I was devastated when one of my seminary students, a pastor of fifty-plus years, said, “I feel like neither my life nor my ministry has made any difference.” This thoughtful, kind, and intelligent man believed his efforts had been all for naught. Yet he had served his congregations faithfully. He had married and buried many. Sat at the bedsides of new mothers, at the bedsides of those involved in terrible accidents, at the bedsides of the sick and the dying and provided comfort to the family and friends of people who had died. He had participated in innumerable board meetings. Cleaned up after others. Faithfully attended school sporting events and concerts. Visited the elderly. Here was a man whose visage shown like the stars, who had deep wisdom and kindness etched into his face. He embodied the loving presence of Jesus I repeatedly teach my students matters most. But at the time, none of this mattered. For him, in that moment, these were not markers of success. Why? What makes for success in ministry?
In every age, the church, by default, mirrors the values of its culture.
American evangelical churches in the United States today are no different. Leaders and congregants alike have absorbed the spirit of the age, or zeitgeist. A big budget, high attendance, and lots of activities are some of the main markers of success. Pastors of these “successful” congregations receive speaking and publishing opportunities, use the latest and greatest technology, and are often the envy of local pastors. Other pastors and congregations value the attention of political figures. For them, such attention is proof that their church is important, that they are important. Such pastors and congregations grow bigger and more powerful, and seemingly everyone turns to them as exemplars for how to “do” church. However, these values and ideals are markers of American culture, not of God’s Kingdom.
American evangelical Christian culture doesn’t reward the intangible.
In this way, churches are like their secular business counterparts—numbers and the almighty dollar, not Almighty God, often matter most in final decisions. My student, the pastor, had not evangelized thousands, riveted millions on television with one of his sermons, nor grown his church to become a megachurch. He was not headlining any conferences or wearing slick outfits. Politicians weren’t begging for his endorsement. At most, he had seventy-five attendees on a Sunday morning. And yet, his congregants were growing in love for God and one another. Their local community—that is, their local neighbors—knew who they were and appreciated them.
So what is “biblical” success?
Well, we can safely bet that it is often at odds with cultural success—the ever-increasing accumulation of money, an admirable physique, fame, numbers, political influence and power—and the benefits that come from it. We have no indication that Jesus spent time strategizing on how to attract the biggest crowds. Attracting and retaining the attention of crowds involves many performative elements. At some point, managing and satisfying the appetite of the crowds—and the money, power, and fame that come from doing so—are what begin driving many a ministry’s agenda. This unholy trinity of money, power, and fame—the same temptations Jesus faced in the desert wilderness (Matthew 4)—is tripping us up. Jesus said we could worship God or money (which includes the benefits of money). Many of our churches, either unwittingly or quite deliberately, are choosing money. Making disciples doesn’t require filling stadiums and offering a low-commitment Christian walk. That is American culture. God’s ways are seldom lucrative or popular, and they always involve a deep commitment.
Jesus concentrated on those closest to him, those in his local area.
He did not chase crowds, though the crowds did chase him (see Luke 4:42). For Jesus, faithfulness in loving God and loving neighbor—and working that out in real time in a particular context—makes for Kingdom “success.” Jesus puts it bluntly: “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-12, niv). Fr. Gregory Boyle, author of Tattoos on the Heart, translated Jesus’ words and ministry this way: “Jesus was always too busy being faithful to worry about success. I’m not opposed to success; I just think we should accept it only if it is a by-product of our fidelity. If our primary concern is results, we will choose to work only with those who give us good ones.” And Mother Teresa paraphrased Jesus’ words this way: “We are not called to be successful, but faithful.” By the measure Jesus used, my student was indeed “successful” in God’s eyes, even if he was not in other pastors’ and congregations’ eyes. Amen.
Marlena Graves is an author, writer, professor, preacher, and speaker on spiritual formation and justice, especially in areas of racism and immigration in the United States.
Her books include The Way Up Is Down, Who’s My Neighbor?, A Beautiful Disaster, and Forty Days on Being a Nine (Enneagram Daily Reflections series). Marlena is assistant professor of spiritual formation at Northeastern Seminary on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan University. She is a member of INK: A Creative Collective and lives in the Rochester, New York, area with her husband and three daughters. Marlena’s newest book, Bearing God, recently released from NavPress. Learn more about Marlena at marlenagraves.com.
