Scott Cheatham’s Weblog

In the past few weeks I’ve read of some high profile Christian leaders who are leaving their church positions as “pastors” to enter the world of consulting.  Apparently, there’s enough money to be made telling other churches what works and what doesn’t then I thought.  I do not say this flippantly because I have the utmost respect for some of these men I’ve read about.  Many are well known authors who’ve used social media to build a near “rock star” persona that has led to high profile positions in some of our country’s best known churches (at least to those who follow this sort of thing).  Now it appears the next step in that process is to leave their positions by “stepping out in faith” and entering this new, uncharted land.

Church consulting has been around for a while though.  It just wasn’t as chic as it is today.  When I arrived at the church I now pastor I began sifting through all the old paperwork that was left behind by the original church that had closed a few years prior.  Our denomination’s church planting department wisely elected to hold on to the church property that was left (especially with land prices at a premium in the Denver, Colorado market) and wait a few years before planting a new work that would start from this place.  Among the items I found in the old paperwork was a consulting report from some person I had never heard of but who apparently had a reputation for doing well in this type of endeavor.  Among his recommendations were to change the name of Sunday School classes to something more modern and to add a bit of contemporary music to the worship singing.  He also thought it would be a good idea to market to younger families with a series of events designed to encourage them to get involved and volunteer in the church.  He also included some demographic material that outlined the median age, race, and income of the surrounding area near the church.  I shook my head as I read his summary.  Coming from the business world I knew that most of this was just semantics.  The demographic information he provided was just as easily accessed by a quick trip and a few bucks at the local chamber of commerce office that has data unparalleled in this area.  Their entire sustenance is by providing this information to prospective businesses and they are usually pretty nice to churches if you approach them with a professional attitude.  There IS value in some of this information but much of it can be gleaned by a few quick phone calls to others and a deep commitment to prayer.  What I saw as sorely lacking in ANY of this consultant’s reports was the need for the congregation, led by its pastor, to seek God’s will for their church in prayer.  I understand the value of what some of these church “consultants” can provide but if I’ve read their books and I know their philosophy do I really need to pay a premium for them to come to my church just to tell me the obvious?

It helps to know who your audience is.  It helps to know a bit about the people you are trying to reach.  But it’s most important to seek God’s will for your specific ministry.  His will for your church might be drastically different from what the “market” says it is.  My fear with this CEO “consulting” mentality is that we will build churches bases on market need rather than on spiritual need.  Preaching the blood of Christ doesn’t register well on surveys but it’s exactly what the people need to hear.  Admitting our total depravity and a need for a Savior isn’t going to show up on a demographic report but I can tell you no matter your race, it’s the greatest message that needs to get out.  I don’t write these words as one who’s never been in the business world.  I have been.  The radio business is all about surveys, demographics, and reaching the masses with what THEY want.  In the church world though, it’s about reaching the world with the life saving message of Jesus Christ and for many, it is NOT what they want to hear.  Sure, we can find ways to make our church appealing to others so they will want to come but at some point, the unsaved will have to collide with the fact that they are lost, caught up in sin, and in need of salvation.  You do not need a consultant to tell you this.  Only through genuine love, care, and a generous dose of God’s grace will the life-change they need come about.  How you get to this point is open for many to discuss but let’s be honest, you HAVE to get to this point at some time and if you don’t, you don’t really have a church.  You have a social club.

I would love to discuss this more with many of you who stop by here to read this.  Feel free to contact me through the comment section and leave an email address and I will get back with you.  Do we need this type of service in our congregations? Am I off base with my thoughts here?

Thanks for reading!