Aaron Coe Responds
On
Feb 17th we introduced our readers to Aaron Coe, a VP at NAMB and for all practical purposes Kevin Ezell's point man for distributing millions of dollars of NAMB funds to new church plants. We followed up with an article on
April 14th about the church Aaron planted in New York City before he went to work for NAMB.
On April 25, Aaron
responded in a comment and rather than leave his remarks buried in the comments section we felt we should call attention to them here. Aaron said,
Hi Charles
Your post is very interesting. However, I wish you'd checked your facts with me.
First, I've never been affiliated with A29.
Second,
in 2008 Gallery Church in NYC planted three, new, autonomous churches.
To which we sent at least two dozen people to get them started. As of
today,the 4 churches have an attendance of over 1200 and baptize dozens
per year. Unfortunately you don't get the full picture of our work in
NYC by just looking at one ACP profile.
Thanks for your prayers
To which
I responded in a comment on May 3rd to Aaron,
Aaron, Hello!
What are the names of the other three churches?
Charles
We look forward to hearing from Aaron again.
Charles
Labels: Aaron Coe, Calvinist, Gallery Church, NAMB, North American Mission Board, SBC, Southern Baptist Convention
Using Numbers To Evaluate Churches: A Biblical And Historical Response To Jared Moore
Pastor, blogger, and Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary student Jared Moore recently posted an article entitled "
Ten Contemporary Sacred Cows that Need to be Tipped." One of the
"cows," according to Brother Jared, was church emphasis
on "numbers, numbers, numbers." Jared wrote, "Is
there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or
their ministry based on numbers? No. So, why is there a huge
emphasis on numbers today?"
This article is humbly offered
in response to Jared.
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 1:15: In the upper room "the company
of persons was in all
about 120..."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where
God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 2:41: On the day of Pentecost "there
were added that day
about three thousand souls."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 2:47: "And the Lord
added to their
number day by day those who were being saved."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 4:4: Shortly after Pentecost "
many
of those who had heard the word believed, and the
number
of the men came to about five thousand."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 5:14: "And
more than ever believers
were added to the Lord,
multitudes of both men and women."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 6:1: "Now in these days when the
disciples were
increasing in number..."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 6:7: "And the word of God continued to
increase, and the
number of the disciples multiplied greatly
in Jerusalem, and a
great many of the priests became
obedient to the faith."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 8:6-7: "And
the crowds with one
accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they
heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits
came
out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice,and
many
who were paralyzed or lame were healed."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 9:31: "So the church throughout all
Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and
was being built up.
And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the
Holy Spirit,
it multiplied."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 9:35: "And
all the residents of
Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 9:42: "And it became known throughout
all Joppa, and
many believed in the Lord."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 11:21: "And the hand of the Lord was
with them, and
a great number who believed turned to the
Lord."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 11:24: Barnabas "was a good man, full
of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And
a great many people were
added to the Lord."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 12:24: "But the
word of God
increased and multiplied."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 13:43-44: In Antioch of Pisidia "after
the meeting of the synagogue broke up,
many Jews and devout
converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they
spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. The
next Sabbath
almost the whole city gathered to hear the
word of the Lord."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 13:49: "And the word of the Lord was
spreading
throughout the whole region."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 14:1: "Now at Iconium they entered
together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that
a
great number of both Jews and Greeks believed."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 14:21: In Derbe when "they had
preached the gospel to that city and had
made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 16:5: "So the churches were
strengthened in the faith, and
they increased in numbers daily."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 17:4: In Thessalonica "
some of them
were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did
a great
many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 17:12: In Berea, "
many of them
therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing
as well as men."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 17:34: In Athens, "s
ome men joined
him and believed, among whom also were
Dionysius the
Areopagite and
a woman named Damaris and
others
with them."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Acts 18:8: In Corinth, "
Crispus, the
ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with
his
entire household. And
many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized."
Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in
Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based
on numbers? No."
Charles H. Spurgeon:
"I am not among those who decry statistics, nor do I consider that they are productive of all manner of evil; for they do much good if they are accurate, and if men use them lawfully.
"It is a good thing for people to see the nakedness of the land through statistics of decrease, that they may be driven on their knees before the Lord to seek prosperity; and, on the other hand, it is by no means an evil thing for workers to be encouraged by having some account of results set before them. I should be very sorry if the practice of adding up, and deducting, and giving in the net result were to be abandoned, for it must be right to know our numerical condition.
It has been noticed that those who object to the process are often brethren whose unsatisfactory reports should somewhat humiliate them: this is not always so, but it is suspiciously frequent."
What else needs to be said?
Charles
HT: A Tennessee reader.
