BETTER TOGETHER | Is Your Next Pastor Sitting in Your Pew?

I walked through the entrance at Calvary Chapel in Buffalo, Missouri, October 16, 2022, and was cheerfully greeted—even though the church had no electrical power. “We will just have to adapt,” someone told me. The Calvary Chapel team sprang into action preparing for the first service. Though it was dark, the service went off without a hitch. Afterward, the group celebrated their pastors with a brunch outside, followed by another service. Between services, church members hooked up a generator so mics and instruments could be used. That memorable morning provided me a glimpse into the culture of Calvary Chapel.

Calvary Chapel underwent a major transition in January 2022 when Dr. Douglas Earls passed the senior pastor baton to Mark Elliott after 33 years. Often, such transitions are marked by a loss of momentum, division, and even occasional coups to seize the pulpit. However, Calvary Chapel has continued to grow, far outpacing the growth of its small town of 3,318 people. It is as if the transition and COVID never happened for this resilient church.

Intentional About Training

The smooth transition didn’t just happen; it was intentional. Dr. Earls is a well-known trainer, leading Missouri’s Palmer Institute for some time. This is evident at Calvary Chapel, where there is a culture of training and discipleship. When Dr. Earls prepared to retire, the church did not need to look for his replacement. The next pastor was sitting in a pew. Not that Mark Elliot was doing much sitting! He had been extremely active, serving two decades as youth pastor, and was an active member in the church community before that. Interestingly, every staff member at Calvary Chapel has come out of Calvary Chapel.

A Culture of Training

Training or discipleship is not limited to pastors. Throughout Calvary Chapel, there is an understanding of spiritual gifting and the ways a person’s gifts can be used in ministry. This ranges from children to seniors. (Be sure to watch the Better Together Podcast with Dr. Earls on using your gifts in retirement.) This culture of training has been beneficial to the church, where it appears people are working together, focused on reaching their community with the gospel. Their community has benefited because the members are actively serving.

All About Training

I am convinced the ongoing pastor, deacon, and volunteer shortage in the U.S. church is tied to a lack of training. My assumption is based upon data for Free Will Baptist churches. Our Sunday Schools and small groups have been in decline since 1975, and we have experienced a 58% reduction since 2000. Eventually, that lack of training begins to show up.

Training Takes Time

Training and discipleship take time. But the emphasis is necessary; you can’t take shortcuts in training pastors, deacons, and volunteers. For more than three decades, Calvary Chapel has invested in others, and it pays off.

What I experienced on October 16, 2022, was years in the making. Ample volunteers were unperturbed by a problem and smoothly addressed it. Church members took an active role in making a difficult situation better, and competent and committed leaders stayed focused on reaching their community with the gospel despite circumstances. It was a great day—one years in the making.

So remember, our next pastors, deacons, and volunteers are sitting in our pews, if we invest the time to train them.

About the columnist: Eddie Moody is the executive secretary of the National Association of Free Will Baptists.