There are three quantitative ways in which churches can be measured: by counting heads, baptisms, or money. Church growth is usually measured the same way.
Bodies
Although I am sure it exists somewhere, I have never heard of a church taking roll call, or even counting noggins regularly at their church services. I guess one can make a relative judgment based upon density, how full the pews are or how thick the crowd looks. The more-practiced method in Southern Baptist circles seems to be keeping attendance records in Sunday school. But what does that really do? Most Sunday schools are social gatherings, meet-ups, gather-rounds, and gossip-pits. Even where some kind of Bible study is faithfully taught, little of corporate worship is there. I’m not belittling Sunday school, properly used, I’m just saying it is not corporate worship by any stretch. Counting heads in Sunday school merely measures Sunday-school attendance. There is no guarantee—in fact, it is highly improbable that everyone in Sunday school will be staying for the worship service, and quite a few regular church attenders can and do skip the Sunday-school event. How you count heads really doesn’t address the issue anyway. There are many reasons someone might be in church other than to worship. Counting bodies doesn’t really accomplish anything at all.
Baptisms
Baptisms, likewise come with their own special set of problems. Although those who like to use baptisms to count churchieness tend to ignore the fact—it is no secret—that counting baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention is like trying to herd cats (a favorite simile of past SBC president Frank Page, but with regard to leading his convention). Baptisms are especially popular for measuring a church’s growth, but judging from the number of people I have run across who were baptized multiple times, the best thing that baptisms mesure is your water bill. I was baptized twice, and looking back thirty-five years, I’m sure the second time was unnecessary. I am sure there are many Southern Baptists who have multiple memberships because they were baptized as young children in one church, and then later in another, as their parents moved to another town. It’s no wonder our convention can boast sixteen million members, with only a half (or third?) of those sixteen million accounted for in church on any given Sunday. Here’s an opinion, at no extra cost: baptism should not automatically mean membership, especially if the dunkee is a minor living with his parents.
Keep in mind that baptism is a public profession of faith. It is not a guarantee of actual possession of faith. Remember Jesus’ words:
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:22-23 ESV)
One could just as easily say “Lord, Lord, were we not baptized in your name.” It’s funny how you never hear of any church posting one- or five-year survival rates of those they’ve baptized. You won’t ever see it because it wouldn’t be funny; it would be embarrassing beyond belief. It would be scandalous.
Bullion
Money measures wealth—sometimes. Have you ever noticed how big churches like to mention their Cooperative-Program giving in raw dollars, while small churches tend to brag in percentages? Regardless if your church’s CP giving is in single or double digits, the bigger questions—which are never asked, by the way—are “Is your church body giving sacrificially (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)?”, “Is your church body known for cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:7)?”, “How wisely do you spend the other 90 (or 98) percent of your funds?” For the individual, a good question should be “Are you a wise steward of all that God has given you; not just your money, but your time and your talents?” The best way to learn how to use money to measure something is to look to Matthew 6:19-20 and Luke 21:1-4.
Conclusion
None of the conventional means of measuring church give you any accurate diagnosis of a church’s health, so why do we continue to keep those kind of records? Is it to be seen by men? Surely if this is so, we have our reward—the praise of men (Matthew 6:1-6). If God hasn’t required this kind of measuring of us, why do we do it anyway? Just so we can tell the Methodists “We are bigger than you.”? Maybe one reason is because it is far more difficult to measure qualitatively than it is to measure quantitatively. Maybe it would be best if we quit counting altogether, and start concentrating on what God does ask of us, something like,
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:7-8, ESV)
or maybe something like,
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, and the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27, ESV)
or maybe even the verse used in this week’s Heidelberg catechism.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40, ESV)
which of course is impossible to do without Jesus Christ in us.
