What Would You Do with $130 Million? Let's Build a Church!

What Would You Do with $130 Million? Let’s Build a Church!

Posted on November 05, 2009
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That's the plan at First Baptist Church of Dallas... build a $130 million church complex in the Downtown Dallas arts district.

According to the Associated Baptist Press, First Baptist Church in Dallas has launched what leaders say will be the largest church-building campaign in modern history -- a $130 million project that includes the congregation's first entirely new sanctuary since the 1890s.

Once considered the largest church in the Southern Baptist Convention, First Baptist Church has declined from 25,000 members under its legendary pastor of 50 years, W.A. Criswell, to about 11,000 today.

Under leadership of Robert Jeffress, who took over as pastor in 2007, leaders say the church is growing again, but present facilities are inadequate for innovative ministries needed to reach today's generation.

The plans for the church campus include a high-tech, 3,000-seat worship center, which will double the church's current worship capacity. There will also be an education center and 500-space parking garage.

Several of seven major buildings currently in the church's sprawling complex on six city blocks will be demolished to make way for construction. The current historic sanctuary will remain, with a steeple restored to its original height. It will continue to be used for weddings, funerals and special events.

New landmark features include a towering stone waterfall topped with a luminescent cross. A shallow pool surrounded by green space will provide both a common area for downtown residents and guests and a place for open-air baptism services.

"We're creating what I like to call a spiritual oasis in the middle of downtown Dallas," Jeffress said Oct. 3 on Dallas radio station KBCI. "It is going to be the most beautiful facility in downtown Dallas."

What do you think? A great plan or a total waste of money? $130 million well spent or wasted?

Comments

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Jesse Phillips on Thu, November 05, 2009

Thank you, Kevin Bourne, for your kind response and I apologize for getting so heated and accusatory. That was absolutely fleshly and wrong. Please forgive me, Kevin.

Kevin, good point about not judging the pastor of FBC Dallas. Let me be clear, I’m not judging him. I’m really just upset w/ the mindset that thinks this is okay. I don’t know who he is and i’m sure he’s a cool dude. I’m not judging him, that guy.

I agree w/ someone else who said that it’s appropriate to discuss whether and how things should be done in general. I’m discussing this strategy & mindset in general - but you are absolutely right, I don’t know him, don’t know his heart, so I’m saying nothing about him. I deem him to be an amazing Christian. I deem this strategy to be: not the best way of advancing the Kingdom, actually hurting us (in my opinion).
JS on Thu, November 05, 2009

I agree it’s hard to “judge” when you don’t know some of the details of FBC Dallas, the pastor, it’s staff, etc. We shouldn’t judge. But, what if you did know some of those things? Would it change your mind? Not necessarily about FBC Dallas, but about yourself?

What if you knew that the church was only running on average about 1900-2200 people each Sunday, over 3 services, in an 1800+ seat sanctuary? And one of those services was in a different building? And that the attendance is down from an average of 3400 from the previous pastor?

What if you heard from the pastor at his “state of the church” message on 1/15/08 (it’s still online) that FBCD needed to build in order to compete with other churches?

What if you were told that the employee’s manual before the current pastor arrived stated “We serve at the pleasure of our Lord.” Now it states “We serve at the pleasure of our Lord and at the pleasure of the senior pastor.”? Would that make a difference?

The church recently went through a building campaign of $48,000,000 (not paid off yet). Don’t get me wrong, I was head over heels for it. It’s an absolutely gorgeous building. I had friends that left because of the campaign. I thought they were not supportive of the pastor, committee, and vision, etc. But as I think back, we were told the same thing then that is being said now, “we need this building so people will come.” That has not been the case. The numbers have consistently been dropping since that building opened. This new campaign is a carry-over of the Field of Dreams mentality from the previous campaign…if you build it, they will come. No where do I hear that this building will used to reach out better than before. It’s all about, “we need it so new generations will come.”

It’s hard to write this. I love this church and it’s people. Many of you may say, “then why did you write it? It’s attacking and hurtful.” This information is public. It’s just not being said…that’s hurtful to the body. I hope and pray this building will be used for the Glory and Honor of our Lord.
Allen on Thu, November 05, 2009

The IMB was on the brink of bringing missionaries home this year, and not being able to send them. 130 Million to build a building…ludacris.
Leonard on Thu, November 05, 2009

Funny, we think little about how much we waste every day, but we think much about what we perceive someone else to waste. The IMB was going to bring people home and I spent 4 bucks on a latte. I wasn’t even trying to reach people. I just wanted it. This is one huge buttload of money, but make no mistake, Christians squander much more than this each year on junk. It is interesting that we would so quickly chastise this church for it’s vision and spending but ignore our own GREED.
Alissa on Thu, November 05, 2009

I’m all about Parker Overturf and his idea for 130- 1 million dollar church plants.

