Thank you Dewey and Sharon! We love you both!
I talked to a Deacon of a Church here in New Mexico yesterday. The Church is down to about 6 people. They have no Pastor. I have attempted to help this Church for years. I called my mentor Dr. Claude Cone, who was the head of the Baptist Convention here in New Mexico for 20 years. At 20-year mark, Claude Cone to retire as N.M. executive. I also called the Southern Baptist Convention office for help. It is a very tough time for many Churches, especially in rural areas. Right now here at FGGAM we have three of us that go out and serve Churches when we can.
Years ago when I was working with a Church that had gone through several splits the head of the Southern Baptist Convention at the time, Dr. Joseph Bunce told me, “Dewey! Some Churches just need to have a funeral!” That startled me at the time! BUT! I have found it to be true the older I get. Read about Dr. Bunce Here. Good man!
As Pastor Shawn Brewer put it, “They needed to decide if we were going to grow or are we going to exist.”
I see too many Churches struggling with 6 to 12 folks or a bit more, maybe 15 to 20 on a ‘good Sunday’ as some Pastors say! EVERY SUNDAY IS SHOULD BE A GOOD DAY! AMEN! I have come to realize there are some Churches that I cannot help. Some just exist.
So many Churches do not carry out The Great Commission, the greatest failure of the American Church in decades. Sadly, many Churches are down in numbers. Many do not have the energy or desire to go out and carry out The Great Commission. I am not just saying this, I witness it! FGGAM is a Great Commission Ministry!
Baptist Press
By Gary Ledbetter, posted February 21, 2025 in Churches and Ministry
PARADISE, Texas – When Shawn Brewer came in view of a call to pastor First Baptist Church in Paradise, about 40 miles northwest of Fort Worth, he preached to about 60 people that Sunday morning.
After accepting a call from the church, he was greeted by about half that number on his first Sunday due to various difficulties, including the COVID shutdown.
“The church was struggling,” Brewer remembers of that time. “They needed to decide if we were going to grow or are we going to exist.”
Brewer had pastored larger churches in Eastland and Lubbock prior to moving to Paradise. A health crisis in the family led him to step away from his leadership of a church in Lubbock. After that crisis passed, he didn’t know what God had for his future.
“This is my fourth full-time church, but I didn’t really know if I’d be in ministry again,” Brewer said.
At the same time, FBC Paradise members knew of Brewer through a church member, but also knew he’d led larger churches than theirs. Some of the pastor search committee members doubted a pastor with Brewer’s resume could be drawn to a church one member called “beat up.” More Here
