonder that church leadership allows a historic building to collapse "in the name of Jesus?" Is it any wonder that a building program is promoted while church growth is non-existent?

Where is the accountability among the businessmen of First Baptist Alamo? Where is the integrity among the staff. Is FBCA going to slip even more into the "non-effective" category where it now sits on the edge?

Is anyone honorable at FBCA? Is anyone worried about true, Biblical ministry? Or is the idea of new pews and softball-for-Jesus now the priority, masquerading as ministry?

Has any of the church leadership visited the former, long-time deacons, the men of God who led that church for a generation? Or have you just let them go, ignoring them, hoping they will die soon, like my Dad, so you will not be required to show genuine compassion?

Is anyone aware of the lost people who are NOT being reached by First Baptist staff and members? Five years from now, will FBCA still run 175 or so in Sunday School and still claim God is telling them to go into debt for a new FBCA Country-Club outside the city limits?

Who still claims it is "God's Will" to build that new church while others in the city are allowed to go to hell!!! Does anyone still claim "God's Will?"

When my Dad, a long-time ACTIVE member of FBCA, was very ill, softball-for-Jesus meant nothing to him. Is anyone at FBCA accountable for anything?

Anyone?

Letting The Building Fall Apart In Jesus's Name

Why Don't You Repair The Building? It looks terrible.

There is a Biblical principle that I discovered many Christians either do not know, or just ignore. It simply states:

And whatever you do, whether by speech or action, do everything in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17

Let's say there are some maintenance issues with the building. Normally, you would REPAIR the building. Most Christians would want to do the right thing. After all, whatever you do OR DON'T DO is supposed to be in the name of Jesus.

If you want to convince the congregation that the the building is falling apart, you just IGNORE issues until they become impossible to repair. After, the ends justifies the means...right?

TWENTY YEARS AGO...a solution was given to the church. At least two members, including a professional builder, told you to put a slant on the roof and that would take care of the leaks!

It is SO SIMPLE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT in the name of Jesus!

Instead, you just let the roof leak, refuse to correct it with a slanted roof as church members said would work twenty years ago, allow the leaky roof to discolor the walls in the auditorium so you can then look at the congregation and say, "See, the building is falling apart like I told you."

Yes, the ends justifies the means. It is Baptist tradition. I was at the Southern Baptist Convention when some of that rationalization was happening over 20 years ago in order to elect the right people. I sat at restaurant table over 26 years ago when the architects of the SBC "take over" were plotting their moves. Although they used highly unethical tactics to begin electing conservative presidents, to them, the ends justified the means.

And that lack of integrity has seeped down to the local level, where church leaders simply LIE to the congregation to get a building program going. And worse, they say "GOD TOLD ME THIS IS OUR VISION" or some other trite falsehood.

So it is with First Baptist allowing the building to rot in the name of Jesus when there is such a simple solution, a solution they have ignored for twenty years.

Why don't you repair the building in the name of Jesus?

Because if you FIX THE BUILDING, then you can't justify buying that land on the Bells highway.

Lying in the name of Jesus. Allowing the building to fall apart in the name of Jesus. Deceiving the congregation in the name of Jesus. Is there any wonder that people stay away on Sunday morning? Is there any wonder that membership has stagnated for the most part?

What is it about lying to the congregation in the name of Jesus that attracts one to First Baptist Church? What is it about allowing the building to fall apart in the name of Jesus that gives your message integrity?

REPAIR THE ROOF! It looks terrible. Is THAT what you want?

Did Ya Hear About The New Preacher?

Did ya hear about the new preacher?

A new preacher came to town. The first Sunday, he preached a wonderful sermon. It was exciting, it was Biblical, it was emotional, it was with conviction. The congregation loved it.

The second Sunday, the preacher preached the same sermon. It was still exciting and motivating and preached with as much conviction as the first Sunday. The folks just kind of overlooked it as a repeat, since the preacher was new at this church. Perhaps he forgot.

The third Sunday was met with more anticipation. However, the new preacher preached EXACTLY the SAME sermon as the first Sunday. Members of the congregation were beginning to get worried. Three Sundays in a row with the same sermon.

The fourth Sunday, the new preacher preached the SAME sermon AGAIN, the same as the first Sunday. So the deacons decided to meet with the preacher to see if there was a miscommunication or problem. Why was the preacher continuing to preach ONE and only ONE sermon Sunday after Sunday?

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You will notice I have not posted much in the past couple of months. That's because, the message here has been "preached" so to speak, from the beginning. When you (or someone) actually DOES the Great Commission, then we can move on. When people begin to GO and begin to MAKE DISCIPLES, then we can move on.

I can talk about the pastor, I can talk about the staff members, we can even talk about the 15,000 people who live in Crockett County and what they are NOT doing for the Lord. But the message has been laid out for you. If YOU do not DO the message, then everything else is irrelevant!

Ya see, when the deacons confronted the new pastor about preaching the same sermon four weeks in a row, the young preacher looked at them and said, "When you begin winning people to the Lord as was preached in that sermon, then we can worry about new sermons. When you begin DOING about which that sermon speaks, then we can move on ahead...together.

Currently, there is virtually no evangelism at FBCA. There is lots of activity, lots of busywork, lots of religious-sounding noise being made, but virtually NO EVANGELISM at all, even on Sunday morning. Currently, church members are being systematically ignored from the "in crowd" and excluded from the loop. Currently, nobody is confronting the issue of long-term debt or why a building is necessary. When you do those things spoken of in the past few months in these posts, then we can worry about new issues.

Too Critical or Expecting Accountability?

Some folks have accused me of being too critical. I apologize for giving that appearance. So let me ask you a question. If someone asks you to be accountable, to be honest, to do the job right the first time, why is that being critical?

Our intentions are not to be critical, but to expect Christian Morality and Integrity when dealing with thousands of dollars given by the congregation.

I quote the church web page which says:

"It is the responsibility of each believer to endeavor to live in fellowship with
each member of the congregation."

If only that were true. If only that were true for the staff as well as each believer. When the staff purposely ignores church members, that is not a good sign. And it is happening.

Again, I quote from the church web page:

"It is further the responsibility of each member to bring all gossiping and
backbiting to an end."

Gossiping and backbiting? Yes, that should not be happening in a congregation. Healthy discourse and challenging of hidden agendas by church leadership? Sir, that is not gossip. That is not backbiting. That is exposure. And some things should be exposed to the congregation. When facts and other things are hidden from church members who seek information, that is not gossip, nor is it backbiting. It is shining a light.

I know basically our church leaders are probably good folks, overall. But honesty has taken a back-seat to personal agendas over the past six years or so. Long-time church members have been insulted pushed aside while others attempt to "have their day" and override common sense. Things have grown to a slow crawl.

It is amazing how, at this point, it seems "God" must have changed his mind, or at least postponed his plans. It is amazing how we as Christians can spin a financial crunch into spiritual words by putting a "God Overlay" on top of common financial (or otherwise) setbacks and making it look like we know what God is allegedly doing with the situation we screwed up. So we spin it a few times, then talk the deacons into buying our spiel, then we present it and try to sell it to the congregation.

Me, too critical? Is it too critical to expect honesty? Is it too critical to expect serious accountability and integrity? Is it being too critical to expect Christians to actually be like Jesus instead of just talking about him?
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