People Spots Online
Produced by James W. Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants
Provided as a service by New Life Ministries

Founding Pastor

by James W Moss, Sr

Have you ever heard the statement, “The rights of the founding pastor!” For many years we had no clue about that. There weren’t very many in my denomination. In fact, there weren’t very many period. New churches weren’t starting. Not many churches were growing. When a church grew, professional jealousy would emerge.

K. Hull Byers had grown two country churches to a combined average of over 900. I was at a national seminar with him. One of the presenters was a man who had helped a church grow to nearly 1,500, also in a small denomination. When it was time for lunch, I grabbed Hull and sat him down next to the speaker. I introduced Hull and sat back and listened as the two talked. They discussed many issues. One of the facts they had in common was the abuse they had received from other pastors who questioned their commitment to the gospel. Churches couldn’t grow like that unless the gospel was being compromised. Another fact they had in common was that both men had achieved the rights of the founding pastor.

We have learned more about the rights of the founding pastor in recent years. Obviously the pastor who starts a new church is a founding pastor. If three key families get upset with the pastor of a pre-existent church, the pastor will leave. If three key families get upset with the founding pastor, they will leave.

Pastors may earn the rights of the founding pastor in a church that existed before their arrival. How can they do that? I am going to draw an arbitrary line. If 80% of the people have arrived since that pastor arrived, he will inherit the rights of the founding pastor. You may think if pastors stay long enough, they will automatically inherit the rights of the founding pastor. Not necessarily so. Over the years I have been to many churches where a person has served 10 years and sometimes more where 90% of the people still pre-date the pastor. Unfortunately, many pastors have a difficult time attracting and holding new people. Some churches make it difficult for new people to stay. They are friendly with each other but not with new people who arrive. This may be especially true if the new people arrive in sufficient number to begin to change the power base.

Founding pastors have to be very careful what they ask for, especially, when they ask for personal benefits for themselves. I am reminded of the story of David.

¹³ During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" ¹⁶ So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. ¹⁷ "Far be it from me, LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it (2 Samuel 23:13-17).

A person who has earned the rights of founding pastor really has to goof up to be dismissed. But that does happen. There is a sense of loyalty to founding pastors that the rest of us never experience. Founding pastors have to keep ego in check. The people will give more than they deserve should the founding pastor ask for it. Founding pastors have to remember they are first and foremost servants of the Lord and of the people.

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February 21, 2008. Volume 11, Issue 2. People Spots Online is prepared by James W. Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants. It is provided as a service by New Life Ministries, www.NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org. Articles may be duplicated and reproduced in any way with proper credit. A new article is produced about every two weeks. To be added to a list to receive these messages directly by e-mail, send a request to churchconsultants@yahoo.com.

Founding Pastor

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