One major sacrifice necessary to save our churches Part I

Author: Brandon Sutton

Christianity is rooted in sacrifice. From the Old Testament Law of Moses to the New Testament work of Christ, sacrifice is central to the redemptive narrative.

This theme is not only a major theological emphasis in Scripture; it’s a virtue embedded in the created order.

What inspires you more: a greedy, ruthless politician who profits from war, or the soldier who lays down his life for his country? The answer is obvious. We value sacrifice because we are made in the image of a God who delights when one lays down their life for the good of others.

If churches across our great nation are going to survive and thrive, it will require sacrifice. Members must lay down personal preferences and pride. Sending churches must be willing to part with people and resources. Denominations must choose to serve selflessly.

But the greatest sacrifice must come from pastors—particularly those shepherding dying churches. This is not an easy article to write, and I understand many may receive it with difficulty. But let me be clear: the sacrifice I am referring to is this—pastors must be willing to lead their church to be replanted, even if it means losing their job in the process.

Christ’s Fellowship, the church I now pastor, exists because of the sacrifice of one man—Pastor Jim Dilavore. When Jim became the pastor of Grace Point Church, (the church’s name before the replant) it didn’t take long for him to recognize the church needed help. Less than a year into the role, Jim sought counsel from his local association, which connected him to our church.

Jim knew that a replant would be our recommendation. We made it abundantly clear, before it was ever presented to his leadership team, that such a plan would require him to resign. Jim prayed, sought the Lord, and discerned that God was calling him to lead the church into a new chapter. As a result, he willingly stepped down so new leaders could step in and guide the church forward.

You may ask, “Why is resignation necessary? Why can’t the current pastor lead the replant?” It’s a fair question. While it's not impossible for the sitting pastor to continue leading under the oversight of a sending church, I would argue it is rarely the best path forward—and it often doesn't work.

When a sending church agrees to replant a dying congregation, they commit to sending some of their best people. These individuals must be willing to permanently leave their home church and join the newly replanted one. But for that to happen, the core team must trust their leader. Most people won’t make such a significant sacrifice (leaving a beloved church) unless they know and believe in the pastor leading the replant. That’s why the resignation of the sitting pastor is typically necessary. It’s not a judgment of his leadership. Rather, it’s about building trust. The sending church needs to instill confidence by appointing a trusted and proven leader to the task.

This raises another concern: “What about the legacy members (current members at the dying church)? They don’t know the new leader. What about their confidence?” It’s a valid point, but it’s not an equal comparison. The legacy members aren’t in the same position as the core team. The core team could remain at a healthy church. The legacy members don’t have that option. If change doesn’t happen soon, their church will close. They must be willing to submit humbly to the leadership of the sending church. That’s the very nature of a replant. The sending church is not just offering resources—it is offering leadership and vision. And that requires a new leader.

There’s also the matter of stewardship. Replanting takes people, time, money, and a lot of energy. My sending church (The Journey Church in Lebanon) sent 40 adults and their children, contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars, and invested countless hours to make the replant successful. That kind of investment comes with a reasonable expectation: leadership oversight. No sending church is going to invest that much without some assurance of control and direction. Nor should they. It would be unwise.

Pastors of declining churches are not failures. They’re faithful men who are stuck and don’t know what else to do. They’ve tried everything, but nothing is working. Still, they can make one final, courageous decision—one that will leave a lasting legacy. Instead of quietly resigning and leaving the church to conduct another pastoral search, they can lead their church into replanting. What a noble and Christlike sacrifice—to gain nothing personally but to see God glorified in their congregation.

In my next article, I’ll lay out a blueprint for how a pastor can lead his church toward this path. But for now, I want to honor the men who are holding the line in hard places. God has not forgotten you. Your labor is not in vain. In glory, we will see the fruit of your sacrifice. Press on in the work of the gospel.