Church Growth Corner

Rev. Dr. Marcellus A. Norris, Executive Director

Church Growth Corner

Rev. Dr. Marcellus A. Norris, Executive Director

AME Department of Church Growth & Development

IS MY CHURCH DRIFTING? PART 1

“Drift” refers to something carelessly permitted to become lost.”

In his excellent book Historical Drift, Dr. Arnold L. Cook asked, “Must my church die?” Cook explained that the biblical word drift means “to let something slip away–can describe a ship, which drifts by the dock due to the carelessness of the mariner who failed to calculate carefully the wind or tide.”

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14).

When do churches begin to drift?

1. Churches drift when they fail to pass the truth to successive generations.

2. Churches drift when they move away from their foundational doctrines.

The trend is for church denominations to drift (or move) away from their foundational doctrines over time. It does not have to be this way. Drifting can be prevented. It must be

prevented. 

John Wesley once said, “I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist…But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having a form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline which they first set out.”

The Charisma magazine (October 1993) quoted the Assemblies of God general superintendent as saying, “We might be Pentecostal in doctrine, but we’re not Pentecostal in experience.” “Too many people,” George Wood said (in the same meeting), “are leaving our churches unchanged, unmoved, unsaved, unfilled, unsanctified, and unmotivated to turn their heart and will over to God completely. We need a holy fire that sets aside business as usual in the church until Jesus comes.”

Hold on. There is a question for consideration before casting a judging eye on another’s church. Could this same thing be said of your church?