Some of you will remember the article I wrote back in January about the partnership principle in ministry. At that time, our church had partnered with Connection Fellowship in our area and a much larger church in the Atlanta area to help “recycle” unused church resources. We are still able to help church planters in our area from this partnership that has resulted in even more resources since that article was published. Looking back at that article, I did a pretty good job about dealing with the concept of partnerships, but I failed to really dive into the friendship aspect that made that partnership work.
AtkinsArt Fulks was the pastor at Connection Fellowship when I wrote about the topic of partnerships, and in reality had it not been for his friendship with a staff member at the larger church, the “recycle” ministry would never have taken place. It was his friendship with that staff member that allowed me to benefit because of my friendship with Art. I had never heard of the staff member and really had no idea about the church where he served, although I had ridden by it on I-85 heading to Atlanta countless times. So what is the point of this article? Simply put, it is this: Without friendships, there will be no partnerships.
For some reason, the concept that we as evangelical churches and pastors are in competition with each other has greatly hindered our ability to minister with other like-minded people. We have become so territorial and numbers-driven by the fear of “What if some of the members of our church like what that church does better and they leave our church” that we have not sought out friendships that can become true partnerships in ministry. I say to you that it should not be this way, and if a church or a pastor has this mindset, then repentance is what is needed to help focus be regained.
For others, they have not sought out intentional friendships that could lead to partnerships because they have been “burned” in the past, have had promises made that were not kept, and have seen those they became close to be called to another area of ministry and the partnerships that were made with their churches dwindle into oblivion. This mindset also needs a level of repentance, if any of these reasons have caused a church or a pastor to no longer seek out those who can help them do more together than they could ever do on their own.
I have been blessed to have Art as a close personal friend these past few years, and I have enjoyed partnering with Connection Fellowship to minister in our community. Art will be leaving in a few weeks to accept a staff position in Atlanta, and I am greatly saddened that his family is moving. Our partnership with Connection Fellowship has now become a friendship with a sister church, and we plan to continue to minister together. My friendship with Art will not end because he has been called to another area of service, and now a partnership with another body of believers in another state will be birthed. I want to encourage us all as we strive for Great Commission Living to seek out friendships that can lead to partnerships for the glory of God.
– Atkins is pastor of Powdersville First Baptist Church and president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.