Big Churches

by Joey Davis

Big churches have taken a bum rap! With many people my age and older, size alone makes large places of worship suspect. I find this' curious since it doesn't seem to be true in other areas of our lives.

Big families are not viewed with suspicion. On the contrary, it is usually the large, happy family that is the envy of the neighborhood.

Big is certainly not considered bad in the commercial world. As a matter of fact, every Christmas season I notice that the larger stores and major shopping malls are the most popular places to shop. It is there that we are able to find the gifts we're looking for. Most people go to large stores because they have a better selection and offer lower prices.

Would you rather fly American Airlines or "Joe's Puddlejumpers?" You see, it seems that the only institution besides the government that gets a bum rap for being big is the church.

Over the years I have heard a number of accusations concerning large churches and their members.

Most people just go to big churches so they can hide out and not have any responsibilities to the church. There are Christians who would rather not meet their responsibilities to teach, serve, and evangelize the community. But having preached in a small congregation, I find the percentage of these people to be the same there. And I've never seen a small church deny someone the right to "hide out!"

Big churches make it impossible to know everyone with whom you worship. We have brothers and sisters in Christ that worship less than 10 miles from this building at the same time as we do. We will probably never meet them. That doesn't seem to bother us.

Big congregations are just ego trips for preachers. Ego? If you're going to stand up in front of a number of people every week and preach, you must think you have something to say. Yet I've never seen a preacher worth his salt that thought he was responsible for the growth of the church. God gives the increase!

The infant church in Jerusalem numbered over three thousand on its first day. Yet nobody today criticizes them for being too big.

I respect those saints who worship in small congregations. But I think big and small should not be the issue. Big and bigger should be our goal! We must focus on bringing "one more" to the Lord. After all, numbers are only important if those numbers represent servants who are sold out to Jesus. The church can't get too big if it is filled with committed Christians serving the Master.