The church was dying.
The denomination had embraced female pastors. It prided itself on having “no creed but the Bible”. The church rejected formal membership and biblical discipline. It taught a second work of sanctification and treated foot washing as the third ordinance of the church after baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
But the problems weren’t merely denominational or doctrinal. The congregation itself was rife with “biting and devouring” (Gal. 5:15). It was a mixture of unbelievers and spiritual infants (Heb 5:12-14), easily “tossed to and fro” by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14). The preaching was shallow, the worship was unscriptural, and the vibe was…there’s really no better word for it…weird.
The church was doctrinally apathetic, relationally vacuum-sealed, and evangelistically inept.
They asked me if I wanted to be their pastor, and I said yes.
Today, by God’s grace, our church has a plurality of qualified male pastors, a doctrinally sound statement of faith, and a church covenant that is faithfully put into practice. Our worship is scriptural and Spirit-empowered. Our fellowship is vibrant. The church is overflowing with young families who are giving their time, talent, and treasure for the sake of the Great Commission. We aren’t a perfect church, but by God’s grace we are growing in faith-fueled obedience.
How did we get from there to here? How did our tiny dying church go from dying to full of gospel life? Here are the first five answers that come to mind.
1. The Word Did the Work
Church revitalization begins with the ministry of the word, primarily from the pulpit, but also in private counsel.
When I got to the church nearly ten years ago, my main plan was to faithfully minister the word and let God do the rest. As Samuel Rutherford was fond of saying, duties belong to us, results belong to God. God’s Word did what no program could do. Week after week, the Scriptures exposed sin, corrected error, revealed Christ, and taught us how to live together as God’s people. It confronted our assumptions, reordered our worship, reshaped our leadership, membership, discipline, fellowship, and mission.
Paul charged Timothy to “preach the word” with complete patience (2 Tim. 4:2), and that’s exactly what I did.
2. Patience Won the Day
Notice that Paul joined preaching with patience.
Pastors will see what needs to change long before their people do. The temptation is to force five years of reform into five months. But sheep must be led, not driven. They need to be taught, over and over and over again, what God’s word says. And then they need to be taught even more. The pastor in a revitalization effort needs to make Philippians 3:1 his life verse: “To [teach] the same things to you is no trouble for me and is safe for you.”
Some changes came quickly in our church. Others took years. Others still haven’t worked. Revitalization happens at the speed of patient love. So put your hand to the plow and wait on the Lord.
3. Prayer Was Essential
We preached, planned, taught, counseled, and organized, but none of those things could give spiritual life without prayer. And so, we prayed. We prayed for conversions. We prayed for unity. We prayed for qualified pastors, deacons, and Titus 2 women. We prayed for God to remove obstacles we couldn’t move and change hearts we couldn’t reach. Again and again, he answered. Sometimes not in the way we expected or as quickly as we would have liked, but always according to his good and perfect will.
4. Suffering Was Unavoidable
Revitalization sounds exciting, but living through it was often painful.
People left. Friendships dissolved. Motives were questioned. Accusations were hurled. Reputations were slandered. There were seasons of conflict, loneliness, exhaustion, and discouragement. My family suffered and it hurt me to see them take lashes that were aimed at my back.
But suffering is unavoidable. More than that, it is a gospel promise (Rom. 8:7). The pain feels immense in the moment, but in truth, it is a light and momentary affliction (2 Cor. 4:17).
5. God Got the Glory
“I planted. Others watered. But God gave the growth.” — 1 Cor. 3:6–7
No pastor can preach dead hearts to life, manufacture unity, or turn consumers into servants. So how did we revitalize the church? The ordinary means of grace: reading, teaching, preaching, and counseling with the word, prayer, and love. And God turned the ship.
If you are laboring in a dying church, don’t lose heart. Preach the Word. Love the people. Pray desperately. Suffer faithfully. Wait patiently on the Lord. And then, when (if?) new life finally appears, give God the glory, for he alone deserves it.