On Saturday, March 4, the Piedmont Conference held its annual meeting at First Advent Christian Church in Hickory. Forty-one delegates plus a few guests gathered from our 25 churches to conduct the business of the conference. Business meeting don’t generally draw large crowds, because it isn’t terribly entertaining to listen to reports, elect officers, and approve budgets (particularly when it gets to 1pm and you haven’t had lunch). In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here…” Except—
Except that the business decisions of the church, conference, Appalachian Region (July 29), and General Conference (Aug. 7-11) have eternal consequences. In one sense, it’s not important whose names are on the ballot or what budget items get changed. Unless someone reads the minutes, they probably won’t remember those details when they get home. But those small decisions may result in lives changed for eternity. Helping to fund campground projects may make it possible for some child or teen to hear the gospel for the first time. Supporting youth worker retreats or summer ministry teams may give some young person an experience in ministry that leads to a call to vocational ministry as a pastor or missionary. The ministerial committee’s decision to invest time in mentoring new pastors may better equip them to serve their churches by preaching the Word and equipping the saints. Routine decisions can create a chain reaction of people coming to faith and being discipled in order to disciple others.
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” (Rom. 10:14-15a). And how are they sent without the financial and prayerful support of the people of God?
In the 160+ years of our denomination, there have been hundreds of churches planted, mission fields established in dozens of countries, and many thousands of people who have come to faith in Jesus Christ because of routine decisions that were made in business meetings at various levels. During the Piedmont Conference meeting we took a few minutes to give thanks for the lives of Margaret Helms and Hal Patterson. They were two normal folks who made the decision to follow where God was leading, and it can truthfully be said that God only knows how many lives have been, and continue to be, impacted for eternity because of many small decisions they made along the way.
Bringing it a little closer to home, church boards decide what fundraisers they choose to participate in and what events they support. The board of Dulin’s Grove decided to collect our Penny Crusade offerings on the first Sunday of each month as a regular reminder that the work of the church extends far beyond the walls of our sanctuary and that people around the world need the eternally lifechanging Word of the Gospel. We also encourage young people to participate in camps and retreats and we pray for their salvation and growth through such events.
Business meetings may not be exciting, and at times may bring a sense of dread, but we need to keep an eternal perspective. Our goal is not simply to run a corporation and abide by our constitution and bylaws. Our ultimate purpose is to obey the Great Commandment and Great Commission—to love God and others as we “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20a). God may use the routine business of our church, conference, region, and General Conference as tools to bring eternal life to those we know and love as well as to those we have not yet met.
© 2023 Dawn Rutan. All Scripture ESV. This post previously appeared on our Appalachian Region website. Photo by Matt Broadway.