If this place is trying to reach my generation, dont give us a fancy pool to get baptized in, give us a mission and a challenge. And challenge 130 young leaders to go out and share the gospel through missions or planting.
andrea on Thu, November 05, 2009

This is really sad. What could $130 million do for everyone around the world.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world James 1:27

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” Matthew 25:40

They should be using that money another way.
A church in California has the right idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDPW7nQuV-8
Chris on Thu, November 05, 2009

Its funny how the people against this project are really the ones who are thinking in earthly terms.

I don’t know if this is a good idea or not but Gods economy works different than earthly economy. If this bridge is built for God the bible tells us that it will not be wasted and God will use it.

The bible also tells us that God uses both the good and the bad so even if its a bad idea God still uses it.

Ironically the most critical are actually the most prideful because they think that things operate only on earthly terms.

Hubris people hubris! Grow up and focus on what God has called YOU to do and stop “chasing the wind” criticizing others!
Ian on Thu, November 05, 2009

Wow. Needing more space is a good problem. I wonder if they thought about dividing up and beginning new works all over the Dallas area. Hmm. Seems to me to be a more efficient way to take ministry to the people that need it.
Leonard on Fri, November 06, 2009

A couple assumptions being made.

1) That this church is doing nothing for the poor and hurting because All it’s resources are going into a building.

Statistics show that churches that build are often more engaged in activities or helping others.

2) That what Jesus did or didn’t do is the model for the local church. Simply not a straight across connection.

Culture, methodology, person, purpose, technology, issues that simply did not exists in the time of Jesus are all factors.

3) several small churches can have more impact than one large one. Simply not a universal truth. I was on staff at a church that is about 12,000 people right now and am still great friends with the pastors and staff. They do way more to help the poor, hungry, hurting and disconnected than 20 other churches. I find this to be the case with most if not all of the mega churches I know.

Just a few thoughts rumbling around my heard tonight before I sleep.
JR on Fri, November 06, 2009

I am not a member of this church, and don�t think a $130 mil building is quite my style, but I also think a lot of the criticism is based on a lack of insight into the situation.

1. Though the capital campaign has not started, $62 mil had already been pledged by last Sunday, much of it by non-members who want to invest in downtown Dallas or an evangelical presence downtown.

2. Construction and living costs are significantly higher in Dallas than some of the places people are comparing to.

3. Downtown construction is much more expensive than suburban construction. FBC could relocate, but there are already tons of evangelical churches in the suburbs and few in the core of the city, despite the fact that there is now heavy residential development near downtown.

4. FBC gives several million dollars a year to missions, runs the Dallas Life Foundation, which serves a thousand meals a day to the homeless and provides five hundred beds. They run 20 or so mission congregations which reach out to different language groups and inner-city neighborhoods.

5. There are other churches (some in the Dallas area) that are 3-5 times larger than FBC, but give less to missions each year. If FBC stays strong, it can continue funding missions perhaps at a greater rate than ever.

6. Churches a fraction of the size of FBC regularly build $10-20 million buildings, and no one bats an eye, because that is the price of a somewhat ordinary building these days.

7. The membership numbers given by ABP don�t tell the story. The attendance has been steadily increasing and is not much below what it was when Criswell was there. About the time Brunson came ten years ago, the roll was reduced from 30,000 to 10,000. Names had built up over the 50 year Criswell tenure that could not be accounted for. The old figure was essentially bogus.

8. I have watched church after church in the older part of Dallas decline severely, often eventually relocating after most of the congregation is gone and the building can no longer be maintained. I am glad that FBC is at least willing to seek a fresh vision and do something bold. It�s better than dying.
Pastor Matt on Fri, November 06, 2009

What God wants God gets - Roger Waters.

After a time of worship and prayer the Pastor stood in the main meeting and said “God has given me a vision for a $130m church in downtown Dallas because if there’s one thing Jesus needs to build his church it is new sparkly buildings that sit empty 90% of waking hours and only seat 2,500 in the other 10%! I know it sounds ludicrous, but it is what God wants. My congregation, are you one of God’s family or rebellious?”

“Well you’re the pastor, you should know! Here God have our cash, we’ll give it to the pastor as if we’re giving it to you.” came the liturgical reply.

