The Pastor Makes All the Difference in Congregational Growth

*Names have been changed*

Of all the research I did on why people leave the church, none of them left because the pastor was terrible. No one complained about a pastor’s sermons or their demeanor. Here are some of the tops reasons:

Ministry Today Mag:

• Roots are not established.
• Connections are not made.
• Running from the truth.
• Because of an offense.
• Loss of hunger.

Outreach Magazine

• “I got out of the habit.”
• “I left after I graduated from high school.”
• “I decided I didn’t like the institutional church.”
• “I was hurt at the church.”
• “I just couldn’t find a church to meet my needs.”
• “I had a need, and the church didn’t meet it.”
• “I never felt connected in the church.”
• “I did not give to the church.”
• “I left when Pastor John left.”
• “We moved and never went back to church.”

I believe the pastor of a church makes all the difference to where you go to church. It plays many roles in your faith, but more importantly, in how the church operates and what it believes in. Find a church where you love the pastor, and you will probably like the church too. This rule…