The Kidderminster Principle
By Shawn McMullen
(Excerpted from Unleashing the Potential of the Smaller Church, Standard Publishing, 2006)
I am the minister of the Church of Christ in Milan, Indiana. Milan is a small, semi-rural community (population 1,816) nestled in the eastern edge of Ripley County. Our little town is famous, although you might not have known it. In 1954, Milan’s tiny high school (161 students) sent a team to the Indiana state high school basketball tournament to take on powerhouse Muncie Central. Milan won the state title with a heart-stopping last second shot by guard Bobby Plump. Sports Illustrated listed this team among the top 20 teams of the 20th century. Indiana sports writers named this the Number One sports story in Indiana history. The team’s success (they are the smallest team in history to win the state title) inspired the beloved basketball movie Hoosiers.
It’s hard to miss the moral of the story: you don’t have to be big to be good.
That’s true of churches, too. And it’s a good thing, because predominantly we’re a nation of smaller churches.
A study released by Barna Research reported that the typical church in America has an average worship attendance of 89 adults—that a full 60 percent of Protestant churches in our country are attended by 100 or fewer adults in worship. In fact, only 12 percent of American adults attend churches of 1,000 or more adults.
This is not to downplay the significance of larger churches. They’re here to stay, and they play a vital role in the work of God’s kingdom. I thank God for larger churches and for those who lead and serve in them.
If you’re part of a smaller church, you’re part of something very big.
The Kidderminster Principle
Richard Baxter was a Puritan. Born in London in 1615, Baxter entered the ministry at the age of 26. He spent his early ministry years as an army chaplain, and the next 14 years (1647-1661) ministering with a church in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. He had a passion for preaching and he had a passion for souls—every soul in his community.
Kidderminster was a notoriously corrupt community and Baxter had his work cut out for him. Nevertheless, this small community was dramatically transformed during Baxter’s ministry.
David Smithers notes, “When Baxter arrived in Kidderminster it had a population of about 3,000 weavers who were reckless, ungodly, and content to remain that way. By the end of Baxter’s stay, the entire community was miraculously transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Leonard Ravenhill observed,
The outcome of this contagious passion is best measured by Baxter’s own words: “To the praise of my gracious Master . . . the church at Kidderminster became so full on the Lord’s Day that we had to build galleries to contain all the people. Our weekday meetings also were always full. On the Lord’s Day all disorder became quite banished out of the town. As you passed along the streets on the Sabbath morning, you might hear a hundred households singing psalms at their family worship. In a word, when I came to Kidderminster, there was only about one family in a whole street that worshipped God and called upon His name. When I left, there were some streets where not a family did not do so. And though we had 600 communicants, there were not twelve in whose salvation I had not perfect confidence.”
Ravenhill adds, “As one writer expresses with beauty, “Through his preaching and the power of his holy life, the whole community was changed from a habitation of cruelty and immorality to a garden of true piety.”
What does the ministry of a 17th century Puritan preacher have to do with you? Let me put it this way: If you’re part of a smaller church in America, it has everything to do with you! A simple principle couched in Baxter’s story has the potential to revolutionize your ministry, the church you serve, and the community where you live.
Based on Baxter’s successful ministry in a small community, I call it “The Kidderminster Principle,” and it goes like this: Regardless of the location or size of your church, you have the potential to engage in life-changing ministry that totally transforms your community. You don’t need to relocate. You don’t need an advanced degree in church growth. You don’t need additional staff. With God’s help, you can begin right where you are and make an eternal difference.
A Matter of Perspective
Not long ago I held an evangelistic meeting for a smaller church in a small Midwestern community. I spent several days with the preacher and his family. As we went about our work that week, I was amazed at how well this preacher knew the people in his town. If we sat on his front porch, people strolling by would stop and talk, usually expressing their appreciation to the preacher for his counsel or encouragement during a difficult time. When we walked into a nearby diner for breakfast, the preacher stopped at every table (I’m not exaggerating!) and spoke to someone he knew.
This man was having a profound impact on the people in his community. But when we sat on his front porch in the quiet of the evening, he talked about the discouragement he felt in his ministry. Many of his seminary classmates had gone on to serve larger congregations, and this made him feel as if he had failed. I sensed a similar feeling among some members of the congregation.
For lack of a better phrase, I would say this preacher and his church suffered from low self-esteem. In their thinking, because they weren’t big, they weren’t successful, or healthy, or effective.
I saw a different picture. I saw a man who loved the people in his church and community. I saw a church and a community who loved the preacher. I saw good things happening in that ministry.
Still, it’s hard to overcome the “smaller” stigma.
Transforming Our Communities
Think about the vital role played by the thousands of smaller churches in smaller communities across North America. In every community people need to know Jesus Christ. In every community people need to be discipled. They need the fellowship of the saints. They need to be nurtured and loved and encouraged in their Christian faith. From weddings to funerals, from family problems to social concerns, from national crises to personal victories, people in every community need the ministry of the local church, no matter how small that community—or church—may be.
Richard Baxter remained in the village of Kidderminster for 14 years. I can only imagine what he must have thought when he entered that community and saw how ungodly and profane its people were. Did he think about packing up and leaving? Did he despair over the difficult task ahead of him? Did he think he wasn’t the man to do the job? I don’t know what he thought, but I know he stayed. And that profane community was totally changed as a result.
It happened then and it can happen today.
Let me ask you this. What do you think would happen if leaders and volunteers in smaller churches all across North America agreed on a simple plan—to transform their communities for Jesus Christ. What if the folks in your church agreed to stick together, to love each other like family, and to do whatever it takes to carry out that simple plan?
Can you imagine the collective difference this would make across our country? Can you imagine how many lives would be transformed? How many families kept together? Can you imagine how many schools and school boards, how many town and city councils—and subsequently community decisions—could be impacted across the nation by Christians and churches that chose to be salt and light to their communities?
Effective Churches Come in All Sizes
If you’re serving a smaller church, perhaps in a smaller community, don’t let that stop you from seeing the big picture—the value of your ministry and the collective worth of your work for the kingdom of God. Your church may be facing certain limitations. You may not have the influx of new families into your community or a steady stream of visitors in your worship service like churches located in rapidly growing regions of the country. But you can still excel in ministry given those limitations. You can be a healthy, vibrant, and effective congregation regardless of the size of your membership.