Standardized or Spirit-Led Ministry

At one point in history, no country in the world had more varieties of apples available than the United States.  Each variety was adapted to local climates and needs.  Need to store apples in a cellar for seven months?  There was an app(le) for that!  Need to bake with one and eat another fresh?  There were apples to meet those needs, too!

Then came a day when farmers across the country were told to narrow their focus to a smaller grouping of varieties that traveled well to the store and produced consistent coloring for the supermarkets' displays. Unique varieties were sacrificed for presentation standardization.  Certain flavors and people's concept of apples shrunk to about five varieties offered on the store shelf.  This narrowing-of-focus business philosophy changed how people think about and buy apples. And other areas of life have been sacrificed to this desire for standardization.

The church used to have a much wider variety of pastors at the helm.  Varieties who were better suited to local climates and needs.  Somewhere along the timeline, though, the church bought into the idea that only a few varieties sold the church, as a product – using polished speeches, volunteer or staff management, or great entertainment.  These varieties look great on the display shelf of 59-minute scripted worship-ish rock concerts and motivational speaking engagements.

That's what we have in huge numbers across the country today, and this scenario is found not only in the mega church.  We need to stop grafting little carbon copies of big personalities and seek the Spirit-led, shepherding pastor who is right for our congregation's place and time in the Kingdom of God.

Dear Church, if we keep hiring professional speakers, entertainers and CEOs, we will keep getting the same results. We need Spirit-led pastors. 

(For more info on apples I recommend this article as a starting point -http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/04/heritage-apples-john-bunker-maine).

Brad serves as "Michiana" Coordinator, which is northeast Indiana and southwest Michigan, and joied the NNYM team in November 2014. You can follow Brad on Twitter @bradterhune.