STOP Trying To Grow The Church!

I think we should stop trying to grow the church. Now, before you pick up stones—or pick up the phone to call our conference president—let me explain. There are a few reasons why we should stop focusing solely on growing the church.

1. We should stop growing the church if it’s only about baptism numbers.

In the Great Commission, Jesus said:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Notice that the mission is to make disciples—not just to baptize. Baptism is an important step, a public testimony of a new life dependent on Jesus and committed to His truth. But true discipleship goes beyond baptism; it involves training and nurturing new believers so they, in turn, make more disciples. This requires church members to invest in the lives of new converts. Yes, that can be messy—because people are messy—but it is also deeply rewarding.

A disciple of Jesus must develop a daily devotional life, stay connected with Christ, and actively engage in ministry and outreach. None of that happens without intentional effort. If we baptize people without investing in their spiritual growth, we risk committing spiritual neglect—akin to giving birth to a baby and leaving it under a tree. Many who join the church do so at great personal cost, often becoming alienated from family and friends. Without the church’s support, they may end up disconnected both socially and spiritually.

New members need mentorship. Every new disciple should have a spiritual friend to guide

them. Since discipleship is a key goal in the Carolina Conference, we provide churches with

discipleship resources. Many have already taken advantage of these tools to strengthen their ministry.

Baptism numbers are encouraging, but numbers don’t grow the church—disciples do. And that raises the question: Is growing the church really our mission?

2. We should stop trying to grow the church if it’s just about our local congregation.

While it’s nice to see local church membership, attendance, and giving increase, our true goal is to grow the Kingdom of God. Local church growth does not always mean Kingdom growth—especially if it’s just transfer growth.

Some churches may never grow beyond a certain size due to their location. For example, congregations near military bases may constantly gain and lose members due to transfers.

However, if they are making disciples, they are growing the Kingdom. Those disciples will continue their journey elsewhere, carrying the gospel with them.

Scripture does not call us to build mega-churches. Large churches have their advantages, but creating bigger congregations is not our mission—expanding the Kingdom is. Many people find smaller churches more personal, making it easier to form meaningful relationships. In larger churches, unless small groups are intentionally cultivated, people can easily feel lost. While some prefer mega-churches because they don’t want to be noticed, the truth is, every believer needs to be part of a caring spiritual family to stay connected with Jesus.

Larger churches also face the risk of becoming institutionalized—where services shift from being worship experiences to performances. Some suggest that once a church reaches 150-200 members, it may be more effective to plant a new church rather than continue expanding. Interestingly, in places like China, hundreds of thousands of disciples are being nurtured in underground house churches rather than in massive congregations.

Again, the growth God seeks is Kingdom growth, and that is achieved through disciple-making.

3. We should stop trying to grow the church if it’s just about growing our tribe.

Truth be told, many of us are naturally more comfortable around people who look like us, speak our language, share our customs, and think as we do. But Jesus commanded us to “make disciples of all nations.” Why? Because He loves all people equally, regardless of background, ethnicity, or culture. “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16)

Jesus stood out in His culture because His compassion compelled Him to minister to everyone—even those whom the religious elite avoided. Revelation 14:6 reminds us that the everlasting gospel is for “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.” That is the mission we are

called to fulfill in His strength until He returns.

And I believe He is returning soon! So rather than focusing on just gaining baptisms, growing our local churches, or increasing our tribe, let’s commit to making disciples for the Kingdom—disciples who are prepared for the King’s return.

Will you join me?

—Gary Moyer, VP of Administration