Big And Smaller Churches
The size of a congregation may be a matter of judgment. We may either enlarge, or build a new one, bigger and far more elegant. Or we may "swarm" and erect another meeting house that will accommodate enough worshippers to easily support a preacher full time, etc. In my opinion, the enlarging and building of greater and finer houses of worship stems often from those things prohibited in I John 2:15,16. I trust I am wrong.
The size and character of the building, and therefore of the congregation ultimately, in most places, is a matter of judgment, I believe. But it is a matter that may inevitably and very harmfully affect matters of faith. Brother F. B. Srygley used to sojourn in our home while preaching in the Atlanta area. I well remember many of his tart and wise expressions. One is this: "A big, church is a good place to put members in cold storage." There's very little more public work to be done in a large church; so talents remain latent. Most big churches are "cold" and lack the warmth of hospitality characteristic of most smaller ones. It is next to impossible for members of very large churches to really get to know one another. The exception to this is usually a rather new congregation.
Recently, a Baptist preacher said to me, "The church of Christ is going in for bigger and finer buildings — I see it everywhere." (Near that city brethren had very recently erected a big, magnificent building.) I replied, "Too much, I fear." As John Wesley said, "Let all preaching-houses be built plain and decent; but not more expensive than is absolutely unavoidable; otherwise, the necessity of raising money will make rich men necessary to us. But if so, we must be dependent upon them, yea, and be governed by them." Have the churches of Christ reached this point yet? I warn, brethren, "we are drifting" — drifting toward Sodom, or toward the plains of Shiner. And this applies to nearly all of us, regardless of current issues.