I am writing this as I miss church because of some sort of stomach malady. Is it ironic that I'm writing about church faithfulness while I miss? No. When I miss church services, I become acutely aware of my need for the fellowship, worship, encouragement teaching and exhortation I receive. This essay is dedicated to my faithful pastor and co-worker in the Lord, Keith Hoover. He has done an admirable job of checking me when I am "prone to wander."

I will begin by saying that if your church does not believe the Word of God and does not seek to follow it in practice, get out. Find one that does. If you are blessed to be a members of a local, New Testament, Bible-believing baptistic church, thank God daily for this.

As Americans, we see self-sufficiency as the pinnacle of manhood, and as Bible-believing Baptists, we sometimes foster an arrogant, I-can-do-it-all-and-I-don't-need-your-help attitude. I understand this. I've been there and probably will be there again. Those of us who think we don't need anybody else will bristle at me pointing out that such an attitude is unbiblical and unchristian.

Let me begin by expressing my credentials in the area of independence. If you ask any of my friends/pastors/family members, they will testify of my rugged individualism and independence. I have been called an outside-the-box thinker, visionary, aloof and I sometimes (regrettably) am told people don't know how to take me. One of my favorite secular books is Walden. I spent days at a time in the wild when I was a teenager. For most of my adult life, one of my biggest dreams has been to be completely off-grid. Given the chance, I would set out on the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail on 30 minutes notice. I own and wear Asolo backpacking boots as my daily shoes. My idea of a dream day is no interaction with the public in any way, shape or form. Before you label me as having extreme character flaws, I will readily acknowledge that fact, but also let you know why I am revealing this side of myself.

When we avoid interaction with other Christians who care about us, we miss out on one of the most important purposes God has given us here on earth, to encourage each other in the Lord until his return. If we miss church, we miss the opportunity for iron to sharpen iron. We miss the opportunity for learning. We miss the opportunity to encourage others. We miss the opportunity to learn more about God's Word. 

Christ never intended for us to walk alone, without the fellowship of other believers. We have convinced ourselves of something that is UNTRUE if we think we are okay without the church. We may survive without the church. We may exist without the church. We WILL NOT be healthy without the church.

I can be a notoriously difficult person to deal with at times. Just ask my pastors. I default to my basic personality type without much provocation. I don't return calls like I ought to. I am not very good at keeping connections up or speaking with strangers. If possible, I would just want to be left alone. This makes me a very good Libertarian, but not a very good friend or church member. I say all this to do away with any excuse someone reading this might have to avoid church services.

If you struggle with church attendance and make excuses to avoid the assembly, you will have to bend your will to that of your Savior. Here is the most important reason to go to church. Christ wants you to assemble with the brethren and said so in His word.

Plain and simple. No more excuses. Go when you don't feel like it. I'm not saying that if you have some communicable disease you should spread it to the rest of us. Get well and come back when you won't cause those around you to suffer medical debt, but those "independent spirits" know what I mean here.

For those of you who don't understand, please love those who struggle with independence issues and reach out to us anyway. Give us a call if you don't see us at services. Pray that we will learn to play well with others and that God would increase our love for the services and the people of the church. We will, likewise, pray for your faults.

This essay is aimed at my generation of Independent Baptist pastors, in case there is any confusion. Parts of it may, and probably do apply to members of any generation, but I freely admit it is written in frustration with those who are called to stand right now where others have passed away or been defeated in battle. This is aimed squarely at those of us who do not have decades of seasoning and experience.

My generation is seeing a great falling away amongst its preachers. There, I said it. It seems as if those who claim to have a special calling of God to preach the Gospel are seeking some new thing or more respectability, or more attention. The current crop of preachers my age has turned into a harvest of self-loving philosophers meeting at the Acropolis, wanting to hear the latest wind of doctrine that seems to so easily stir the intellectual leaves of this connected "Christian" generation. 

Much to the irritation of these attention seekers who are ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth,

The doctrine of the Bible is still sufficient.

What these glory hounds don't realize is that the doctrine of the Bible is clearly enough. Teaching the doctrines of scripture, all of them, can take up many lifetimes. What a waste that so much attention has been turned to novelty preaching and kingdom building amongst Independent Baptist preachers. I was recently made aware of two attention-deprived pastors (young men about my age, I suppose), who were preaching against each other. As far as I know, both of these men have spent a great deal of their adult lives gaining followers by use of their talent for the dramatic with modest success. It was only a matter of time before they were detected on each other's radar screen and, as a result, they felt threatened by one another. What a pathetic sight. What a childish fight.

Others of my generation seem to be always seeking something novel to teach to others. They are excelling as entertainers and pulpiteers and fail as preachers and teachers. You see, someone might not like them if they do not preach the unvarnished truth. Some may leave if they do something so dangerous as teach the application of Bible truth. These pastors hold back, their acceptability among men stinking in the nostrils of Christ. God wants men who will not hold back out of fear of defamation. 

Regardless of the motive, whether differentiating themselves from the pack with new doctrine or refusing to apply scripture for fear of losing respectability, my generation of preachers has largely failed.

The number of people following you online is not the way to measure success in the ministry. How many people like you, whether in person or in social media, is no indicator of your acceptability before God as a preacher of the Gospel.

This is the great travesty of our time. A generation of sell-outs. It is a selling out of truth to build a kingdom. It is a leaving of the foundational doctrines of the Word of God in order to boost oneself in the eyes of other lost and sinful men. Perhaps this has always been an issue surrounding true Christianity. It is a strange thing in most circles if one preacher is not vaunted and lauded above all others as the pinnacle of piety and having "arrived in the ministry." Of course, the preacher who is faithful through the years and walks in a Christ-like humility has been on Christianity's endangered species list for a long time. Most will not know him because he does not promote himself, but if you find one, treasure him, listen to him, and learn from him. He has much to teach you in how to live before God.

Another issue that must be addressed here is the great coldness and lack of humility amongst my brethren today. In the conflict between pastors mentioned several paragraphs above, both claim to be Independent Baptist brethren. In cases such as these, the preacher gains his desire to tear others down from his desire to build himself up without counting the cost.

You will know a preacher who is in it for himself by the way he treats others, especially his assistants, his family and those who can do nothing for him.


What about the foundational truths of the Word of God? No need for them when you can get all of the respectability and acceptance of people you admire by catering to the crowd. Preachers who do this are , indeed, clouds without rain.

How much more time will we waste in trying to build respectability amongst our peers when Christ alone is worth vaunting? How much more of God's money will be wasted in this wanton, fleshly kingdom-building activity instead of a full-scale assault on the gates of Hell? How many more young people will leave the churches due to the full-blown hypocrisy demonstrated by preachers of my generation? 

If you are a preacher of my generation, you know what you must do. Take your precious little ministry you have built, along with the respectability and following because of your charismatic personality or compromise of the truth, throw it on the fire. When the resultant conflagration dies down, exalt Christ above all and in every action of ministry and person. Of course, there may be exceptions to the above. Please point them out to me. Their allegiance to Christ is worth following.

It is time for my unsteady, unstudied, undisciplined, and undone generation to grow up. Quit acting as a pretentious toddler. Start conducting ourselves like men. Raise our families for Christ. Show consistency to younger generations and older alike in our walk with Christ. Teach the Word of God unvarnished. Cast off the sins that so easily beset us and pick up the gauntlet of the generation of faithful men who preceded us. The remedy is repentance. It always has been.

Nevermind. 

You are too busy to do the first works; prayer, bible reading, witnessing, and worshiping of Jesus Christ, the One who died for us. He will understand, right?