Q&A with Bob Russell

Author of When God Builds a Church

Q: Is Southeast Christian Church’s mega-church status the result of careful planning for growth?

A: Not in the sense that we set “mega-church” status as a goal. God doesn’t define success by the size of our attendance, offerings or buildings, so we have tried to measure our effectiveness in other terms. Our goal has been to maintain faithfulness to God’s Word, increase our conformity to Christ and minister to those in need. The increase in attendance, giving and buildings has been the work of God. Some day the mega-church may become a thing of the past, but right now God is choosing to use some very large congregations, such as Southeast, to reach thousands for Christ and to revive the hearts of thousands more.

Q: Do you believe the methodology Southeast has employed is applicable to other evangelical churches seeking growth?

A: Well, you can’t fight Goliath wearing Saul’s armor. In other words, you can’t minister with someone else’s style, and the methods we implemented at Southeast may or may not work at a particular church. But the principles that undergird those methods—the ten principles I discuss in the book—should be enlisted by every congregation that intends to glorify Jesus Christ. I’ll share some specific ways our church has tried to apply these principles, but remember that the secret ingredients are the principles themselves, not the applications.

Q: How do you view the role of worship in the life of a church?

A: First of all, let me say that there is no more divisive topic in churches today than the role and methodology of worship. For us, it has been important to remember that the primary purpose of worship is not to entertain those in the pews, but to glorify God. The music style should not be the primary focus; instead leadership should be concerned with creating a sense of awe and a sense of joy within the worship service. I believe that authentic worship draws seekers to Christ with magnetic attraction, and this may actually be the best method of evangelism.

Q: You dedicate an entire an entire chapter of your book to excellence. Why spend so much time on a topic that is addressed more often in business school than in seminary?

A: For precisely that reason. Excellence is often the last concern for a “spiritually minded” church, yet it can be the first excuse for those who are examining the gospel message from afar. The Old Testament is full of instances where God demanded the best, first and most perfect for His use. Why should New Testament Christians be satisfied with sloppy grounds keeping, error-filled bulletins, disorganized classrooms and haphazard worship services when we bring our gifts to God? Excellence in church programming calls for attention to detail, cleanliness, organization, friendliness and practice. The difference between a church dedicated to excellence and one satisfied with mediocrity will be the power of its attraction to the world we’re trying to reach for Christ.

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Q&A with Bob Russell/page two

Q: You have said that churches often let Administrators run the church when Visionaries should be equally involved in decision-making. What do you mean by this?

A: There are two types of leaders on most boards—the visionary and the administrator. The administrator is practical, organized and thorough, while the visionary is idealistic, upbeat and positive. And, believe me, these two leaders can get on each other’s nerves! Both leaders are necessary, but it is unwise to let either leader dominate the decision-making process—even though the strong tendency in most churches is to let the administrator have the most influence. At the point of action, it is imperative that the visionary and the administrator work together. The visionary has a sense of timing, momentum and available resources. “The time is now,” the visionary will say. The administrator has to be willing to go along, take the risk and step out in faith.

Q: How is the leadership structured at Southeast Christian Church?

A: We have two silos of leadership in our organizational structure. The elders—23 mostly lay volunteers who set the culture and are appointed to oversee the church (I am one of these elders); and the paid staff—now over 200 ministers and employees who seek to daily implement the philosophy set by the overseers. Various committees within the church manage specific responsibilities under the leadership of an elder or deacon who chairs each committee. This delegation of responsibilities has enabled our ever-growing church to take on new and important ministries without overwhelming one minister or group of workers.

Q: How do 23 elders and 200 staff people meet the needs of a 14,000-member church?

A: People assume that the paid staff or elders lead the ministry efforts of a church, but I’m convinced that more “ministering” is actually accomplished by lay volunteers. We have 4,000 people involved in ministry opportunities, and we try to grow that ratio each year. We’ve discovered that the larger our church has grown, the more dependent it has become on every member to grow spiritually so that they in turn can do the work of ministry. Less than 40% of our budget is spent on staff, a much smaller percentage than most churches. Not only do you stretch your members by involving them in ministry, you save the church money, too!

Q: Is it true that you already have an “exit plan” in place for your retirement?

A: I have been working with our church elders for years on a plan to replace me. No church is successfully built on the shoulders of one man, and that is certainly true at Southeast. Dave Stone, our preaching associate, has been chosen to succeed me, and then the church will hire a new associate to work alongside him. Even now, years before my anticipated retirement, we are beginning to shift a little more of the preaching responsibilities from me to Dave each year. By the time I am gone, the church will already be comfortable with their new leadership.

March 2000

For more information on When God Builds a Church,

contact McClure Muntsinger Public Relations at 615.370.0043.