Recently I was invited to western Kentucky to speak at the 204th anniversary celebration of the small, country church where my great-grandfather is buried, 12 miles from where I was born. When this church was established in 1812, James Madison was President, and George Washington had been dead less than 13 years.
There are not many churches in Illinois that old—three, by my count. A lot of people focus on what makes a church grow, but my experience at this country church made me think instead about what makes a church last. Here’s what I observed.
First, a church lasts when it is solidly anchored in the Bible. Some churches today put a lot of energy into services or programs that attract people and meet needs. Those can be good things, of course, unless they degenerate into mere social services that don’t deliver the life-changing gospel and truth of God’s word. I had the privilege of reading my sermon text that morning from my great-grandfather’s KJV Bible that I inherited from my grandparents. Together, this enduring congregation and I looked into God’s enduring Word for guidance.
Second, a church lasts when it is connected by family. I want to be careful with my compliment here, because there can be perils in a church connected by family as well as strengths. Some churches allow their family ties and motivations to trump what’s best for the church and its mission to the world. But when multiple generations and branches of a family or families stay devoted to the same church over time, they can bring that church a remarkable resilience along with deep connections and commitment. After all, I was there for the sake of my great-grandfather. And I met, for the first time that Sunday, my second cousin, who now farms the fields my great-grandfather farmed.
Third, a church lasts when it has faithful, optimistic leadership. This church’s current pastor is retired, and in fact invested several years in southern Illinois as a contemporary of my dad. Yet he was energetic, enthusiastic, and personable—and clearly loved and trusted. With a twinkle in his eye, he introduced me to lay leaders and to children and students who were participating in the service that morning. His own effective leadership is being skillfully discipled into the church’s future leaders.
And finally, a church lasts when it doesn’t quit. I’m writing this the day after the Chicago Cubs won their division series over the San Francisco Giants, with a dramatic, 4-run comeback in the top of the ninth inning. It was the day after a 13-inning loss to those same opponents. After their emotional victory, the team spontaneously gathered on the pitcher’s mound and chanted, “We don’t quit. We don’t quit!”
At the risk of stating the obvious, a church that lasts simply refuses to quit. They may not be large, or wealthy, or exceptionally gifted, but they are steadfast. Year after year, decade after decade, generation after generation, and sometimes century after century, they simply stay at it.
I probably could have suggested a few growth principles to this church that might have helped them. But this wasn’t a day for me to teach them how to reach 200 in attendance. It was a day for them to teach me how to reach 200 in endurance.
Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.