—

You see, telling people that you’ve heard “what God wants” is the up there among the oldest manipulative tricks in the book - the amount of pressure upon people when a pastor says “this is what God wants” is phenomenal and people will even part with their cash to ‘stay on the safe side’. It is a trick people have used ever since they knew God exists to ensure their will is done.
Andy Rushworth on Fri, November 06, 2009

I reckon if $130 million was spent building a Football (Soccer for my USA Brothers) stadium with a great football team� you could guarantee 60,000 at every game� men singing together� as well as families� now that has to be a better idea? Just imagine the fun
Daniel Decker on Fri, November 06, 2009

(I posted this same comment on the Catalyst blog but wanted to post it here too…)

To me, I can�t say whether or not the 130 million is right or not but I certainly don�t want to second guess or call into question what the leaders of that church feel God is calling them to do. Yes, 130 million is a HUGE price tag and at first glance of price tag alone, one could easily rationalize how that money could be spent in so many other ways to serve immediate needs (hunger, homelessness, disease, church plants, etc). BUT� that would be us putting what WE would do in place of perhaps what God might be doing. What I am concerned with most on a project with such a hefty price tag is� will a structure of that sort eventually get in the way of serving God? Will it, in and of itself, become an idol? Will the giant mortgage payment end up compromising the leadership decisions so that they begin to subtly program and respond based on the tithe, not upsetting the �big givers� etc. If we�re honest, that happens. Maybe not always visibly, but I know a LOT of pastors who � sometimes without even realizing it � make decisions and preach messages that are safe because, in the back of their mind they are thinking about the budget. Most won�t admit that and many don�t even realize they do it but it happens. It�s often not intended, it just happens.

So the moral of the story to me is� if the leadership of that church feels this is what God is calling them to do and they have spent time in prayer and seeking his direction, then they should GO and move forward. It�s not for us to question the call that God places on anyone else. It may not be the choice we would make and sometimes it may even seem contradictory but� God is God and he can redeem anything he wants to, in any way and through any one or anything he wants to.

Lastly� my personal stance on it is that I think 130 million is excessive. I think, while the building could be a huge benefit, the outside world (nonbeleivers) fixate on the price tag and that could send a message that does more harm than good. If we were in a more prosperous economy it might be different but we�re not. When the general consumer is scared, many out of work, etc, etc. a 130 mil project like that could just confuse them or reinforce any negative thoughts about the mission of the church they may have.
Brittany on Fri, November 06, 2009

People who criticize this project just have not thought about it enough. $130 million sounds like a lot, but it’s really only just a little over $43,000/seat. I’m SO tired to hearing that 2/3 of the world lives on less that a dollar a day and by giving up our vision we could supply the most basic needs 357,162 people for an entire year. That sounds like a good idea, but next year all those same people will just be hungry again…what EVERYONE forgets is that if that much money was sent overseas those probably just waste it. Givint ANYTHING to people who are not used to having so much typically leads them to irresponsibility. Those people need to work, not sit around watching fancy plazma TV’s or calling each other on their newly supplied iPhones. Or worse, after they get used to eating everyday they might even try to buy street drugs and we certainly don’t want to promote that!!!. Besides, giving to the church is an act of worship and if we we don’t spend it on ourselves, some people might not give anything at all.
Troy Dooly on Fri, November 06, 2009

Reading through these comments, it’s easy to see why this is such a huge debate.

I have to admit, I question the need for putting out $130 million on a building project of any kind, church or otherwise.

I also realize we have 12.5 million kids in the USA alone who may go hungry today.

However, two things come to mind as I read the story and the following comments.

1. The church is not built yet. Wanting to spend $130 million and do it are two different things.

2. I see this as I do the “Stimulus Package” our government put together this last year. How will the congregation pay for loan after the seed money has been raised. Since most public stats show the “church” in decline, I scratch my head on this one.

I’m sure the church is using a good consulting company to help them out. But, if the church has declined from 25K to 11K, then I pray the attrition as stabilized and is starting to grow.

Otherwise in a few years, this church and its great history, may disappear in the name of progress, and several new businesses may take its place… strip clubs (I mean Gentlemen’s Clubs, couples welcome), adult book store, abortion clinics, or maybe a new gay bar will take over coffee shop area, or a swingers retreat may be built. Everything we “Christians’” seem to preach against.

Tongue in cheek… Yes, but so many times we as “Christians” seem to put our money, egos, and focus in to areas we really don’t need to focus on.

Did Jesus call us to be in the real estate and building business or the people business?

In the end this is between the church leadership, the members and the Lord. The rest of us just need to pray everyone involved will be on the same page as the Lord.

Living An Epic Adventure,