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COVER STORYFor many, membership matters areabout statistics, not ministry. How doyou see keeping updated records as aministry to the church that will helpus serve our members better?First of all, auditing membershipand member retention are not mutuallyexclusive. This is very importantto realize. Membership audit is anexercise in which we use a redemptiveapproach to locate those who havebeen missing. There are three majorways we lose members: through apostasy,through those missing fromchurch attendance, and throughdeath. Second, membership audit is aredemptive process. We need to locatemissing members. No stone should gounturned as we try to locate those weno longer see at worship. This maygo as far as publishing a list of namesof missing members and circulatingthis list in the local church, district,and probably both conference-wideand union-wide. We should work diligentlyto ascertain their whereabouts.If they have emigrated to other countries,we need to write to them. Sothis is a long and tedious processbecause we depend on the local networkof church members. Third,regarding those who have been distohelp churches and church membersto more effectively “reachacross” to those who have become orare in the process of becoming inactive.One of the most simple buteffective ways to reach across is tovisit those who are not attendinganymore. That was the basic strategyof one of the foremost evangelists ofour denomination who focused onreaching the prodigals. FordyceDetamore visited, and visited, anddid more visiting of those who hadleft. His visits brought back many. Itis something that does not need specialtraining or advanced studies. Itjust requires a large dose of love,patience, and the capacity to listen.Small group fellowship is a morecontemporary way to cultivate interactionand friendships. These can bestudy groups, sharing groups, oractivity groups of various kinds.Every new convert needs at least sevenfriendships in the church if he or sheis to be well assimilated in the church.The underlying goal of small groupfellowship is to develop relationshipsand build trust with new converts orthose who are becoming or havebecome inactive.Along with these relationships,people need to be involved in the lifeof the church. They must be given aresponsibility. Their participation in aministry of the church nurtures commitmentto and identification withthe church.There are many new resourcesavailable as tools to cultivate discipleshipamong new members. One curriculumis called “Growing FruitfulDisciples,” prepared by the GeneralConference Sabbath School Department.7 Another initiative, called“Churches of Refuge,” has beenlaunched by the Center for YouthEvangelism. It seeks to nurture safe,loving, and accepting spiritual communitiesthat welcome young people. 8An academic course, “Discipling, Nurturing,and Reclaiming,” will beoffered in many of our colleges andseminaries to help future pastors,church leaders, and members becomeaware of the needs, strategies, andresources in this area. 9As we begin to take note of thosewho have left, Ellen White has thesewords of exhortation and encouragementfor us. “Hunt up the [prodigals],those who once knew whatreligion was, and give them the messageof mercy. The story of Christ’slove will touch a chord in theirhearts. Christ draws human beingsto himself with the chord which Godhas let down from heaven to save therace.” 10 What a privilege to catch aglimpse of the joy that fills all ofheaven when one prodigal son ordaughter returns. n1Part of this number was influenced by failure to update recordsof people who had died. Others had moved away and joinedanother Adventist church by profession of faith or rebaptism,resulting in duplicate records.2Michael Green, Evangelism Through the Local Church: AComprehensive Guide to All Aspects of Evangelism (Nashville:Thomas Nelson, 1992), p. 292.3Ibid., p. 293.4Lyle E. Schaller, Assimilating New Members (Nashville:Abingdon, 1978), pp. 67-98.5All Scripture quotations in this article are from the Holy Bible,New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.6Paul Tompkins, “Never Give Up,” Leadership DevelopmentJournal, Trans-European Division (May 2012), summarizingconclusions from his D.Min. research; idem, “Bringing HomeOur Adventist Prodigals: A Strategic Plan to Reclaim Youthin the Trans-European Division” (D.Min. project, AndrewsUniversity, 2009).7Visit www.growingfruitfuldisciples.com for more information.8Check these Web sites: www.cye.org/cor/about.html. ForEurope: www.churchofrefuge.eu/. Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CYECOR.9Additional resources devoted to reclaiming ministries includethe following two Web sites, which are independently fundedbut staffed by Adventist members: www.creativeministry.org/article/67/store/reconnecting-ministries, part ofCreativeMinistry, reflecting the work of Paul Richardson andothers. Operation Reconnect is a Web site operated by MikeJones. Jones went through his own experience of leaving thechurch and coming back. The site lists books, DVDs, a blog,and other ideas and resources, and can be found at www.reconnectnow.org.10Ellen G. White, in General Conference Bulletin, Apr. 12, 1901.Ellen White used the commonly employed word “backsliders.”Today this word is considered offensive and is avoided.Benjamin D. Schoun isa general vice presidentof the General Conferenceof Seventh-dayAdventists and lives with his wife, Carol, inLaurel, Maryland, U.S.A.MembershipIs a R edeAdventist World executive editorBill Knott recently sat down with G. T.Ng, secretary of the General Conferenceof Seventh-day Adventists, to speakabout membership audits and theirimportance for member retention.20 Adventist World | December 2012
