We must be reminded that there are forces outside the church warring against us. These forces at times can be and are merciless and treacherous. But we are informed through the word of God that we are more that conquerors in Christ Jesus. It is not just the outside forces which attack the church that present obstacles to the church that we want to emphasize and recognize, but primarily the inside forces that corrode and erode the infrastructure of the small church. It is tragic enough to deal with trouble from outside of the church, but it's worse when those who should work for the well-being of the church become part of the problem and not part of the solution. It's not the circumstances of life that people have little or no control over that directly holds the small church hostage, but it's the circumstances in life that people have a reasonable amount of, or a lot of control of, that holds the small church hostage. Through these writings, awareness, and enlightenment will come to this devastating quagmire that plagues many of our churches. We will no longer continue to be in danger of being The Church Held Hostage.

The Church Held Hostage

The plight of the small local churchBy Alfred A. Dingle Sr.

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2010 Pastor Alfred A. Dingle Sr.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4269-3234-2

Contents

Acknowledgements........................................................vDedications.............................................................viiSpecial Thanks..........................................................ixIntroduction............................................................xvThe Beginning of My Lesson..............................................1The Plight of the Small Local Church....................................7What is a hostage situation?............................................11The Perpetrators and How They Perpetrate................................17The Disadvantage of a Small Congregation................................23How Absenteeism Harms the Small Congregation Church.....................33The Advantages of the Small Local Church................................41Heading toward Liberty from hostage ship................................45Still Learning and Growing:.............................................57Outreach Ministry Questionnaire Survey..................................59

Chapter One

The Beginning of My Lesson

In the year of 1996, in the month of July, I was called to be the pastor of the Memorial Baptist Church. The church was located at 19 - 21 Magnolia St. in the city of Newark NJ at that time. It appeared to be a nice small church with a whole lot of potential. I was very impressed by the inner appearance of the sanctuary. It let me know that someone had been hard at work. The late Rev. Bonney, the previous pastor, had been called home to be with our Lord in that same year a few months earlier. I was 33 years of age by that time with a young family. I was married with three children. My first born, Alfred Jr. was 13, my second born, Clarysha was 11, and the youngest Christopher was 8 years old. I was extremely ambitious and full of life and expectations for the church and my new ministerial responsibility. I'd planned on using at my disposal all the gifts and abilities bestowed to me by our wonderful Savior's Spirit to take the Memorial Baptist Church to a greater level under my leadership. It was my goal and my intention to build on the foundation of my forerunners and take Memorial to a new plateau. After all, I came from a well taught church and good leadership. I had the example of a good pastor, the Rev. Willie W. Wilson, and working strategies. My home church, the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Jersey City, NJ, was an active church that in many ways functioned as a well oiled machine. Adding to that, I'd become active in that ministry. I was a part of many of the ministries in the church. I participated in the music ministry as lead and bass guitarist, with the choirs as director and at time leading songs. I taught and participated in various classes and served as the assistant to the pastor, just to name a few. I worked and fellowshipped well with the deacons and the other church officers. Because I knew that my ministry consisted of more than the pulpit, I was willing to work where I was needed. I wanted to bring all these experiences with me. It was not my intention to transform the Memorial Baptist Church into another Mount Calvary Baptist Church, but it was my intention to enhance Memorial. It was my desire, and I believed the vision which God the Almighty had given me, to do great things at and with the church. But I was in for a rude awakening. I was not aware of what laid ahead. There was a spirit and a mentality that had gained a strong hold on the church. This hold had no intention of letting go, but appeared to gain momentum down through the years. There was a spirit of complacency as well as an unwillingness to grow. There was a satisfaction of remaining that size or minimizing the growth of the church. I didn't realize it at the time and it has taken me about 11 years or so to obtain some type of understanding that the church had been in a hostage position. I am and have been in war against this spirit and mentality for most of my pastorate. It was only in the recent year or so that I've been enlightened to why. For many times I've questioned my ability to pastor. Many times I doubted myself critically. Many times I've viewed myself as a failure, and felt like giving up. I know that there are many things I could and should have done differently. I know that there was much more I could have and should have done. But to say that the church would have been where I'd hoped, in all honesty, it is hard to say. But I do believe that some things would have been different. I found consolation in the fact that I was not alone. I've learned down through the years that those who were before me enter the pastorate position with like passion and enthusiasm as I. They worked diligently and unselfishly to lead the church in the direction they were moved by the Spirit to go. But they too had to deal with this hostage spirit that got a hold to the church. For had they been able to truly achieve all what was in their heart to do, the church would have possibly been much further than it was. I may have walked into a church of mega proportions. I dare not say, in any wise, that they failed, because they did not. Not by a long shot. For to say that they failed, is to say that God failed and God will never fail. So much has been accomplished through their efforts and leadership. I'm grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ that there still remains a remnant of the leaders, as well as people who can witness of the struggles and successes of their leadership. I was informed that only two others, prior to myself, was pastor for a significant number of years. The Rev. Bennett Johnson, who pastors the Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Newark NJ and the late Rev. C.F. Bonney were pastors there for about 8 years each. All others in between pastorates were brief. I also found consolation in my fellow pastors and other congregations. They let me know that many churches are in the same struggle. But most of all I thank God that I've found encouragement in the Holy Scriptures. The apostles continued to encourage the New Testament churches through times of mayhem and manipulation tactics. I've often wondered `why the struggle Lord?' Every time it appeared that the church was on the move, it seemed like the bottom would fall out. So many times I had to battle the spirit of jealousy when I saw other ministries growing, while at the same time it was hard to keep the bills of the church paid. Many times I had to forfeit monetary gifts I should have received from the church in order for the church to meet its obligations. Some times that wasn't enough. I've had to sacrifice paying my own bills in an effort to help the financial situation of the church. So often and even now I fight frustration, disappointment, and feelings of inadequacy as a pastor. But I've come to terms with the purpose of these ministerial struggles. As unpleasant and uncomfortable as it was and can be, the Lord had to let me experience these dilemmas for His glory and to gain this information. As Joseph proclaimed in the scriptures, I also echo the same sentiment What was meant for evil, God meant for good. The Spirit of the Almighty God, informed me that these situations are for the benefit of letting other pastors and small churches know, who are also in the struggle, that you are not alone in your battles against these wrong spirits at work in the church. It wasn't then or is it now for me to...