When a person is on physical life support, there are not many viable options available in order to offer the best chance at recovery to full health. There may be a necessary surgical procedure or a preferred medical treatment that would offer hope, but at some point the person will either move toward recovery or simply die. When a church experiences a life-threatening condition, the dynamics are very similar. Our church was about to be placed on spiritual life support unless some dramatic measures were taken.
At the time of my arrival as pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church in 1992, this all-white congregation displayed outward signs of life and vitality, such as 200 people in attendance, no debt, located right off a major thoroughfare in southwest Houston, and a solid base of adults from the ages 40-60. However, the spiritual vital signs painted a dramatically different picture. At the pinnacle of their growth in the mid-eighties, Wilcrest had approximately 500 people in attendance with a full staff and ministry programs, yet the church had been in decline for the previous 5 years with very few baptisms or additions. During this sharp decline, one of the remaining members said, “Many people left and there was so much work to do. It was exhausting. We wondered if things would ever get better.” With the radical racial transition in the surrounding neighborhood, the church failed to reflect or reach the diverse community. Spiritual life was hanging in the balance.
In the same way that the medical staff attends to the patient in critical need, God graciously provides health and hope to the one who asks. John’s gospel records an insightful account of a man lying beside the pool of Bethesda waiting for angels to stir the water in order that he might be the first to enter and receive healing. Jesus approaches the man who had been in this dire state for 38 years with a provocative question, “Do you wish to get well?” This question might sound like it begs an obvious answer. The healing power of Jesus Christ is never doubted, but there is an issue of whether the man wants to be healed. It very well could be that this crippled man is content living in dependence on others or desires to remain in a familiar lifestyle, fearing the unknown. However, the man immediately responds favorably and receives the healing he so desperately needs.
The same question was posed to the declining spiritual condition of Wilcrest, “Do you wish to get well?” Wilcrest responded with a resounding “yes” by calling a 29 year-old Chinese pastor and adopting the vision statement: Wilcrest Baptist Church is God’s multiethnic bridge that draws all people to Jesus Christ who transforms them from unbelievers to missionaries.”
The physical healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda was instantaneous, while the spiritual healing of Wilcrest was a much more deliberate process. Several changes were implemented that transformed the church to spiritual health. First, the “spiritual IV” was hooked up to the body of Christ at Wilcrest supplying the most vital spiritual nutrient, the Word of God. The teaching and preaching of Scriptures provided the much needed nourishment and strength for a church that previously possessed no vision to reach the racially diverse community surrounding the church.
Secondly, the spiritual food restored the health of the congregation in such a way that enabled the church to adopt a God-sized vision. Thirdly, the church addressed the key visible areas of worship and leadership. Changes were slowly incorporated with a variety of worship styles from around the world. The old hymns now carried a different beat, while new songs were introduced with fervor.
In the area of leadership, the church called our first African American staff member as the minister to students. This change did not result in an immediate influx of blacks into a predominant white congregation, but it did teach our white members how to follow the leadership of an African American. All of these key developments ensured the spiritual health of a church that now celebrates members from approximately 44 different nations.
God never heals just to heal. He heals in order that the one healed might be a change agent for those around him. God did not transform a dying white congregation into a multiracial congregation so that we might sit back and enjoy our new health. God called Wilcrest to now open an emergency room for those who are spiritually in critical need. In an emergency room, there is always a sense of urgency with life often hanging in the balance.
Furthermore, the physical need takes priority over skin color, physical appearance, racial and ethnic background. There is only one mandate: save the life. In the spiritual emergency room, the spiritual condition of the individual takes priority over every other outward or physical characteristic. There is one and only mandate: save the life. God transformed Wilcrest from needing spiritual life support to operating a spiritual emergency room for every person in need.
