Church Planting and the Idol of Immediacy

“I think the besetting sin of pastors, maybe especially evangelical pastors, is impatience.” — Eugene Peterson

I have a confession that both my wife and staff can validate. I like to move fast. I drive, read, think, decide, type, eat, and walk quickly. Woe to those who casually dawdle through airports or have the audacity to drive under the speed limit in the passing lane!

Too often my prayer has been, Lord, give me patience NOW.

Over the past few years, though, I’ve been learning to slow down. To be attentive to the Spirit’s pace in our church. To be still before the Lord. Read More

While a pastor may have internal drivers that may prompt him to move at a faster pace than that at which the Holy Spirit is moving, a new church's core group, a sponsoring church, or a judicatory (association, diocese, district, etc.) may put pressure on a pastor to move at such a pace. Among the results of these pressures are premature launching of worship services, inadequate funding, and a lack of vital community connections. A building erected in a hurry is likely to be constructed poorly from shoddy materials and may collapse killing its occupants. The same thing can happen to a new church plant.