A Response to Tyrants

Intro: Mt. Pleasant Church of God and the 25 Person Church Board

*Elder Board

*Deacon Board

*Finance Board

*Women’s Ministry Board

Painting the Pastor’s Office

-Who decides the color?

Bob Eatherton was the Executive Director of the Central Region of the Churches of God General Conference. He had oversight of 5 states in the Midwest.

Part of his responsibilities was to mentor and disciple young pastors...

*One time when we were having coffee I asked him about our church board and why 25 people were involved in picking the color of paint and our inability to get the job done...

He told be a story of what our grandparents went through returning from World War 2.

-As a response to a tyrant that attempted to take over the world, churches diversified power and authority so one man could gain control over everyone else! That’s how you get 25 people on a church board of a church of 125 people.

I’ve been a pastor in small rural mid-western churches for the last 13 years.

Over the last 30 years the American church has been in significant decline...

Moving forward, we must ask ourselves “What is more important for our church, our past or our future.”

OUR VISION: Love God and Love Others

Matthew 22:36–40 CSB

36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

OUR MISSION: Spread the Good News of Jesus Christ!

John 3:16–18 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

OUR PURPOSE: We are Family!

Hebrews 10:24–25 CSB

24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Colossians 1:28 CSB

28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

The Message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ never changes, the methods that we use must adjust to effective reach the lost so that they may find God and be saved!