‘Small’ church?

I would like to respond to the front-page article of the May 29 issue, "Leading a small church." I would like to offer a biblical definition of a small church rather than using what I consider to be the socially and ministerially correct definition offered in the article. The definition given by LifeWay Research was "congregations with 100 or fewer in attendance on Sundays."

Under this definition, all of the five churches I pastored in 20 years would be considered small, having from 12 to 85 in Sunday School.

Let me ask you this: is a 24-average Sunday School church that gives 26 percent of its undesignated funds through the Cooperative Program smaller than a 1,200-average attendance church that gave 3 percent that same year? Another small church I pastored, with 42 in Sunday School, is actively involved in the cancer Relay for Life program. Two years ago, it raised the most money in its county, more than any other nonprofit organization including the "larger churches."

So let me offer this definition: a church is small, regardless of the number in attendance, because it fails to carry out the Great Commission and minister to those in its community (Matt. 28:19–20; 25:34–40). The Lord isn’t going to say, "Well done, thou good and large church,” or even, “thou good and small church.”

Let’s refocus our definitions from those made by man to the way God looks at things. After all, it is to Him we will answer — not a research group. He never said He was concerned with numbers but He is with faithfulness (1 Cor. 4:2). Other than that, the article provided good insight on what makes a church small (regardless of attendance).

Larry E. Beauchamp
Ashford, Ala.