What is Smart Growth in Religion?

In the world of urban planning and development, Smart Growth is all the rage--and for good reason.  But what is the equivalent with regard to religious communities?

I've been thinking about growth because, over the course of this Lenten season, First Baptist Memphis has been studying Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism by Martha Grace Reese.  It's a book about church growth in mainline congregations.  Mainline, for those who are  unfamiliar with the term, is a term for Disciples, Episcopals, Lutherans, Methodists, Presebyterians, UCCs, and some Baptists.  They are usually moderate to liberal and have been leaders in the fight for equality in our nation.

Mainline churches, despite their key role in American history, have suffered a drastic decline in numbers over the past fifty years. Yet, there are some, though certainly a minority, who are experiencing growth.  Funded by a Lilly Grant, Reese studied what made those churches different and our church has been trying to learn from her findings.

Sure, our church could use a few more active members, but the recent focus on growth (and what our pastor calls the e-word: evangelism) has made me somewhat uncomfortable.  Where do you read of Jesus telling us to grow in numbers?  I don't recall reading that in my Bible, but I know there is a lot in there about loving the neighbor and being faithful to your God.

So, when Carol asked if I could lead the Connect4 class this past week for them, I knew what I wanted to discuss.  I wanted to know if others felt the same way.  I wanted to know if we were placing growth ahead of faithfulness.  I wanted to know what, according to our class, should be the relationship between faithfulness and growth.  I wanted to know what was more important to us, our particular church or God's Kingdom.

I was glad to discover that faithfulness to God and the Kingdom is key for our class, although we feel that this particular congregation helps us be more faithful than we would be otherwise.  And, because First Baptist helps facilitate our love of God and neighbor, we believe that it can likewise help others.  So we want to share our church with our community.

We don't believe that growth is necessarily good, but are interested in finding the equivalent to Smart Growth for churches.  And, as one person remarked, we are certainly interested in saving the corner of Poplar and E Parkway from becoming another Walgreens!  But, most of all, we know that our location in the heart of Midtown provides us with opportunities for and partners with whom to be faithful.

Growth is sometimes good and sometimes bad, but it matters not if you are not faithful.  Growth is not difficult to achieve, but faithfulness demands work and persistence.

So let us be more and more and more faithful.  Let us love and love and love some more.  Let us be the hands and feet of our God in the heart of Midtown Memphis (and beyond).  Our neighbors are waiting, waiting to be loved and welcomed and embraced.  In fact, our neighbors are already loving and welcoming and embracing.  Let's partner with them and, with the love of God, provide a larger framework for such love.