T.D. Jakes Says Church Can't Rely on Vision Alone
T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a Texas megachurch having some 30,000 members, told church leaders over the weekend that it takes more than vision and sound theology to lead and build a congregation.
“It is not enough to have a vision,” Pastor Jakes told 2,000 church leaders gathered at a leadership conference at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Md., Saturday. “You need a strategy,” he stressed.
Pastors require “strategy, structure and servitude” in addition to what they may think will fuel growth in church, The Washington Post quoted Pastor Jakes of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, as saying.
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“Somebody could take the church you have right now and triple it because you are babysitting instead of leading,” he added. “So you made it to 2012? That’s nice. What are you going to do with it? Champions critique themselves and work on their strategy to get better. You can’t do new things with an old strategy.”
Bishop Ronald A. Frazier, pastor of the Christ Church Way of the Cross Church of Christ, Inc., responded to Jakes’ message, saying, “It’s good to close yourself down, get your plan and then move with,” he said. “God has to speak to you as a leader so you can know where to take your ministry. I like when (Jakes) said when I preach I am not in competition with other ministers but with the voice that is in me.”
The megachurch pastor spoke about the importance of strategy in church building also during the concluding session of a three-day New Year revival event with more than 11,500 people at the Jericho City of Praise in Landover Friday night.
Jakes gave an altar call to anyone below 40 who needed prayer and guidance to tackle challenges, unfulfilled goals or any other pressing matters. Multitudes responded to the call, embracing one another and praying together as Jakes challenged them to reach people for Christ with tools like Twitter and Facebook.
First Baptist and Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Washington, D.C., co-sponsored the interdenominational revival event. They have held the event every year since 2003. First Baptist Lead Pastor John Jenkins, Sr., said it was “about churches setting aside their differences and working together for the greater good of God.”
The event began Wednesday at First Baptist with a performance by Beverley Crawford and a speech by Pastor Jackie McCullough of Pomona, N.Y.’s International Gathering at Beth Rapha about remaining righteous in the modern age.
