Presbyterian Church Growth Network

After last summer’s General Assembly I read an article that shared the top ten areas of focus at that gathering. None of the ten mentioned church growth. This was very disappointing to me as the PC(USA), the denomination that I love, has declined significantly in numbers of people. 

I wrote a blog sharing my disappointment which was entitled, “Presbyterians can grow, right?” The link is here: Spiritual Musings from the north Metro: Presbyterians can grow, right?

The blog got traction. Some others within the PC(USA) were also talking about how more attention to church growth needs to happen. About fifteen of us then started having monthly Zoom calls. The purposes of our calls were to share what was happening in our local congregations, to learn from each other, and to talk about what we could do to help Presbyterian congregations grow in numbers of people.

We initially decided that we wouldn’t share widely what we were doing. The main reason is we believed that some within the PC(USA) would look at our efforts with skepticism. I have seen how liberals and conservatives within the PC(USA) have treated each other poorly. Many churches left to form a new denomination. This division within the PC(SUA) has left scars. None of us who have participated in these Zoom calls want to relive that.

For those who are wondering about me, I am passionate about both church growth and acts of justice. I think of myself as a Sojourners evangelical or an evangelical liberal. Before I went to seminary, I was an organizer for the United Farm Workers. As a pastor I proudly support my friends who identify as LGBTQ+. We have had many people from the LGBTQ community serve on the Session and as Deacons at Chain of Lakes, the congregation I helped start. The first wedding we did at Chain of Lakes was a gay wedding. I graduated from Union seminary, one of the most liberal seminaries in the United States.

And I want to see our congregations grow in personal faith and to grow in numbers 

I want to see people develop a vibrant faith. I love Jesus and want others to love Jesus. I want to help people grow in Bible reading and prayer and to worship with passion. I want to help people share their faith in authentic and beautiful ways with others. 

I want to see the congregation I serve grow in numbers of people. I’ve served thirty-two years as a pastor in two congregations. In twenty-nine of those thirty-two years, the congregations I served grew in worship attendance. Neither of the congregations I have served have grown exponentially. I think the largest growth I ever experienced in worship attendance at Chain of Lakes was 2024 when we grew forty percent.

I don't think this makes me weird or different or strange. I know that I love Jesus and want to see the Kingdom Jesus came to embody lived out in the 21^st century.

After having monthly Zoom calls this group met in Chicago this past week. Kudos goes to Josh Erickson for hosting our group at Park Ridge Presbyterian church. Josh put a lot of work into this gathering. He and Paul Burns, a pastor from Texas, co-led our time together. 

Approximately fifteen of us gathered. Most of our work was done this past Tuesday. We spent time developing and wordsmithing a Presbyterian Church Growth Network charter. We chose Acts 16:4-5 as our guiding Scripture. We talked about the church growth metrics that are important to us. We spent a significant amount of time talking about the importance of inclusivity. We eventually agreed that any speaker at a future conference or gathering of the PCGN would need to be LGBTQ supportive. We talked about different church size dynamics and how these play a role in our work.

We concluded by talking about next steps. We’d love to have a PCGN cohort in every Presbytery and/or Synod. We want to work in collaboration with others within the PC(USA) who share our interests. We don’t intend to bash the PC(USA) or leave it. All of us who gathered are committed to the theology, polity and values of the PC(USA). We will not foster conversations that support divisiveness, schism or departure from our denomination.

We talked about getting together again in person this Fall. We are going to continue to have monthly Zoom calls. The calls are open to anyone who wants to participate. More information about the calls is on the PC(USA) Church Growth Network Facebook page. Our work is no longer private as many of us shared on our Facebook pages what we are doing. In the next month we are going to nominate a small board, a moderator and a secretary.

We know that we have a lot of work to do. We know we need to have more Ruling Elders involved. Almost everyone who was present this week is a Teaching Elder. We know we are disproportionately male and disproportionately White.  

For myself I’d like to gather a cohort within our Presbytery and even our Synod. The point of gathering is support. The PCGN doesn’t have any materials yet to share besides a charter, and we don’t see ourselves as consultants. What we do have is a love of God, a love of the Presbyterian church, a desire to see our congregations grow, an interest to support others with these interests, and a willingness to try things in our own congregations.

I am very excited about these small steps that our Presbyterian Growth Network has taken. I believe there is tremendous potential to help congregations grow in numbers of people.