The Barnabas Factor

The Barnabas Factor
Tags: Church Growth, Fellowship, Leadership, Research
October 19, 2009

Have you ever stopped to think what Paul’s ministry might have been like without a Barnabas? It is true; Paul was a driven man. Paul had go-go-go galore, and had he taken the church planter evaluation, he would have passed with flying colors. I’m sure, even without a guy like Barnabas next to him, he would have had a great impact on the culture, planted a few churches and even enjoyed a time of measurable success. Yet I have to wonder; did Barnabas play a role in the success of Paul’s ministry? I think so!

Paul needed Barnabas. Let me explain. By the time Paul was converted, he had a black reputation among the Jews. Paul, formerly known as Saul, was infamously known as a violent, hateful, murderous, persecutor of those that followed Jesus. Where the blood of new coverts was spilled, there was Saul, like a vicious predator, drinking in each death. Like a twisted and evil James Bond, he had a license to kill. Obviously he was good at ferreting out new believers because everyone was afraid of him. As Saul, he was probably one of the most powerful Jewish leaders of his time. He describes himself as a Jew who was, “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless”. Paul was no small player.

When Saul was converted, he is claimed that none other that Jesus himself saved him. I’m sure this far-fetched story was doubted. I bet Jews and Gentiles alike thought Paul was going undercover to get to the kingpins behind this budding religious movement. The Christians of that day were suspicious of Paul. If they allowed him into their inner circles and he turned out to be an imposter, they realized that their lives and the lives of their families might be snuffed out in the middle of the night. Would you trust Paul? I’m not sure I would. At any rate, the scripture helps us to understand that he wasn’t trusted. Most would have been quite comfortable to let Paul fend for himself.

Now let’s return to Barnabas. Barnabas was involved in the new Church, and he has a good reputation among converts. Barnabas was upstanding among his peers. It was Barnabas that accepted Paul. The Bible never allows us into this conversation or series of conversations between these two, but somehow, Barnabas was able to believe in Paul’s conversion. If it had not been for Barnabas’ belief in Paul’s intentions, Paul would have never been accepted into the ranks of the converts, given their stamp of approval, and sent on missionary journeys by the church in Antioch. Barnabas was the key Paul needed to enter into his new life’s mission. God used Barnabas in a very important way. The trust of Barnabas propelled Paul’s ministry into a whole new level. Because Barnabas had trust, those who formerly distrusted Paul soon stood behind him, and like Barnabas, they too sought to elevate and support Paul’s calling to go forth and spread the good news.

So what's the point? Church planters are often treated like Paul. Often they begin their new position as outsiders. As they begin to go about the business of planting a new church, they are viewed with suspicion, seen as competitors, misunderstood and left to fend for themselves. In many ways, they have a tide of emotional stress that constantly threatens to pull them under. Too often, the personal and emotional support of a church planter is overlooked. The pattern of planting usually goes like this: “Here’s your training. Got it? Good. Here’s your money. Take care with that. Oh, here’s how much freedom you have to shape your church with. Understand? Good. Okay buddy, go get-em!” This is all good, but the church planter goes out into the big bad world alone, alone with their mission, alone with the pack of emotionally stresses that will soon eagerly surround them.

Pastoral burnout is a major problem in the ministry. Any ministry is lonely, and church planting, being what it is, amplifies this loneliness. Many church planters feel isolated, detached, and misunderstood. The added pressures involved in church-planting can elevate that sense of loneliness to an all-time high. In turn, this loneliness can make the planter feel isolated, depressed, or burnt out. Because of this, encouragement is a big issue among church planters. The level of emotional support a church planter receives from the sponsoring agency will play a huge part in the emotional well-being of the plant itself.

My first church planting experience began with great hope and expectation, but it ended in failure. I was not prepared for what I would face on the field from my fellow pastors and ministers. I expected distrust from the unchurched in my new community, but I did not expect the animosity I faced from some of the religious leaders surrounding me. My surprise inflated dramatically as I dealt with the animosity directed at me from some colleagues in my own denomination. All of this unexpected disapproval weighed heavy on my heart and cast me into a state of depression. After my first year of church planting, I almost walked away from the ministry.

In 1984, The Journal for Advent Christian Thought published an article by John Roller about church-planting success and failures within the Advent Christian Church. Roller discovered that new Advent churches planted in an area that have more than thirteen other Advent churches have a “16% better survival rate” than new churches planted in an area with fewer than thirteen churches. Roller attributes his findings to what he labels as the “fellowship factor”. Roller’s study also found that church plants have a “19% better survival rate” in states that attempt to plant more churches. His point is, the more attempts made by a given state, the more supportive, open, and accepting that group of churches are to church planting in their areas.

In 1995, Larry McCrary studied essential elements in church planting. His study was designed to look at relational issues involved in strong church plants. Out of this study, seventeen principles for starting strong new churches were developed. McCrary’s fifth principle has to do with the personal and emotional support given by a sponsoring agency. McCrary reveals that emotional support from a sponsoring agency is vital to the health and well being of both the church planter as well as the plant.

In my own experience, I found that handling the ridicule and resentment from my own group added almost intolerable levels of unexpected pressure. I had been in desperate need of a Barnabas or two. Regular encouragement from the pastors within my district would have given me added strength to carry on when things became unbearable. Instead, the open suspicion and verbal attacks from my colleagues pulled me in the opposite direction. The resistance I felt from my colleagues ultimately led me to question my own abilities. My point is this; Be a Barnabas. Find some planter and his family and encourage them as they seek to do the will of God by spreading His word in a new and fresh way. Never underestimate the power of encouragement.

Excerpted from: Planting Fast Growing Churches - A research-based book on factors of fast growing church plants.