How I Changed My Thinking About the Church

One of the highlights in my life happen on one January weekend when Richard Halverson the Chaplain of the Senate came to stay with Kim and me. He left behind a book he had written inscribed, “To brother Rich- With gratitude to God for your friendship – and loving care when Doris and I were in Seattle. Thanks and blessings and love to you and Kim” – In Christ, Dick Halverson, Acts 20:32, which says, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Thirty years ago, while pastoring the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, he learned what he called a “significant” lesson. A leading volunteer in his church had recently been elected president of the local school board. The new responsibilities meant this leader would have to cut back on some of his church commitments. At first, he became mad at the thought of losing this great leader. After more consideration, however, he reached a surprising conclusion.

In How I Changed My Thinking About The Church, he shares that conclusion:

“As I pondered the loss of this fine young man…I asked…’how many do we need to really do the work of the church? … many of the men women in the church had several jobs…They were busy with the ecclesiastical establishment. But suppose that each could hold only one job, how many would it take to do the work of that large congregation? At the time, the membership was about 7,000. To my amazement I found that it would require only 365 volunteers to do the work that was required to maintain the program of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood….This meant that most of the members of the church could never have a job in the institution. It followed…that if the work of the church is what is done for the institution, very few, relatively speaking, will ever have an opportunity to do the work of the church.”