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James MacDonald:  A Letter to a Dying Church…

Orginally published on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 7:27 AM
by Todd Rhoades


James MacDonald writes: "In April, we will celebrate the 5th anniversary of a noble act by a dying church known as Crossway Baptist Church in Niles, Illinois.

Formerly known as Belden Avenue Baptist Church, they had been, in their glory years, a fruitful, thriving centerpiece of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. During the 80’s and 90’s they experienced much division and reduction in membership, as well as frequent turnover in pastoral leadership. Left with only a handful of members and unable to meet the budget even for facility upkeep and utilities, they sought the Lord for wisdom and came to Harvest Bible Chapel for help. Five years ago in April they voted “to never vote again” and became an extension campus of Harvest. We provided staffing, leadership development, building renovation, live worship, and teaching by video.

By God’s grace, their weekly attendance is now over 1400, with more than 200 hundred baptisms to date. Many others who had stumbled or lost their way have discovered a dynamic community of believers where they can worship, serve, and have fellowship in Christ. It is the most racially diverse of our campuses and they are bursting at the seams. Currently they are planning both a building program and a church plant further into Chicago and are making a huge impact in their community. It has become a very exciting center of kingdom activity."

What a great story! James then writes a letter that might have been written by one member of this churches to other churches that are dying. It is really good...

You can read it here...


This post has been viewed 766 times so far.


  There are 5 Comments:

  • Posted by Brianmpei

    I’ve got to say this post and his blog post leaves me with a lot of questions.  I think it’s a bit of “spin” on some levels that I’m coming to expect from the multi-site model.  We all “spin”, I’m not intending that as a criticism, just an observation.

    One question I’m wrestling with is why did we ever think a “brand” was supposed to go on and on and on?  I’m pretty sure our community here will one day disperse and be re-gathered in another form/brand - still part of the Kingdom but not trying to prop up the same ol’ same ol’.

  • Posted by

    Great story!  I loved it.

  • First, let me compliment the people of Belden Avenue Baptist Church for being so open-minded and even radical. They did something a lot of dying or plateaued congregations wouldn’t do under any circumstances. Second, however, I have to wonder if they would have done it had they been able to keep the bills paid. Was it the commendable burden to revive their dying church that motivated them? Or was it the hard, cold lack of enough money? I know of some congregations who don’t seem to be doing much for the Lord, but they’ve got their building paid off and they have a handful of families who will keep the doors open and a man in the pulpit (oftentimes bivocational) no matter what. They don’t have much vision for moving their church forward, but they won’t think of letting it close its doors either.

  • Posted by

    Maybe some of you can help me on part of this issue.  What is the biblical basis of multi-site church sites?  Especially as opposed to planting a church and/or re-starting or revising a struggling one that maintains it’s independence as a local body?

    I get that multi-sites are a ‘safer’ approach, building off of existing brand, reputation, public personality, resources, etc.  I get it adds a sense of control and prestige to the main body.  But how is it biblical?

  • Posted by Charley Blom

    Great story of a church being ‘reborn’. What saddens me is what led up to the point of the church being ready to die. they experienced conflict, fighting, multiple pastors, who were either forced out or who left becasue of the church environment. [this is a guess on my part but probably close to the truth].
    So instead of finding a new way to be a church, they were self destructing. This is sad, but the answer is awesome. They saw a ‘creative’ way to respond but seeking help from another church. PTL
    Charley

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