To Small Congregations: “Be Faithful, Patient, and Allow God to do what God does.”

International—Church attendance is an important concern for many leaders within confessional Lutheranism. A congregation, even when centered in Christ, can face uncertainty and troubles when numbers fall. In some situations, the decision can be made to permanently close a congregation if there are not enough faithful attendees. This does not mean a small church body cannot produce work for the Kingdom, but a low number of members can be a sign that a church may be in a bad situation. Yet there is one church in Lexington, Kentucky, US, like St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, that has not only managed to adjust to its size but has blossomed into a quickly growing center of love and hope.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, located just a couple miles away from downtown Lexington, has been an LCMS congregation since the 1980s. Yet when Rev. John Hallock accepted the call from that congregation in 2024, he only found a few souls left to shepherd. To some pastors, this would have been a sign to begin the process of closing down the congregation, as some Sunday mornings the attendance dwindled to as few as 10. But Rev. Hallock did what he was called to do – perform the Divine Service, administer the Sacraments, and look after his flock’s needs.

“It might sound simplistic, but God calls, and we don’t,” Rev. Hallock says. “We don’t choose the call; the call chooses us.”

This has been the driving force for Rev. Hallock’s ministry. He has been the pastor at a few different churches in Kentucky, with Good Shepherd being his most recent one. And as any Lutheran pastor in Kentucky will tell you, Kentucky can be a challenging place to pastor a Lutheran church. Despite being in the ‘Bible Belt’ of the United States, many churches are not Lutheran. With important national seminaries for Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Disciples of Christ, often Lutheran churches can seem alienated. “The Roman Catholics don’t accept you and the Protestants don’t accept you. So, you always have to explain Lutheranism and what makes it distinct,” says Rev. Hallock.

However, he has embraced this challenge and thinks it’s important to follow God’s call for the area. “I mean, why would we want to go somewhere where there’s, you know, 500 Lutheran churches? I’d rather be in an area where you’re constantly a missionary – you’re constantly having to live out Matthew 28:19.”

One of the things that Rev. Hallock heavily emphasizes for his congregants is the notion that the universal Christian Church has always had struggles in the world. “There’s nothing new under the sun . . . We’ve had colleges close before, we’ve had churches close before. But our call is not to fix our eyes on that – the Bible says to fix your eyes on Christ.” He also thinks that the Lutheran church in particular holds a powerful distinction that has allowed it to thrive in many places around the world. “[We] preach the Word of God and administer the Sacraments, and do the good works that He’s called us to do that flows from a heart that is made regenerate in Christ.”

When asked if there was any key piece of advice for a congregation that might be struggling, Rev. Hallock puts it simply: “Just be faithful, patient, and allow God to do what God does. That’s it.”

Today, Good Shepherd has grown to an average of 40 attendees every Sunday. Three catechumens are beginning classes, and a few couples have transferred membership to the congregation. Reflecting on this, Rev. Hallock says, “We’re a long way from what we would like to see, but I think we’re right where God wants us to be . . .” It’s us who have to submit and surrender to the Word of God and what He’s doing, and not God submitting to our desire to be, you know, 500 people or something.”

There is hope for the smaller churches, but that hope cannot be found outside of Christ. Colossians 3:1-2 says “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” God does not ask us to count numbers; God just simply asks us to trust in Him and His power. Perhaps if we all embraced this mindset, the anxiety of the world’s struggles would weigh less on our hearts.

James Fernandez, member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (LCMS) 

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