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, 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 because of them, we suffer from inferiority complexes. Even the church I pastor has a problem with self-image. When I came to Davidson Baptist Church in Hazard, its members were defeated and divided. They couldn't agree on much, and they had little hope for reaching the community. Even though its 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: "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 WayThere are several contributing factors to a church-wide inferiority complex. Sometimes a church puts up a false front to hide its insecurities, much like the blustering bully does 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 the instability newcomers might bring to the church. A second source of inferiority comes from the culture. Because of past experiences with outsiders—government and media, for example—anyone moving into our area is viewed with suspicion. You have to work hard to earn the locals' trust. Families and communities are so closely knit that they resist any change that might affect those bonds. Some families even discourage their children from traveling to attend college in order to keep the close community together. Economic factors also play a part. Much of eastern Kentucky is cut off from urban areas because of an inadequate highway system. Until recently the only real industry in the area was coal mining, which has never been consistent. And without new businesses, the population has declined rapidly. Schools face falling enrollments, and jobs are hard to find. Many young couples must either live off welfare or leave the area, further discouraging the people who've stayed behind. An area's theological heritage also affects a church's self-image. Circuit-riding ministry was common in this area well into the 1960s. Consequently, many people around here perceive bi-vocational preaching as a sign of deep spirituality. More than once I've heard, "I wouldn't go to a church that pays a preacher." Because of the area's history of poverty, many view with suspicion any type of church offering. A man complained to me about a friend who sat next to him each week in church. "He has a good job and he never puts anything in the offering plate. I always put my dollar in!" I thought he was joking. He wasn't. With Hazard's residents holding such deeply ingrained attitudes, I knew there would be no overnight solution. After several years of struggling against these forces, I had almost given up. We had lost a few key people, the economy had grown worse, and the church bills were barely being paid. I, too, was beginning to feel like a failure. I shared this with a man who had been there for years. "But, Pete," he replied, "you don't see where we've come from; I do." While the area's population had declined, our membership had actually increased, he said. Our offerings were up. More important, we had put into practice 2 Corinthians 10:5: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Unintentionally we had begun to address the causes of our ecclesiastical inferiority complex. Now, I would work on that more intentionally—and with vigor. Growing Godly ConfidenceOur people needed a fresh perspective. Here are the ways we developed godly confidence: 1. I began preaching about underdog churches. When I preached on the churches in Acts, we found that the poor, young congregation of Philippi was a constant blessing to Paul and the church of Jerusalem. Likewise, in Hazard, we learned that a church's social standing has nothing to do with its spiritual position. 2. A new strategy for decision-making made everyone important. A small but significant change in how the church is governed altered our approach to big decisions. For years, leaders had maneuvered the church's by-laws to support their opinions. Politicking and procuring of votes often prevented the church from moving ahead. We ended majority rule. Instead, we agreed to seek consensus on a vote before moving forward. Now we depend on the Spirit of God, rather than machinations and manipulation, to bring about decisions. If some people struggle with an idea, we table it and allow the Spirit to work in the hearts of our leaders. Not only has this stopped the stumping for votes, but it has also focused our leaders on seeking God instead of seeking to have their way. It is amazing how often our leaders change their opinions, now that God's will, not their way, is at stake. 3. We got a second opinion and a new outlook. The myopia that low self-esteem produces had kept our church from seeing its potential. Years ago, for example, our leadership suggested that we pave our parking lot. It was a simple change that we had hoped would increase the attractiveness of the church to visitors. The congregation quickly stifled the idea. "Convenience is not enough reason to spend that kind of money," people said. Even though I tried to present a greater vision, as long as that vision was mine alone, the church fought it. We began bringing in leaders of other churches who had accomplished great things with the Lord. As the speakers shared their stories, some people in our church began thinking, If God could do that with their church, then he can use us here. 4. We took field trips. We began visiting other churches and attending outside conferences. Our members saw firsthand what others were doing and began catching a vision larger than Hazard's. Our young people went on a short-term mission trip to the inner city. They were stretched, and they loved it. One of the young men decided that God wanted to use him in full-time ministry. This fall he became the first teen from our youth group to study for the ministry. Several churches in our area forbid using musical instruments in worship. When I took some of our men to a Bible conference, they got to hear different worship styles. When the men returned, they helped us to introduce new types of music (even a video projector!) to the congregation. Today, teens use guitars in our evening service. That has invigorated our church's worship. Recently, our leaders revisited the idea of paving the parking lot. As the church has grown, parking has become a bigger problem. Numerous visitors have mentioned passing us by because they did not see a space. This time the leaders recognized paving the lot, not as a matter of convenience, but as an issue of evangelism. The paving proposal passed without argument. Conquering Our Final FearAfter sixteen years as pastor in Hazard, I thought we had overcome our inferiority complex—until a recent board meeting. As we discussed amending the membership requirements for missionaries, one man offered a familiar refrain: "If we do this, the church will be taken over." Apparently he and others were so concerned about the changes that outsiders might introduce that they wanted to prohibit even our missionaries from having any say in the church. After a lengthy discussion, the issue was dropped. But at the next board meeting, this same man raised the issue again. To my surprise he said, "I have been thinking about how I would feel if I attended a church that I could have no real part in. I think we need to change our constitution." He became the point man for some major changes that followed. For years, people in Hazard had been suspicious of strangers, wondering, Why would anyone want anything to do with us? Today people know that God has a great plan for us, and we all have a part in it. There's nothing inferior about that. —Peter Youmans is pastor of Davidson Baptist "My Church's Inferiority Complex," Leadership, Fall 2003, Vol. XXIV, No. 4, Page 78    Believing GodLearning to walk in your faith.  A Mother and a LeaderBeing a mom is hard work! Use these resources to find ways and time to use your spiritual gifts as a mom. Daddy, I’m Pregnant A pastor recalls the lessons of his daughter’s unplanned pregnancy. Even Healthy Churches Need to Change "If it ain't broke" thinking leads nowhere. |            | |||||||||||||||
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