My dad is a great pastor. He has been pastoring for 40 years and is even pastoring while technically in retirement. He has mentored at least 10 individuals in ministry, not counting his own children, and most of those whom he mentored are still pastoring today. He has led hundreds to Christ, had articles published, supplied for the needs of hundreds of poor, and offered council to scores of broken hearts. He has planted a church, gone through a church building program, remodeled several churches to make them more current and efficient, and served on various boards and committees. Yet in spite of all that he has done, our denomination’s current litmus test for pastoral success would say he hasn’t been a great success…he has not consistently pastored a congregation with a large attendance.

In my study (affectionately referred to as “The Hole”) I have a print hanging on the wall of the home of Robert Moffat, the first great missionary outreach in Africa. This was a gift I received on my first short term missions outreach.

As a child, Robert’s pastor was scrutinized by denominational leaders for his inability to produce results. During an inquiry into his pastorate, the pastor said, “this year I have had only one new communicant, and that a boy.” Robert of course was that boy, and his pastor encouraged him to follow his heart and become a missionary.

Most people today don’t recognize the name of Robert Moffat, but he laid the foundation for the Evangelical movement in Africa which continues today. Of course you have probably heard about his son in law whom he mentored in ministry…Dr. David Livingstone (I presume). Dr. Livingstone was probably the best known missionary to Africa.

So my point is this. Ministry measured by numbers is not always as long lasting as ministry measured by disciples. While numbers are great, disciples are better.

I am only writing this out of my own challenges, and don’t mean to say healthy churches shouldn’t be big…all healthy churches should be growing.

At the end of the day I hope we all have developed disciples to take our place and continue the forward movement until the coming of Christ.

In the end we know we win…until then win everyone you can, one or one million, discipling along the way.

Darrell