Maybe It’s Not Apathy

Shepherd, Four Reasons Maybe It’s Not Apathy

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The Baptist Press released the findings of Lifeway Research’s annual study on the greatest needs of pastors this week. This week’s article focused on one question from the survey which asked, “What is the primary people dynamics challenge pastors face in their churches?” Overwhelmingly there was a consensus—75% of pastors said the main people dynamic challenge in their church was apathy or lack of commitment. In 2018, Stand Firm did a similar study with pastors, covering even a larger sample size. We asked one open-ended question, “What is the greatest frustration you face as a pastor?” In our study 99.9% of the pastors’ answers were along the same lines—apathy was their greatest frustration. I get it. Pastor, you likely get it. You know the calling God has on you and your church. You have a burden to reach your community and the world. Yet, it seems like you’re the only one who cares. I’ve felt that. Again, I’m sure you have. You may have even participated in one of the surveys, but I’d argue, maybe it’s not a lack of commitment or desire. Shepherd, here’s four reasons maybe it’s not apathy.

  1. Shepherd, our congregation has a Great Commission desire.

I began ministry frustrated. My call to ministry coincided with me becoming captivated by the church in the Book of Acts especially Acts 2. I got frustrated seeing the power of the church in that first century and then comparing it to the lack of power in my church and churches in America. I was frustrated to the point of anger and disgust. Of course, it’s easy for a punk 16-year-old preacher to feel such frustration. Churches should have really thought twice about having me preach. Fast forward eight years in the future, Holy Spirit opened my eyes. While reading John Eldredge’s Waking the Dead, I became convicted that the church in America wasn’t apathetic, but was deceived. Now 18 years later, I’d say not deceived but lulled asleep. How ever it is, I deeply believe that most all activish believers in our congregations have a desire to be used of God and carry out the Great Commission. The same Holy Spirit in us pastors that stokes our Gospel-sharing fire is in our congregation. Deep down our church members want to be on mission—to be on fire. Shepherd, maybe it’s not apathy because deep down our congregation has a Great Commission desire.

  1. Shepherd, our church structure prevents Great Commission engagement.

I love church. Some people are gym rats—I’m a church rat. That sounds terrible, but chances are you know what I mean. Now I don’t have time to do this reason justice, but simply put—our church structures actually prevent Great Commission engagement. For most of my pastoral ministry, I spent the majority of my time planning services, leading services, and leading events. Our structure was to get people to church and involved. We’d push and push for more time at church events and in church activities, while at the same time in those church activities I’d be begging the congregation to reach out to their community and share the Gospel. Do you see the problem? Though I preached about sharing the Gospel and making disciples, our structure actually kept our congregation busy not doing the very thing I was hoping they’d do. Our structure leads to church being a spectator sport, not a congregation engaged in the mission. Shepherd, maybe it’s not apathy instead maybe our church structure prevents Great Commission engagement.

  1. Shepherd, our control prevents Great Commission participation.

This one hurts. Let’s rip the band-aid off though. I recently had a fellow podcaster tell me throughout their life, they’d come to many pastors asking to launch a ministry or to do something new in their church only to be shutdown. As a pastor, I understand the dynamics at play in such a conversation. There are some legitimate reasons for pumping the brakes, but too many times there’s not much that happens in our churches that our hands don’t touch. We must have control. Again, we may have legitimate reasons for that concern, but we only have so many hands. If our hands must touch everything in our churches, it’s going to be hard for most of our congregation to play a part. We have very talented and skilled individuals in our churches who aren’t being unleashed to use their potential. Shepherd, maybe it’s not apathy, maybe our control prevents Great Commission participation.

  1. Shepherd, our congregation doesn’t believe they can.

This should sting. We need to face it though. I believe many in our congregation don’t believe they can be on mission. They think you and the rest of the staff can. Maybe other elders. Maybe deacons. Or maybe the visiting missionary, but not them. I guarantee this is true. We’ve failed to empower our congregation to be on mission. Shepherd, maybe it’s not apathy, maybe our congregation doesn’t believe they can.

If a congregation doesn’t believe they can be on mission, if there isn’t a structure that helps them engage, or if they’re not allowed to rise up on mission, then it would appear as they are apathetic. And if they have a deep-down desire to be on mission, but they’re having to ride the bench they’re likely to eventually turn to interests elsewhere which would look like a lack of commitment.

I don’t believe it’s apathy.

If you don’t believe me look into your own heart and your own journey.

You have a deep-down desire to live out your calling. You likely floundered in being on mission until you were introduced to clear steps (structure) on how to move forward. Somewhere along the way someone had to give you freedom to step up to live out that calling (control). Then somewhere along the way whether formally through school, through a mentor, or through encouragement of a friend you begin to believe you could step forward and be on mission.

At the beginning of your journey, it may have looked like apathy, but it wasn’t—was it?

Shepherd, maybe it’s not apathy.

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