Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

friendships,” apply to these men. Their God-given wisdom has enabled them to remain long
years in their pastorates.
4. Patience.—The average pastor is guilty of “green-grass, low-fence mentality.” He
preaches for three years, then when things get rough he transfers to the next pastorate where he
duplicates another three-year ministry. The pastors in this book have settled down to spend their
life at one church. One minister testified that his greatest growth came at the end of his sixth
year.
These men have faced the same pressures in the pastorate as others, only they were able
to “bear and forebear.” God rewarded their patience with growth and prosperity. Bruce
Cummons, Massillon Baptist Temple, began the church and it grew slowly in the first years. If
there were opportunities to go to larger churches, he does not discuss them, for God called him to
Massillon and he had patience to abide in the place where God called him.
5. Ability to show appreciation to others.—Selfish men take glory to themselves, while a
great man shares his leadership with others, showing appreciation for the things their staff have
done. In an interview with Dr. Bob Gray for this book, he specifically noted that the men on his
staff should be recognized for the great job they had done at Trinity Baptist Church. One pastor,
who was interviewed but not included in the book, stated, “I do not want the name or quotations
from any of the members of my staff; it might make them jealous of each other.” I wondered if
he were not the jealous one.
These pastors have the ability to express appreciation to their lay members-such as a
bouquet of roses for a faithful nursery worker, a plaque for faithful service, or gracious words of
appreciation from the pulpit for small jobs yet faithfully performed. Dr. George Crane says,
“Appreciative words are the most powerful force for goodwill on earth.”
Sometimes the pastors of fundamental churches are criticized because their people are
beneficent toward them, giving them automobiles, suits, vacations; at the same time pastors of
liberal churches are not so favored by their people. Fundamental pastors are usually gracious
individuals who show appreciation to individuals, and the congregation reciprocates. There is a
greater degree of affection between pastor and flock in the fundamentalist church, since a liberal
cannot have the love of God in him “because he knows not God.” He cannot have this high
degree of supernatural love for his flock, even though he may have natural affection. He has a
technical relationship, not one of affection and admiration.
6. Singlemindedness and purpose.—Only the deep conviction that God is calling a
minister will make him sacrifice salary and go door-to-door inviting people to come to a church
that he is starting. This deep conviction is born in his heart from God. It is nurtured daily through
prayer and the study of the Word of God. Some of these pastors relinquish positions in the world
and give themselves totally to the ministry. John Wanamaker is quoted as saying, “A man is not
doing much until the cause he works for possesses all there is of him.”
7. Ability to deal with fear.—There are many fears in building a great church; the greatest
is fear of failure. A pastor who begins a church wonders if anyone will attend, especially to hear
him preach the Word of God. The psalmist said, “I sought the Lord and he heard me and