Skip to content

Is church growth more important than principle?

Adventist pastor blogs are buzzing with the New York Times story Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock.
The Minnesota pastor, Greg Boyd preached a series of sermons calling his congregation to reject the dangerous confluence of faith, patriotism, and war.  The results?
As Oregon Adventist Pastor points out:

  • His church lost 1,000 of its 5,000 members (mainly white, middle-class professionals).
  • He had to lay off seven of its fifty staff members.
  • His church’s drive to raise $7 million stalled out at $4 million.

But he adds, “Then again, his church has picked up members from the Black, Hispanic, and Hmong communities.”
Probably alarming his ministerial director, Hollywood pastor Ryan Bell proclaims: “Greg Boyd is my hero!

The guru of creative ministry, Monte Sahlin flags the article as well, noting that pastor Boyd is known for his bible-based preaching.
What do you think?
Could an Adventist pastor survive a politically nuanced stand like this?

Subscribe to our newsletter
Spectrum Newsletter: The latest Adventist news at your fingertips.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.