Miller Challenges “Bigger is Better” Mentality

Here are some more quotes from Calvin Miller’s O Shepherd Where Art Thou, this time related to the question of church growth. Of course we want to see more people saved, but Miller rightly criticizes the idea that amassing more and more believers in one place is the goal. Wit and wisdom are a good combination. I started to coment on them, but they stand alone well, I think.

…it seems to me in the era of megachurch we have opted to tell smaller truths to ever-bigger crowds. (p 26)

Sam knew his church wasn’t growing either, but at least he was doing his part in trying to please God by feeling neurotic about it. (p. 29) :)

Greatness of size may, in the end, prove the smallest of virtues. (p. 30)

“Well, there you go. We’re equal. You see, Ambrose, if every church was like yours, the Christian faith wouldn’t be here in fifty years.’
“And if every church was like yours, it wouldn’t be historically Christian in fifty years. No one would be left to who can even define the word Christian. The faith would die of secular syncretism.” (pg. 35)

“You wanted to know many I had in church, last Sunday, Biff. I’ll tell you how many. All I can take care of.” (pg. 39)

Most often when people do leave the church they are leaving because they feel the church failed to minister to them in a time of need. Yet pastors are often more stimulated to make their church grow than to take care of its members in their needy times. No one ever gets his or her picture in an evangelical magazine simply because they visited the sick. (pg. 42)