Jim Griffith, preeminent church planting strategist, sometimes refers to church planters in the metaphorical language of “Marines charging the hill!” Undaunted by obstacles, improvising as they go, they march into new, often times hostile, territory to carry the banner of a great cause – advancing the kingdom of God. Frequently under-resourced, and outnumbered by the forces of our culture ranging from hostility to apathy, they willingly engage in the clash of values that says it is worth it for the salvation of souls and the enrichment of the community to plant a church. And they go and they plant the flag of Jesus Christ. I like that analogy.
Just a few months into my new position as the “New Church Development Officer,” I am keenly aware that I approach my task from strategic planning perspective for our Annual Conference. The people who really make it happen are the foot soldiers on the ground.
Our hats are off to these dedicated, risk-taking, pioneers for the faith! (For a complete list of our church planters in North Texas since the merger in 1968, see my related post)
Unfortunately, there is another analogy that is troubling. The VA estimates that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, and nearly 400,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. According to the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Urban Institute, 1999), veterans account for 23% of all homeless people in America.
Most everyone agrees that it is often a disgrace the way we treat our veterans. While I realize it’s not quite the same, many of our valiant clergy who charged some hill somewhere for us have been wounded and worn out in the battle. Sadly, over the years many who charged the hill met with such resistance that their attempt to plant a church ended in frustration and failure.
One such veteran stopped by my office recently. Nearly nineteen years ago he made the charge but was not able to plant a permanent church. You could still sense the battle scars and pain … and a feeling probably not all that unlike many of our military veterans who at times feel forgotten and overlooked.
I am presently working on our Conference’s strategic plan to start new churches. But even as we plan to charge new hills, maybe we need to start by honestly looking at how we honor, thank, and respect those who have made the charge before…successfully and not so successfully.
Just as the degree to which a nation honors its veterans reveals its character, maybe the degree to which we honor our church planting veterans says something about the character of our “connection” and “covenant” as a conference.
A little over four years ago we sent Jeff Garrett to charge a hill in Rockwall County. Sadly, “The Table” is closing at the end of March. During these past four years ministry has happened, lives have been touched, people have been introduced to Christ. There has been joy and laughter and tears. There has been dreaming and bonding. There has been anguish and there will be grief. A grief all of us in the connection should share.
“The Table,” like other church starts that did not pan out, should not be forgotten or its impact dismissed. Who knows how God will use people in the future who perhaps took their first steps in faith at the Table? In all our church starts of the past, even those that did not make it, we believe God was at work and people were touched, and the Kingdom was advanced.
Sadly, reality is what it is. The church has not grown to the size or circumstance to sustain itself, even after hard work on the part of its pastor, staff, and volunteers, and extensive assistance from the Conference and other friends.
But to Jeff, and to all our other veterans, I say “Thank you!” I hope you will take time to do the same and to keep Jeff and the people of the Table in your prayers as they move on to other ministries.
Jim
