How should we define success in ministry?

Take a look at the most-celebrated names in broader evangelicalism, and it would be easy to conclude that numerical fruitfulness is what defines ministerial success. But both Scripture and church history remind us that steadfast faithfulness is actually the true measure of success.

Consider the prophet Jeremiah, for example, whose tireless preaching was met with little to no visible fruit. Or William Carey, at the outset of his heroic missionary career, who waited years before there was any response to his evangelistic efforts.

In today's post, I would like to consider some of the dangers that come from measuring success by the wrong standard.

Unintended Consequences

When “numerical fruitfulness” is equated with “ministry success,” a number of unintended consequences may surface. Here are a few:

1. When ministry labors (Col. 1:29) fail to yield noticeable numerical fruitfulness, pastors can be tempted to abandon a biblical philosophy of ministry in favor of church growth theory.

One of the strange phenomena of this “New Calvinism” is the proliferation of churches that have tried to merge Reformed theology with a market-driven methodology. Far too many in the “young, restless, reformed movement” promote Calvinistic soteriology while at the same time maintaining an unbiblical ecclesiology. This is problematic, in large measure, because biblical oil and pragmatic vinegar simply do not mix!

John MacArthur, David Wells, and Gary Gilley have addressed this issue quite well here, here and here. As I've noted elsewhere, not everything that glitters is gold.

2. When the faithful proclamation of Scripture does not result in visible numerical fruitfulness, pastors can be tempted to abandon genuine expository preaching.

When numbers are made the standard of success, sound biblical exposition is often thrown overboard. In its place, ‘evangelical fluff’ is served up for the sake of popular appeal, in hopes of establishing a broader audience. It is a sad reality but many today seem to wear Hebrews 5:12–14 as a badge of honor.

Shallow sermons, in turn, propagate the doctrinal ignorance, biblical illiteracy, and theological compromise that dominates the American evangelical landscape today. To make matters worse, gifted orators who mishandle the Scriptures are often elevated as exemplary leaders. The numerical success of their ministries is used to justify their lack of faithfulness to the Word of God.

3. When numbers, nickels, and noses are equated with “ministry success” many church planters, missionaries, and pastors, can be tempted to leave their current “unsuccessful” ministries prematurely.

Surely one of the reasons behind the proliferation of two to three-year ministry tenures comes back to this. When numeric success, rather than ministry faithfulness, is paraded (even unintentionally), it has the potential to dishearten and discourage those who do not see that visible fruit.

The Way Forward

What is the way forward for the evangelical church? Consider the following four points:

1. Those who minister faithfully without witnessing abundant fruitfulness must preach the truth of Scripture to their own heart day and night.

Brothers, we need to regularly remind ourselves that faithfulness not popularity is God's standard of success. In keeping with that truth, we ought to meditate on passages like Psalms 42–43, Luke 9:57–62, 14:7–11, and 1 Corinthians 3:5–8.

As the apostle Paul explained: "What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you have believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God causes the growth" (1 Cor. 3:5–8).

The rare jewel of Christian contentment is something God wants all of us to learn (Phil. 4:11–13). Barren seasons are ripe occasions for spiritual maturation. Let all who bear the name of Christ walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:6–10).

2. Those who experience abundant ministry blessings must model humble, Christlike servant-leadership.

The leading men in Evangelicalism should be exemplary role models of Christian virtue. Those whom God raises up as leaders among leaders must flesh out John 13:13–17, Philippians 2:1–8, and James 2:1–9 as a way of life. Christianity needs more “celebrities” like George Whitefield who often said, “Let the name of Whitefield perish, but Christ be glorified.” As John the Baptist declared seventeen centuries earlier, "I must decrease but He must increase" (John 3:30).

During a recent 9 Marks Pastor’s Conference a pastor friend of mine asked a well known Christian author and conference speaker, “How are we supposed to know if we are doing it right when things seem to be going nowhere?” Mark Dever’s simple answer was “by the Scripture.” My brother-pastor then asked Dever about the word “success," to which he quickly replied, “We really shouldn’t be using that word in ministry.” The American church needs more servant-leaders who uphold and model these virtues.

3. Christian publishers and Christian conference planners should prayerfully consider the (unintended) implications of the decisions they make regarding the people they promote.

“Is Pastor so-and-so a model of the virtues listed above?” “I know Pastor X preaches to thousands of people each Sunday but is he truly a model of holy living and sound preaching?” In short, substance and godliness should trump personality and star-power every time.

A while back Carl Trueman noted, “America is a personality/celebrity oriented culture in a way that Britain, while she may well be catching up, has historically not been. The American church reflects the culture: ministries built around individuals, around big shots, churches that focus on god-like guru figures, all of them pointing to one door.”

May I remind you brothers and sisters that the apostle Paul cared as much about the saints in the no name town of Colossae as he did for the believers in the imperial city of Rome. In the interest of time let me direct you here, here, and here for further reflection.

4. For all those who have not experienced abundant ministry fruitfulness let us thank the Lord for the ways God has chosen to uniquely bless the faithful ministry labors of others.

Every time I visit Southern California I praise God for the many ways He has chosen to grow and expand the Word-centered ministry of Grace Community Church. Bible-saturated ministries of this size are the exception, not the norm (as were the unique ministries of Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Charles Haddon Spurgeon). When these kinds of ministries thrive, we can rejoice in the blessings and goodness of God.

God does not need to validate the work of His bondservants with “this side of eternity” blessings, but when He does, let us return thanks in the spirit of Ephesians 3:20–21: "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

A Final Word

Whether or not our ministries are abundantly fruitful, let us remember the words of our Master who said, "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done'" (Luke 17:10).

"Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. . . . So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God" (1 Cor. 3:9, 21–23).