[RnMomof7]

Woops the great commission was not to grow churchs Pastor ..it was to preach and baptise.

I think it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking full pews mean saved people..not so...

I have belonged to a mega church....the gospel was so compromised an atheist could have said amen .

God has selected His army. The church is to equip them. The problem is when the church thinks the recruiting is THEIR job no one gets equipped!..

I am very evangelical..but I have no interst in growing a church for any man or demonination.

[sonrise57]

I disagree . . . to baptize is to provide the sacrament of initiation to those who have responded to the preaching. If those who recieve the preaching are initiated into the church, the church will grow. Evangelism without initiating people into a local church is incomplete evangelism. Yes, God is sovreign. Only those who are called will respond to the preaching. But fully observing the great comission will result in church growth. Maybe not in the one I pastor, but the church will continue to grow until the consumation of the ages.

[drstevej]

Once a person responds to preaching and is baptized isn't it logical that he be added to a local church? The local church is to equip new believers (teaching them to observe all that He has commanded).

Seems to be the New Testament pattern...

***I am very evangelical..but I have no interst in growing a church for any man or demonination. ***

That was my precise point.

Small churches can compromise the gospel as well as larger churches. Smaller isn't necessarily more godly. Right?

Are we not saying the same thing...