Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
I have lived in the city of Pensacola since 2021. In that time I have attended several different local Baptist churches. Sadly, three of the biggest churches are nearly always full—not because they are great churches, not because they go soulwinning, not because they have great pastors, not because they are Spirit-filled; but rather, it's only because those shameful new-evangelicals churches are worldly, attracting worldly churchgoers, and their message is vague and shallow, non-offensive even to hellbound Roman Catholics. Tragically, most of the people who attend those churches aren't even saved, they are foolishly trusting in some form of Lordship Salvation.
Then I've attended some smaller Baptist churches, which will remain small because of the pastors' wrong attitudes toward soulwinning. I heard one pastor a couple years ago say something terrible from his pulpit. He taught the congregation that it is not the church's job to go soulwinning, it is only the job of individual Christians. That pastor is a fool in this matter! What is a church? It is an assembly of called-out believers (Greek: Ecclesia). You better believe that soulwinning is a church's job, because if a pastor doesn't teach and lead the way to go soulwinning publicly, then nobody will do it!
His foolish mindset reminds me of a popular workplace sign I've often seen...
It’s the story of four people named:
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
Here’s the story, titled “Whose Job Is It, Anyway?”
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
The story may be confusing but the message is clear: no one took responsibility so nothing got accomplished.
I cannot think of a better illustration to describe the lifeless Baptist churches that I attended. Everything rises and falls on leadership. I am not saying that these pastors are bad men. They are very honest and good men, as far as sinful men go. But they are not following the Bible's way of soulwinning. What saith the Scripture?Matthew 22:1-10, “And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.”
Nothing will grow a church's attendance like doo-to-door public soulwinning. I'm not talking about twice a year, or once a month, but at least once a week. Pastor Steven Anderson built his Faithful Word Baptist Church for the first several years by leading members of his congregation to go out soulwinning 7 DAYS A WEEK! Guess what, it worked! They built a large church of over 500 people.
But you say, “God is not interested in numbers!” If that is you friend, may I sincerely ask kindly: “Are you really that foolish?” You had better believe that God is interested in numbers! Notice in the Apostle Luke's version of this parable that Jesus said the king wanted his house “filled.” Luke 14:23, “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” God certainly is not interested in empty pews! More people in attendance means that more people will likely get saved. Shame on any pastor who doesn't have a burning desire to build the church's attendance.
Granted, any pastor worth his salt values spiritual growth, obedience to God and unity of the Body of Christ, above increasing the church's weekly attendance numbers. I am so tired of hearing pastors make excuses for empty pews! I hear it on a regular basis. For example: “Our attendance is down today because some of our people are out of town, and others are sick.” In the summer it's too hot, and in the winter it's too cold. SOULWINNING BUILDS CHURCHES!
It Is The Local Church's Job To Go Soulwinning
Dear reader, it is in fact the church's job to go soulwinning!!! For a pastor to shirk the responsibility to go soulwinning off on individual saints is awful. Listen, if the pastor doesn't teach and organize weekly soulwinning, NOBODY IS GOING TO GO SOULWINNING!!! And that ladies and gentlemen is why the church still hasn't grown after 20 years!!! We've got a bunch of lame churches all across America that are suffering from stunted growth. The fact of the matter is that we are all lazy devils! Soulwinning requires sacrificing your personal time. It's a good idea for a pastor to plan soulwinning activities, to be followed by meeting at a local restaurant or the church for lunch or dinner. There is nothing wrong with going soulwinning and then looking forward to some fellowship afterwards. Say what you will, soulwinning works!
The vast majority of pastors are stubborn men! They refuses to take advice. I heard a local pastor say numerous times from his pulpit: "There's the door" to anyone who complains. That is unwise for a pastor to talk to people that way, if they are trying to help him. You'd be shocked how many pastor become seriously offended if you tell them that they should be warning people about the modern corrupt Bibles? I've seen it happen. I know what I am talking about. I have seen people kicked out and banned from returning to churches, merely for telling the almighty pastor that he ought to be contending for the faith. The pastor was offended!
It grieves me so much, but there's nothing I can do except pray for such stubborn pastors. Pensacola is in desperate need of some soulwinning churches. PCC is spiritual cancer to the local community! They are lifeless. PCC doesn't go soulwinning, doesn't contend for the faith, doesn't expose false prophets, doesn't preach against sin; but they do make lots of money. They've set the bar very low, and tragically they're considered cult headquarters (i.e., spiritual Big Brother) for many local churches.
