Truth or Numbers

Harg Timothy Ang (Class1994)

When David counted the fighting men of Israel’s army, he did it because he was relying on his mighty men, chariots, and horses. His heart was not really after God’s heart at that moment in his life.

How often pastors find themselves faced with the same dilemma. We seem to be dependent upon God. Our mouths proclaim that we fully rely on God and God alone. Yet we can’t help but count the number of worshippers, the number of pesos and dollars, the number of Sunday school kids, the number of choir members, the number of converts, the number of square meters, the number of zeros in our salary checks. Thus one of the most sought after “shrines of modern churches” is the church growth movement. We have a passion to see more and more people filling our pews – but often at too high a price to pay.

Of course we all have noble goals in wanting more people, to have church growth. It’s for God’s glory, for people’s eternal salvation, and for greater impact on the community. But the problem lies not in our goals, the problem often lies in the means we achieve such goals. Techniques. Seminars. Whatever works. Success stories. Booming churches. Mega-church pastors and workshop speakers. Church growth books.

Nothing wrong in and of themselves, actually. But what often happens is that these are sought after without the slightest regard for Truth. Whatever happened to seeking for truth? How often we’d hear church leaders say, “Let’s not talk about it because it divides the church. Have not the church had enough of that in the last twenty centuries of history? Haven’t we learned our lessons? Let’s put our theological differences aside and let’s just work together to get people to heaven! Let’s love one another and accept one another in the quest for unity. Theologizing and doctrines do nothing but cause division and arguments.”