The 19th century Scottish pastor and trainer of pastors, John Brown, wrote a letter to one of his students newly ordained over a small congregation and extended this word to him:
I know the vanity of your heart and that you will feel mortified that your congregation is very small in comparison with those of your brethren around you, but assure yourself on the word of an old man that when you come to give an account of them to the Lord Christ at his judgment seat, you will think you have had enough.
Pastors, regardless the pressures you face in your congregation to “produce the numbers,” focus on caring for souls.
Be faithful to evangelize, preach the gospel every week, pray for conversions, but make sure your primary focus is on caring for souls.
When we stand before God to give an account for the souls of our flock, God will not be impressed with our increased numbers, but how faithfully we cared for the souls of those that make up that number.