There's A Woeful Lack of Love And Compassion In Churches Today
Smyrna Baptist Church is 85% empty because of the bad attitude and woeful lack of love of their carnal pastors. They're all just playing church! I had attended there for several months, but their rude senior pastor (Bill Adams) and his wife both shook my hand while looking 45 degrees off at the while. The pastor's daughter goes to PCC, which explains a lot. That's no way to treat people. So, I kindly emailed the pastor to ask if I was wanted at their church. He apologized, and I let the matter go. I went back to church the next Sunday in good will. But then his horrible wife did the same thing to me, looking hard right 45 degrees off at the wall while shaking my hand. She had come up to shake my hand in church. I didn't approach her, she approached me. I was hurt by being dissed by the pastor, and then then his wife. So, I kindly wrote her husband (the senior pastor) again, asking him if I am welcomed in their church. He ignored me. So, I sent the second email to his secretary and him, to make sure that he got it, but he wanted nothing to do with me. I never went back. They are as heathens.
There is a woeful lack of love and compassion in churches today. I get dirty looks sometimes from pastors wives, spoiled brats with bitchy attitudes. They read my ministry articles (like this one) and think that I am likely talking about them, and they get offended (good, if the shoe fits, wear it!). Giving people dirty looks is not the Christian way for godly ladies. Sadly, many pastors are henpecked. I was in one church and the pastor's wife yelled at him, giving him an order to do something. He couldn't move fast enough to obey her! That is ridiculous. Folks, the last I checked the Bible teaches that it's supposed to be the other way around. Feminism has ruined marriages, families and churches all across the United States!
If your church is 90% empty all the time, I don't even have to ask if your pastor leads the congregation every week to go door-to-door soulwinning in the local community. I already know that the church doesn't go soulwinning!
And also, if your pastor is boring in the pulpit, people will come once or twice, but then not return. You can browbeat people by telling them that that should come to church with a spiritual mindset, but in reality most people won't. There is no reason why pastors cannot be exciting in the pulpit. My favorite preacher, Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001), used to like throwing his microphone on the platform once in a while, just to keep people's attention. If you think that is bad, Billy Sunday (1862-1935) liked to throw chairs...lol. No kidding! Do you know why rock stars are so famous? It is because they are exciting to watch and listen to. Your average pastor is akin to watching a mortician do an autopsy. Let him that hath ears to hear, hear.
And for goodness sake, I am so sick and tired of seeing pastors use other people's religious garbage instead of studying for themselves. Years ago in 2014, when I attended the disgraceful Harvest Baptist Church on Guam (a den of Bob Jones University vipers who preach the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation), I attended an 8-week seminar which replaced their Wednesday evening Bible study called: "Resolving Every Day Conflict." It was boring as all get out! I went home in frustration to see what dung their pastors had stepped into, searching the internet for the video conflict series that they were showing at church.
Sure enough, I found the 8-part videos series on sale for $19.95. That is so pathetic and irresponsible of Harvest's pastors!!! Is that what Marty Herron (their senior clown) got paid a 6-digit salary for? What ever happened to being a pastor, a bishop, an undershepherd? I was suffering in agonizing neck pain, spending my time and money to make myself go to church, even though I felt like just staying home. I later realized that I could have just stayed home and bought the 8-part series online for $19.95, and saved a lot of money in gas for my car. Kindly said, SHAME on Harvest's incompetent pastors! The congregation deserves better than that. It's the same as serving a guest who visits your house Ravioli out of a can.
I recently heard a local Baptist pastor say that he is teaching Ken Ham's Answers-In-Genesis Bible study series to his congregation. Why? Good night man, what were you thinking? It's just more Ravioli out of a can! A church congregation deserves much better than that dear friend. I want to learn what a pastor has learned from walking with God, from his own diligent Bible study. I can purchase Answers-In-Genesis crap online, so why should I go to church to hear that same garbage? If I wouldn't pay Ken Ham for his trash, why would I want to spend my time, energy and fuel to hear that junk at a church? By the way, Ken Ham (Scam) now has a disgusting net worth of $54,000,000 and quickly rising! Ken Ham is a religious con man, a shady charlatan; he is no man of God. I plead with you ladies and gentlemen, RUN from Answers-In-Genesis and Ken Ham!!!
But I'll give you a heads up. If you do buy the toxic vomit from Answers-In-Genesis, like the man with a hammer in his hand who sees everything as a nail sticking up, Ken Ham's theology always centers around his heretical Young Earth Creation nonsense. If you take the Bible at face value, you can only conclude that the earth itself is very old (Psalms 102:25).
It is sad and tragic that the vast majority of America's Baptist churches are nearly empty. If you visit those churches, you'll find mostly elderly folks (salt and pepper heads...lol). There are hardly, if any, youth. Those churches will be closed by the next generation, because the older Christians failed to go soulwinning, to reach the younger generation to Jesus with the light of the Gospel of free grace. Those church have mostly retired, broken and sick folks, offering leftovers to God. I thank God that I have served Him in my youth, while I still can. Blessed is the church that has a lot of noisy children running around, because they are the future.
SOULWINNING BUILDS CHURCHES!!!
