I can’t imagine the idea of sending someone to a state to shut it down, makes no sense. I have felt at times over the years that ‘personal grudges’ appeared to be the reason a church was shut down and sold or a pastor was sent to a church that was aging out as a spiteful move.Anything is possible but I cannot see it on a wholesale basis. Must be a small state. you are speaking of. By the way, welcome aboard…… ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Sure sounds familiar.
Re: Go out of Business
I don’t know you or your state, but I have to ask.What would you do if you were the AB and would the situation be any better?Just asking a tough question________________
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Centralized government, ya gotta love it! ________________Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church
While it is true that ABs can just about do what they want, if a local church can’t pay its bills and keep the doors open, it falls on the AB as the one who has to deal with it as ‘a real estate asset.’ I would bet money, if I were a gambler, that an AB would not just sell a local church property if it could have stayed open and paying its bills. It is not their goal to close churches. The ABs I’ve known have done all they could to keep struggling churches open, and always took it personally if they failed. I have seen ABs actually take an associate pastor from one church (that needed him) and place him as lead pastor in a dying church situation that only ended up prolonging the last gasp of the lifeless church for a year and a half and
While it is true that ABs can just about do what they want, if a local church can’t pay its bills and keep the doors open, it falls on the AB as the one who has to deal with it as ‘a real estate asset.’ I would bet money, if I were a gambler, that an AB would not just sell a local church property if it could have stayed open and paying its bills. It is not their goal to close churches. The ABs I’ve known have done all they could to keep struggling churches open, and always took it personally if they failed. I have seen ABs actually take an associate pastor from one church (that needed him) and place him as lead pastor in a dying church situation that only ended up prolonging the last gasp of the lifeless church for a year and a half and
Things happen different when a state is in financial trouble. In our State We have seen churches yet with all bills paid, all reports paid and money in the bank closed. Not because and members were upset, but because they were seen as an asset that the state wanted. There was no attempt to turn the church around.
While it is true that ABs can just about do what they want, if a local church can’t pay its bills and keep the doors open, it falls on the AB as the one who has to deal with it as ‘a real estate asset.’ I would bet money, if I were a gambler, that an AB would not just sell a local church property if it could have stayed open and paying its bills. It is not their goal to close churches. The ABs I’ve known have done all they could to keep struggling churches open, and always took it personally if they failed. I have seen ABs actually take an associate pastor from one church (that needed him) and place him as lead pastor in a dying church situation that only ended up prolonging the last gasp of the lifeless church for a year and a half and
While it is true that ABs can just about do what they want, if a local church can’t pay its bills and keep the doors open, it falls on the AB as the one who has to deal with it as ‘a real estate asset.’ I would bet money, if I were a gambler, that an AB would not just sell a local church property if it could have stayed open and paying its bills. It is not their goal to close churches. The ABs I’ve known have done all they could to keep struggling churches open, and always took it personally if they failed. I have seen ABs actually take an associate pastor from one church (that needed him) and place him as lead pastor in a dying church situation that only ended up prolonging the last gasp of the lifeless church for a year and a half and
First let me clarify for those that don’t know who I am, that I’m NOT, neither have I ever been a state overseer. I have, however, served on the state council, and as a District Overseer for a number of years.In my experience and observation, some churches need to be shut down and the properties sold. Others need to be shut down for a few months with the intent to relaunch at a later date. My explanation for my views: When a church reaches a place of decline to the point that it can no longer function as a church, it should be shut down. That can include insufficient giving to pay the bills, or the inability of leadership to find someone willing to pastor the church. I’ve seen this too many times. People in the church who sit by and do little to nothing to keep the church going, let along generate any growth. Then they criticize leadership who can’t find a pastor for the church, or who can’t take the church on to pay their bills. I think we have to accept that churches can and at times do reach the end of their functionality as a ministry presence in the community.What’s next? That question brings to light the process of how to handle those situations. Some churches can be closed for a season and reopened in a relaunch, often under the guidance of a larger church. Perhaps they are in a community that warrants that approach due to the lack of other COG’s in the area, or due to the population and potential found in the community. A fresh face, name, vision, approach, and ministry can, at times, step into old facilities and rebirth an effective ministry. At other times the equations add up to the need to just close down. Perhaps the community is in decline, or there are plenty of other viable options of churches and ministries that are effectively ministering into said community. It is never cut and dry, and never an easy process or decision. What about the money? I agree, that we should be abiding by our minutes and using that money to plant churches, support churches or revitalize churches. Too often that is not the case, which points to accountability issues in our movement. Selling properties to pay the bills is a dead end street. At some point the bleeding has to be stopped if we want to grow ministry in our states/regions.
Hmmm want to really inject some drastic ideas?
If a church can’t pay a pastor a reasonable living wage, close it, consolidate with another Church of God if possible, and use any money to pay off one of the churches that might need this money to pay a reasonable salary.Whoooo boy, that would set some states on their ear.What would all of these pastors without churches do?Just tossing out wild ideas. ________________
You can only go out of business if it is a business. Lol The Church will never go Out of business. A family like the COG is in danger of dying when you have less births than you do funerals. The solution is to be fruitful and multiply. Healthy births (church planting) is the answer and that comes through health life giving churches. You have to feed babies to keep them healthy. If you don’t feed the babies they die. I look at closing churches like grandparents that puts the grandkids in the WILL. It should go to making the family healthier. The problem with poor estate planning is tons can be lost in legal and administration fees. Especially if you change lawyers every couple years________________