Auditmptive ProcessG. T. Ngcouraged, we need to organize ourelders and deacons to visit them on aregular basis, redeeming them,because they have actually been losttwice—once before coming to Christ,and once after joining His church. Ifeventually after a year of sustainedappeals, they say, “No, don’t botherme,” then we have to say, “You know,my brother or my sister, the doors ofthe church are always open. TheFather’s arms are always open. If everyou want to return to the church, youare always welcome. We can alwaysrebaptize you, and we will restoreyour name. But for now, after a yearof work, we need to take your nameoff the membership book.”So you suggest that the audit processis designed to motivate the church togo looking for the lost?Yes, and many of the union conferencesaround the world are discoveringjust that. They say, “Look how we havedone evangelism. We have not done agood job. Look at the number of missing[members]. We have been remiss inour responsibility of nurturing thesepeople. We have to do a better job.”It really is not for the sake of just therecord, is it? It’s to motivate thechurch to do its evangelism and itsmission better.It’s part of the revival and reformationprocess.How is this ministry connected to therevival and reformation process?How could it not be? We can’t getaway from it. By doing the audit, wewill understand that follow-up shouldbe part of evangelism. Often in thepast, after evangelism was over, wedidn’t follow up. We have to use a betterand more productive methodology.As some South American countrieshave discovered, by highlightingsmall-group ministry they have a betterrate of success in retaining membersafter baptism because these individualshave already been incorporatedinto the church before they areever baptized.Have you found that some places arefearful of doing audits because it willsomehow change their reputation?The fear has been substantial insome regions, but I have good newsto tell you. The fear is now subsidingin many parts of the world. WestAfrica is taking the bull by thehorns. They are very serious. It isalso an ethical issue. When we submitstatistical reports, can we vouchthat the figures that we submit arereally valid figures?Is this an ongoing process, or do yousee this happening once in a windowof three to five years?We are in this for the long haul,because we haven’t been doing auditsfor the past 60 years of the life of thechurch. I think it will take more thanthree or five years to achieve an accuraterecord. Moreover, I think one ofthe more resisting factors are theadministrators themselves, becausethe quota at a constituency meetingdepends on membership figures. Wehave actually learned of executive secretariesbeing told by their presidents,“Do nothing; I don’t want a membershipaudit to be conducted in myquinquennium on my watch.”When the church is actively involvedin the steps you describe, going outand finding the missing, invitingthem to return, is this doing somethingspiritually for the membersthemselves?That is why this process is part ofrevival. We are caring for people. I’mafraid that many times we are guilty ofinfanticide, unfortunately. We leavethe baby to sink or to swim, and manytimes they die. We ignore our responsibilities,and that’s really a crime.Scripture calls us to “grow up intoChrist.” Doing that means helpingeach other, caring about each other,and keeping each other spirituallyaccountable. nPHOTO BY SANDRA BLACKMER December 2012 | Adventist World 21
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COVER STORYFor many, membership matters areabout statistics, not ministry. How doyou see keeping updated records <strong>as</strong> aministry to the church that will helpus serve our members better?First of all, auditing membershipand member retention are not mutuallyexclusive. This is very importantto realize. Membership audit is anexercise in which we use a redemptiveapproach to locate those who havebeen missing. There are three majorways we lose members: through apost<strong>as</strong>y,through those missing fromchurch attendance, and throughdeath. Second, membership audit is aredemptive process. We need to locatemissing members. No stone should gounturned <strong>as</strong> we try to locate those weno longer see at worship. This maygo <strong>as</strong> far <strong>as</strong> publishing a list of namesof missing members and circulatingthis list in the local church, district,and probably both conference-wideand union-wide. We should work diligentlyto <strong>as</strong>certain their whereabouts.If they have emigrated to other countries,we need to write to them. Sothis