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My Church's Inferiority Complex
How one congregation traded the "poor little us" mindset for new confidence.
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Tell Boss Hogg 'Hi' when you see him!" I could feel my blood pressure rise as I endured another sarcastic remark about the area where I pastor. "This is the town of Hazard," I often have to remind people, "with one z." People in Hazard, Kentucky, already struggle with a poor self-image, and comparisons with "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV show don't help. For the record, the "Dukes" were caricatures from fictitious Hazzard County, Georgia. Here in the town of Hazard in Perry County, Kentucky, I've never seen Boss Hogg, our police officer isn't named Enis, and Uncle Jesse's boys don't drive wildly around "these here parts" in an orange Dodge Charger named "General Lee." But in Appalachia, we still combat stereotypes, and losing to them, we suffer from inferiority complexes. Even the church I pastor. Early in my ministry here, I visited a church in another state and was asked to give a brief testimony concerning our ministry. I described the area's traditional, family-oriented culture. I wanted them to understand that Hazard is a safe, friendly place to live. But immediately after me, another man got up to speak. "I have preached near where our brother lives," he said. "The place is called 'Bloody Breathitt,' where the river ran red with the blood of feuding men." He succeeded in getting attention, but he failed to mention that the river hasn't run red since Prohibition! I've felt the mockery when people said, "Oh, you're from Hazard." And worse yet, people who have lived here longer have come to expect the condescension. They've heard the subtle message "You're inferior" for so long, they believe it. When I came to Davidson Baptist Church, the members were defeated and divided. They couldn't agree on much, and they held no hope for reaching the community. Even though average attendance of 130 was large for the area, the church was not sure it could afford a full-time pastor. Every aspect of life reflected the mindset that "we're just a poor little church." I've discovered that my situation is no different from that of many pastors. Whether it is a rural church with limited growth potential, a downtown church whose neighborhood has changed, or a congregation struggling in the shadow of a megachurch, the problems are often the same. These churches are unable to see themselves as a ministry of importance. They have low spiritual esteem. Why they feel that wayCuring a church-wide inferiority complex can't be done until the cause is found, and there are several contributing factors. Sometimes a church puts up a false front to hide its insecurities, much like the blustering bully on the playground. One member told an interested visitor we were "too big" and were no longer taking new members. This bully front was a defense against instability newcomers might bring to the church. |             |
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