Introduction

    It could be said that no one saw March of 2020 coming. It could also be said that no one could have been prepared for such a tumultuous time, and such uncertainty week in and week out. Church and Ministry life was no exception. At the time, I was serving on staff at a small church in a rural context, and in the blink of an eye our jobs changed, and the ministry plan changed. It is true that the Coronavirus and the impact it had on daily life blindsided almost everyone; however, it did not blindside God, and it did not blindside Satan. In the midst of all of the change and uncertainty, Satan reaped the harvest of many Pastors.

Satan the Opportunist 

   Satan is not omniscient, but he is indeed a crafty opportunist. He is actively looking for an opportunity to divert the attention of God’s people, and he is even more ready to scorch the roots of those who had no true faith. As Peter said, Satan is like a “prowling lion” seeking out a chance to devour the weak in the herd. Make no mistake, when churches stopped meeting for worship, Satan saw an opportunity to divert the focus of many of God’s people, and to expose the fake ministry of fake pastors by showing just how many would never return.

Observations Made Serving Dying Churches

    I have been able to serve many churches who are without a Pastor by preaching over the last 6 months. If you do Pulpit Supply right, you get the opportunity not simply to show up and preach, but to get to know the people and the history of that church before and after the service. This has been both a joy and a source of sorrow. I have not been to a single church whose pastor is simply out of town, they are all recently without a pastor, or have been without a pastor for quite some time. 

    What I have been able to learn about these churches is startling. A few things are common: 1) they were all almost double the size before the start of the pandemic, 2) they do not understand why even regular attending members have not returned, 3) they know it’s time to close the doors but are not ready. There are several things that could be the cause of just one of these, but I believe one thing can be linked to all three in connection: the poor ministry of many Pastors. 

Play Stupid Games

    “You play stupid games; you win stupid prizes.” This sums up well what has happened to many churches. The pastors of these churches did ministry in all the wrong ways. It is obvious that too many pastors built their ministry with the goal of keeping butts in the seats, bucks in the account, and the bricks of the building in good shape. Rather than building a ministry on the Word and a church focused on discipleship, too many pastors, evidently, played stupid games. So, what was the result? Stupid prizes. 

    You may think, “that isn’t fair, some of these pastors retired or left before COVID was even a thing!” You would be right, proving the point even more. Many of the churches I have preached at had longtime pastors, or well-educated pastors that happen to leave just before the pandemic started. What is frighteningly evident is that these pastors did not lay a good foundation. The link between each of the three aforementioned struggles of churches is the charisma driven ministry of so many fake pastors. Many churches lost so many people because the ministry of their pastor was not serious, it was not word centered, it was not discipleship focused – and therefore it was ripe for the Satan harvest. These pastors played stupid games and they won stupid prizes.

Harvest Time

    The prowling lion was pleased to harvest what so many Pastors grew. The churches that were full of fake Christians have been devastated by the pandemic. What COVID did was so powerful. Previous to the pandemic there was a social responsibility in many parts of this country to attend church. That does not mean all who felt this responsibility were ever Christians, but they attended to avoid the social or familial stigma of not attending. When churches closed their doors for several months, this social responsibility took a sabbatical. Now, in the name of sensitivity, the social responsibility has lessened, and many can say they are being COVID-cautious as their reason for not attending church anymore. 

    What actually happened is this: fake Christians sat in pews for decades never actually being challenged with the truth of God’s word, and now they no longer attend and may in fact die never having come to faith. This should be a sobering reality for pastors and church leaders. The poor ministry of many pastors lacked a foundation on God’s Word, and therefore fake Christians were able to populate churches without coming face to face with gospel truth. Now, those fake Christians are content to stay home, because their true home is not in heaven with the saints. It is not the fault of Pastors that some hear preaching and do not come to faith. It is, however, the fault of many Pastors that only half of those on the church membership rolls are still involved in the church. 

Certain Churches Have Grown Post-Covid

    There is another kind of church right now, the church that is growing like a weed. Believe it or not, some churches have more attending now than they did pre-March of 2020. These churches are centered on good bible preaching, discipleship, and stress the importance of the church gathering. And here’s the thing, they had these foundations before COVID. They are growing now because they were not filled with fake members, and Christians are looking for churches where the Pastors have a biblically-serious ministry. 

Dear Pastor,

    Dear Pastor, make sure your ministry is founded on good preaching, discipleship, and the importance of the gathering. Take this Corona-moment as a warning. Who knows what will be next. Surely there will be another crisis used by Satan to try and rip us from the faith. Perhaps he will succeed, and some will fall away, but you can strive now to lay a foundation that will not be rocked by the next crisis-wind. Take this time where the pandemic is lessening as being in the eye of a hurricane. It is peaceful now, but there is more crisis to come, so lay a good foundation. 

For His Glory,

Alan

Bible Passages That Inspired This Article

1 Peter 5:8 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.