For at least fifty years, I have studied and sometimes marveled at the way different businesses approach and attempt to solve similar problems.
And one of the oldest kinds of businesses is churches and synagogues. The fundamental business plan for all of them is this: We will give you a place and a staff where you will find and get spiritual guidance among others who seeking that as well.
But contrary to most businesses, churches and synagogues don't require a fee for a person to participate in their services. All are expected to make appropriate contributions, however, contributions that are conscious driven.
Some denominations like Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, and Church of the Latter Day Saints are themselves affiliated with a ministerial hierarchy. For an example, the Roman Catholic churches are known as parishes. They are branches of a nearby diocese, and ultimately overseen by the Mother Church at the Vatican.
Churches like these seem to work under the business plan that they will have many branches of the whole, so that no one seeking their ministry will have to go far to find one of their churches.
And then there are what I'll call stand-alone denominations. They may be members of a general alliance of churches who, in general, follow the same dogma, but each church basically stands alone. Baptist churches are like that as are the non-denominational churches and synagogues.
Those churches and synagogues usually have one campus, and they must convince most of their members and participants to commute away from their neighborhoods to the church or synagogue.
My denomination, the Episcopal Church, has about twenty-four parishes in Dallas. Each is charged by the bishop of the Diocese of Dallas with serving those nearby and thus, building membership and contemporaneously building revenue to support its work.
Downtown Dallas' First Baptist Church $130 Million Expansion
Dallas' First Baptist Church is an old congregation. It's among the office buildings and busy streets of downtown. It takes a while for most of its members to get there for services and activities because most have to drive some distance.. And as they do they pass many churches -- some are also Baptist churches.
Dallas' First Baptist Church has a membership in excess of 10,000, and it is currently beginning a renewal and expansion of its campus that will cost $130,000,000.
They already have a major portion of that in cash and in the bank.
What does First Baptist know about the church business that others don't?
Whatever it is, it's based in this principle: "Whatever we accomplish for the glory of God, we must do it without the help of satellite churches and universal church hierarchies. We determine our fate."
BILL CHERRY, REALTORS
DALLAS - PARK CITIES
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Hi Bill.
this is great expansion especially in this economy and with most of the money up-front, great business model, but then again its a Heavenly Building.
Hi Bill, simply having a membership of over 10,000 is quite an accomplishment! It is always so difficult for me to think about the business of religion.
Bill,
Very interesting information....I didn't realize that the Baptist Church ran things so differently. My Dad's side of the family is Baptist and I was raised Baptist, however I don't consider myself to be Baptist now.
Jo
Hi Bill,
I would like to know why you think they get the following and support they do?
Very enjoyable post and for some reason I figured you for a member of the Highland Park Baptist church (the pink one my grandmother used to attend) but it;s a relief to find you're Episcopalian, my scout troop was sponsored by them and I have always appreciated that!
Russell, Miss Joanie, Steve and Brenda --
Please forgive my delay in responding. For some reason this goofy AR decided it would no longer let me comment on my own blogs because it thinks I'm anonymous. So I finally turned the thing back on that allows anonymous comments and now it looks like I can post.
Russell, I'm what Episcopalians call a "cradle Episcopalian" Born one and will die one. Patty converted from Baptist to Episcopalian after we married. But I think she misses the Baptist stuff from time to time, so I acquiesce and we go a few times to a Baptist service.
Miss Joanie, the reason these people have 10,000 members is because they know whose there, whose a guest...the whole 9 yards, and you can bet if you're a guest you hear from them no later than 2 PM, and if you miss, they call several times during the week to check on you, then on Saturday the pastor himself calls to see if you'll be there on Sunday.
I haven't been in the door of the Episcopal church I am a member of since the Sunday before Christmas. I haven't sent them my regular weekly contribution. In contrast to the First Baptist, they don't seem to care even though it's cost them a couple of grand so far. But that's why the Episcopal Church throughout the US and other denominations are seeing their memberships decline.