SMALL IS BETTER THAN JUST OK

By David Woodbury.

I notice a recent Facebook post by Others’ journalist, Lauren Martin which read: The evangelistic effectiveness of mini-churches is statistically 1,600 percent greater than that of the mega churches. (Quote from Natural Church Development by Christian Schwartz) The fact didn’t surprise me, the percentage did.

Salvationist have long known that serving in a small corps is often the catalyst in meaningful ministry. For many years, the larger number of cadets entering our traIning college came from small, often rural, corps. I suspect that there was a unique spiritual dynamic present, and there was something different about these corps that was a catalyst in the spiritual impact and development on individuals.

I believe this to be true from my own experience. I grew up in a large city corps complete with all its Army sections. There wasn’t a day in the week when there wasn’t something happening at the Army. It was an active, family-friendly corps just bursting with life.

As life developed and marriage and family eventuated we made the move from the city to a coastal town to commence a business enterprise. The local corps was somewhat of a shock. Reasonably small, with struggling sections. It wasn’t long before Jeanette and I took on roles in the corps and found ourselves heavily involved. As it is in smaller communities personalities and problems become more apparent and tensions and unrest became part of corps life.

Not used to these sort of tensions we felt that maybe a change to another church would be advisable for the whole family which now included three children. Consequently, we turned up one Sunday morning to one of the big denominations in the area. Sitting in the row ahead of us were a number of our fellow Salvationist. Although I don’t remember anything that went on that morning I clearly recall God telling me this was not where he wanted me.

Life went on and we faithfully fulfilled our roles as local officers in the corps yet still with a sense of unrest. Both Jeanette and I had felt the call to full-time ministry as Salvation Army officers in our late teens, but for various reasons had avoided a response. For you see, it is easy to hide in a large congregation. Many of the good and positive aspects of a large Christian community can also be the distractions, and while the voice of God is heard, there are so many options that response to it can be selective.

But here, in the grassroots, nuts and bolts struggle in a much smaller corps, there are fewer places to hide from God. The struggle, the unrest, the conflicting personalities all became catalysts in confronting us with obedience to the call of God on our lives. We sold home and business, and along with our three children entered the training college and spent the rest of our lives as Salvation Army officers.

As I write this, some 40 years later, I am acutely aware of the hand of God on my life and stand in awe in the way He has led me. I firmly believe it was that experience in that small Christian community that brought me to the place of obedience and surrender to God’s will for my life. I can’t prove Schwartz 1,600 percent, but this I know, the small corps, the small church, the small Christian communities are crucial in God’s plan of salvation for all humanity.

Now here is where I find a great deal of concern with today’s current religious trends, even those within The Salvation Army. If Schwartz is right, and I am sure he is, why are we closing small corps and trying to amalgamate them into a large congregation? If the most effective evangelical work originates in small corps, why aren’t we creating more of them?

I suspect that closure of small corps has more to do with economics, and if that is so, does it indicate an unwillingness to actively invest in evangelism? Or it may be that there are leadership agendas strongly attached to historic church growth decisions made, that leadership will not acknowledge as failure. If that is the case some honest Christian and ethical accountability needs to occur.

Possibly we have been deluded and led astray by the myth of the mega-church. For some decades officers from the erstwhile Eastern Territory were intentionally sent to the US to study and observe the principles and practices of some of these mega-churches. Although some may have benefited from personal development, the only measurable result was the closure of some small corps and a decrease in soldiership and meeting attendances.

The time has come when we need to honestly and ruthlessly review some of the decisions that have been made in this area of growth and admit, that despite our best intentions, we simply got it wrong. It may well be that if we can truly and honestly face up to our mistakes, God may once again bring us back to an effective fighting force that is The Salvation Army.

There are times when small is better than just OK – it may well be the will of God.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 – NLT)