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Lets Talk About:What Size Should a Congregation Be?

Growing up Ive attending churches that range from 400+ to less than 15. When I started seminary 2 years ago I thought that a church over 300 was wrong, if not sinful. Then I sat down with Luke and read that it turns out that the first church had at least 1000 people in it, so I began to re-examine the value judgments I put on church-size.

I wrestling through this issue I came across an article written by Tim Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC. He has some great incites about how we judge a church by its size.

Here is the first thing that he lays out church size can have more influence in shaping the culture of the church than denominational affiliations.

“The difference between how two Presbyterian churches, one of 100 people and one of 2,000 members, function may be greater than the difference between a Presbyterian and a Pentecostal church of the same size. The staff person who goes from a church of 400 to a church of 2,000 is making a far greater change than if he or she moved from one denomination to another.”

Secondly he notes that people moving from one size church to a church of a different size cannot expect the same culture.

“Every church size presents the pastor with particular obstacles and opportunities for biblical functioning peculiar to the category. For example, smaller church sizes make discipline and accountability far easier than it is in larger churches. However, it is easier to practice lay ministry and the priesthood of all believers in larger churches, where pastoral care must be done on a large scale by lay leaders. Smaller churches tend to acquiesce to clericalism. To use another example, larger churches in general have something of an advantage in evangelism; they can provide more “doors” into the church through their numerous programs. Also, many (not all!) non-Christians feel too visible to visit smaller churches.”

One of his most volital statements is this article is that “There is no ‘best size’ for a church.”

He argues:
“Each size presents great difficulties and also many opportunities for ministry that churches of other sizes cannot realize (or, at least, not as well.) If you truly think there is an ideal size, it is most likely because you tend to emotionally value some biblical aspects of the church more than others or because you are unbalanced in your own concept of what Christ desires from the church. Only together can churches of all sizes be all Christ wants the church to be.”

Finally in the article Keller lists out a number of principles about churches as the grow.
The whole article can be found here: Leadership and Church Size Dynamics

So what are your opinions about church-size? Do you agree or disagree with Keller? Why? What are the biblical reasons for your view of church size?