Dad Is The Pastor

If there has been one consistent theme that I have been sensing among pastors and denominational leaders from all evangelical backgrounds is that we are weak on evangelism. The gospel is being proclaimed from the pulpit, but not from the pew. I think that there are many factors that have contributed to this but one of the greatest is the breakdown of Biblical Christian community in the home.

Billy Graham once said, "If your Christianity does not work at home, don't export it." In that regard, it may be to the credit of many families that they don't bother to evangelize the lost. I believe that one of the best means to improving our evangelistic efforts, however, is to strengthen Christian community in the home. This has to begin with male leadership. I don't know whether it was the dads abrogating their roles or pastors taking it from them that has led us to where we are but both are wrong and must be avoided. Dads need to be taught, encouraged, and held accountable by their fellow male believers that they are to be the pastors for their families first. Dads should be initiating regular family worship and prayer time with their families and discipling their children in Biblical wisdom. Its not a suggestion it is an imperative (Deut. 6). I'd be willing to bet that if our Christianity began to work at home we wouldn't be having discussions as pastors on how to improve our evangelism. But then what do I know, I'm just a modern day puritan.

A godly man promotes religion in his family; he sets up piety in his house as well as in his heart…. A godly man's house is a little church…. A good man makes known the oracles of God to those who are under his roof. He reads the Word and perfumes his house with prayer.
Thomas Watson—A Godly Man's Picture

Churches Live or Die By The Family

It may not come as a shock to many of you, but according to Professor W. Bradford Wilcox at the University of Virginia the success of the church is inseparably tied to the success of the traditional family. The research of Professor Wilcox was featured in Dr. Al Mohler's blog today. The entry can be found by clicking here.

According to Professor Wilcox,

Currently, men are 57 percent less likely to attend church regularly if they are not married with children, compared to men who are married with children. Women are 41 percent less likely to attend church regularly if they are single and childless. Marriage does more than bind a man to one woman; it also ties a man to a local congregation.

If anything this research should be a wake-up call for the church. What are we doing to create an environment that builds strong families. When I examine the weekly schedules of some churches, I have to scratch my head and just wonder what are they thinking. I will never understand how we have been sold on the bill of goods that in order to minister to families we have to separate them, throw activities at them, and condition students to depend on pastors instead of parents for discipleship. Shameful.

I hope that you will take the opportunity to read this article and think about the ramifications. Look at how your church treats its families. Especially take note of how your church treats the families of its pastors. If we wonder why our families in the pews are broken its because the families of many of our pastors are just as broken. We expect our pastors to live at church and minister to our families to the neglect of their own. Pastors, if you are reading this, don't let another week slip by without challenging your families to return to a biblical model. Set the example by arranging your schedule to center around your family first. The family you save may be your own and according to Dr. Mohler and Professor Wilcox you may be saving your church to boot.