is a long and tedious processbecause we depend on the local networkof church members. Third,regarding those who have been distohelp churches and church membersto more effectively “reachacross” to those who have become orare in the process of becoming inactive.One of the most simple buteffective ways to reach across is tovisit those who are not attendinganymore. That w<strong>as</strong> the b<strong>as</strong>ic strategyof one of the foremost evangelists ofour denomination who focused onreaching the prodigals. FordyceDetamore visited, and visited, anddid more visiting of those who hadleft. His visits brought back many. Itis something that does not need specialtraining or advanced studies. Itjust requires a large dose of love,patience, and the capacity to listen.Small group fellowship is a morecontemporary way to cultivate interactionand friendships. These can bestudy groups, sharing groups, oractivity groups of various kinds.Every new convert needs at le<strong>as</strong>t sevenfriendships in the church if he or sheis to be well <strong>as</strong>similated in the church.The underlying goal of small groupfellowship is to develop relationshipsand build trust with new converts orthose who are becoming or havebecome inactive.Along with these relationships,people need to be involved in the lifeof the church. They must be given aresponsibility. Their participation in aministry of the church nurtures commitmentto and identification withthe church.There are many new resourcesavailable <strong>as</strong> tools to cultivate discipleshipamong new members. One curriculumis called “Growing FruitfulDisciples,” prepared by the GeneralConference Sabbath School Department.7 Another initiative, called“Churches of Refuge,” h<strong>as</strong> beenlaunched by the Center for YouthEvangelism. It seeks to nurture safe,loving, and accepting spiritual communitiesthat welcome young people. 8An academic course, “Discipling, Nurturing,and Reclaiming,” will beoffered in many of our colleges andseminaries to help future p<strong>as</strong>tors,church leaders, and members becomeaware of the needs, strategies, andresources in this area. 9As we begin to take note of thosewho have left, Ellen White h<strong>as</strong> thesewords of exhortation and encouragementfor us. “Hunt up the [prodigals],those who once knew whatreligion w<strong>as</strong>, and give them the messageof mercy. The story of Christ’slove will touch a chord in theirhearts. Christ draws human beingsto himself with the chord which Godh<strong>as</strong> let down from heaven to save therace.” 10 What a privilege to catch aglimpse of the joy that fills all ofheaven when one prodigal son ordaughter returns. n1Part of this number w<strong>as</strong> influenced by failure to update recordsof people who had died. Others had moved away and joinedanother <strong>Adventist</strong> church by profession of faith or rebaptism,resulting in duplicate records.2Michael Green, Evangelism Through the Local Church: AComprehensive Guide to All Aspects of Evangelism (N<strong>as</strong>hville:Thom<strong>as</strong> Nelson, 1992), p. 292.3Ibid., p. 293.4Lyle E. Schaller, Assimilating New Members (N<strong>as</strong>hville:Abingdon, 1978), pp. 67-98.5All Scripture quotations in this article are from the Holy Bible,New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.6Paul Tompkins, “Never Give Up,” Leadership DevelopmentJournal, Trans-European Division (May 2012), summarizingconclusions from his D.Min. research; idem, “Bringing HomeOur <strong>Adventist</strong> Prodigals: A Strategic Plan to Reclaim Youthin the Trans-European Division” (D.Min. project, AndrewsUniversity, 2009).7Visit www.growingfruitfuldisciples.com for more information.8Check these Web sites: www.cye.org/cor/about.html. ForEurope: www.churchofrefuge.eu/. Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CYECOR.9Additional resources devoted to reclaiming ministries includethe following two Web sites, which are independently fundedbut staffed by <strong>Adventist</strong> members: www.creativeministry.org/article/67/store/reconnecting-ministries, part ofCreativeMinistry, reflecting the work of Paul Richardson andothers. Operation Reconnect is a Web site operated by MikeJones. Jones went through his own experience of leaving thechurch and coming back. The site lists books, DVDs, a blog,and other ide<strong>as</strong> and resources, and can be found at www.reconnectnow.org.10Ellen G. White, in General Conference Bulletin, Apr. 12, 1901.Ellen White used the commonly employed word “backsliders.”Today this word is considered offensive and is avoided.Benjamin D. Schoun isa general vice presidentof the General Conferenceof Seventh-day<strong>Adventist</strong>s and lives with his wife, Carol, inLaurel, Maryland, U.S.A.MembershipIs a R ede<strong>Adventist</strong> <strong>World</strong> executive editorBill Knott recently sat down with G. T.Ng, secretary of the General Conferenceof Seventh-day <strong>Adventist</strong>s, to speakabout membership audits and theirimportance for member retention.20 <strong>Adventist</strong> <strong>World</strong> | December 2012
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