Who Should Write the Church-Growth Books? Understanding the Role of Seasons in God’s Work & in the ministry of Billy Graham

For example, if you are going down the road and see a line of fully mature trees, you don’t necessarily congratulate the man who is currently over that property, but you need to thank the man who planted those trees 10, 20, or 30 years ago. In the same way, when we see a large number of people (or anyone!) come to Christ, then we need not idolize the person(s) on the stage as much as we need to thank those that have done the hard work of breaking up the fallow ground (hard hearts), planting the seeds, and watering those seeds for decades so that they could one day possibly come to Christ. True gospel work is always work that is built upon the earlier generation’s work. Any church that is anywhere doing anything for the Lord has built upon the work of preceding generations. Preceding generations, most likely, did not get the applause or the accolades because they were simply, quietly, and faithfully planting seeds and watering seeds. No one saw a harvest because no seeds had yet been planted. A harvest can only come once seeds are planted and watered and not before then.

Why is it that we want to get the credit (or give the credit) for one that has but swiped the sickle once to bring in the harvest, when there are many decades of work that had to be done so that the harvest could come? Why is it that we think that the current pastor, current ministry, or that the current group of people within a current context are “so great” or “so smart” or “so Godly,” (and many are!) when the results they are enjoying today are due to the tedious and painstaking labor of those that have long passed from this earth or who are now in their senior years? Any fruit we see today is because of the sweat off someone else’s back yesterday.

So, for those that are writing the books on “10 ways to grow your church” or “5 methods to rapid church growth,” we need, instead, to pass the pen to those who have been faithfully plowing and planting for decades and let them write the book instead. There would be no book if it had not been for faithful saints that have labored tirelessly beforehand.

Let us look at a case study that illustrates these concepts. There is no small debate over the ministry “results” from Billy Graham’s ministry. Some will say that he produced a mass of false conversions due to the nature of his crusades, yet there are others that will say that he was the greatest evangelist of our day. While I do believe that we must be careful about the methods we use in evangelism (especially as it relates to “closing the deal” or getting one to “pray the prayer”), I do believe that we can say that, given the testimony and faithfulness of Graham’s ministry for many years, his evangelistic ministry was genuinely fruitful in many ways. Again, debates about the altar call aside, let us assume that the Lord did save a good number of people through Billy Graham’s ministry. As we watch Graham preach with much passion and biblical conviction, let us also think of the masses that responded to the altar call at the end when he gave his invitation. Let us assume that many were genuinely converted through his ministry as well.

We can now begin to ask a few relevant questions. What was the so-called “secret” to Billy Graham’s apparently fruitful ministry? Was it because he was a great preacher? Certainly, especially in his earlier days, he was a powerful communicator, and, I think, a faithful communicator of God’s Word. Did Billy Graham have great success in his ministry due to ingenuity and creative methods? Certainly, Billy Graham and his organization were very cognizant of using the technology of his day for the gospel.  Yet, is there more behind his “success” than we can see or than we normally reflect upon? I think so!  I believe that the fruit of Billy Graham’s ministry is Not primarily due to the fact that he was simply a great preacher, nor is it due to the fact that they were ingenious about the methods they used; I believe that to whatever extent Billy Graham’s ministry was actually successful and that whatever genuine, Godly fruit arose out of his ministry was due, primarily, to the hard work of faithful saints in regular churches whose names we will never know. The “fruit” of Billy Graham’s ministry is not simply or solely a testimony to his skill and hard work (although that needs to be acknowledged), but it is due to the faithful pastors and congregations doing gospel ministry week-in and week-out, month after month, year after year, decade after decade. I would argue that we would never know who Billy Graham was if it had not been for faithful, regular church folks being faithful, daily, to their Lord in planting seeds and watering those seeds for decade upon decades. I do not want to underplay the work of Graham and his ministry, for that’s not my point. My point is that we need not always and only celebrate those who have the gift, and/or the opportunity, to bring in the harvest, but we must also celebrate and acknowledge those that did all the work before the harvest so that someone (Graham, another so-called “celebrity pastor”!) would be able to bring in a harvest! The old stat is that it takes 12 (or 7 or 15 or whatever!) times for someone to hear the gospel to come to Christ. I don’t know how they come up with that number, but let us suppose that it’s true. Billy Graham just happened to be the “12th guy”! Who did the sharing the previous 11 times? Family members, co-workers, neighbors, friends, classmates, small-town pastors, acquaintances and strangers who were seeking to be faithful to God where they are and did the hard work of patiently and compassionately sharing the gospel so that, one day, God may bring forth a harvest in that person’s life.

So, dear faithful pastor, dear faithful church member to whom no one will ever offer a book deal, nor will they ever ask for your interview or comments at the next, great, Christian conference: Be encouraged! The Lord is using you to build His kingdom! The Lord doesn’t just use the so-called “celebrity pastor,” but God uses the ordinary, normal pastor. God uses the ordinary, normal church member. There would be no “celebrity pastor” without the hard work, the behind-the-scenes-work of God’s regular people who are not seeking to make a name for themselves, but who are quietly and persistently serving Him in their local communities. God works in seasons and God uses different ministers and different churches in the varying seasons to do His work in His timing. Be faithful and continue to plant and to sow the seed of God’s Word and watch God do what only He can do, namely, bring forth the increase to the glory of His name!

^“35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. ³⁶ Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷ For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor” (John 4:35-38).

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: