Every now and then, God uses a book to encourage my soul in Him. Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome by Kent and Barbara Hughes was that book. I have been thinking a lot about ministry success lately, especially with an upcoming ministry transition in my life. It is sad to say, that the world has influenced the church in regards to what defines success in the ministry: a large budget, large attendance, man-centered programs, and charismatic personalities that focus ultimately on man's personal self-fulfillment rather than on God's glory.
In his early years in the ministry, Kent Hughes planted a new church with him as the founding pastor. The mother church sent him out with twenty families and a 50,000 dollar love gift. The church plant had a bright future. Kent Hughes had just finished Seminary and was in his prime. He expected the church to grow. But to his astonishment, it didn't. After considerable time and great labor, he had fewer regular attenders than during his first six months. He was a depressed man. He wanted out of the ministry and wanted to quit.
The turning point happened when his wife told him, "Hang on to my faith. Because I believe. I believe that God is good. I believe that he loves us and is going to work through this experience. So hang on to my faith. I have enough faith for both of us" (pg. 23). After going through this dark valley, the Hughes began asking questions regarding ministry success:
1. Can a man be a success in the ministry and pastor a small church?
2. What is failure in the ministry?
3. What is success in the ministry?
So here are the principles of ministry success that the Hughes discovered...
Success is Faithfulness
"Success, then, comes when we faithfully study God's Word and faithfully obey it, applying what we understand to all areas of our lives under the direction of the Holy Spirit. A growing knowledge of the Bible matched by a growing obedience is the path to faithfulness and success." (pg. 40)
"Success first begins with obedience to God's Word." (pg. 41)
Success is Service
"So here's one secret of successful ministry: When we keep our eyes upon the cross, we want to serve." (pg. 50)
"Servanthood, as we have seen, yields success--because in serving we become like Christ." (pg. 52)
Success is Loving
"Before all things, even service to God, we must love God with all our hearts." (pg. 58)
"Simply stated, we spend time with those whom we love. The more time we spend with God, the more we love him." (pg. 61)
Success is Believing
"Without faith, there is no success." (pg. 63)
Success is Praying
"Those who would minister for God, regardless of how well they have put on the gospel of peace, regardless of how well they wear salvation, truth, righteousness and faith, must make prayer the first thing." (pg. 78)
Success is Holiness
"Holiness is foundational to true success. No one can be regarded a success who pursues a life contrary to God's will." (pg. 84)
"When lust takes control, God is quite unreal to us." (pg. 89)
"The logic of Scripture cannot be circumvented: God's will for his people is to be holy, thus no one can be regarded a success who lives contrary to his will. Holiness is fundamental to true success. Holiness must be our preoccupation, our earnest pursuit." (pg. 92)
Success is Attitude
"Attitude is everything." (pg. 96).
"Two men looked through the bars. One saw the mud, the other, the stars." (pg. 99)
I loved this book. This is a book I am sure I will be returning to when I need to be reminded of what God defines as success. If you want to listen to these principles in a sermon, you can listen to it here.
