Absolutely. Augustinian, you have NAILED it.
A typical small Protestant church has about 100-125 regular attendees who volunteer to teach, provide music, facilitate socials, and do the charitable work (visiting the sick, providing meals for the poor, etc.)
Usually these churches pay a full-time pastor (who does EVERYTHING–preach, teach, visit the sick and shut-ins, pay the bills, counsel, marry and bury, etc.).
The church also pays a receptionist/secretary, not necessarily full-time, but for at least a few hours a day. This helps the pastor to have time to pray, study, prepare sermons, visit people in and out of the church, etc.
Finally, the church pays a janitor/grounds-keeper/ general mechanic to take care of the church building and grounds. Again, this may be full-time or part time.
The offerings and tithes of the small congregation is enough to pay these salaries as well as any mortgage or other building expenses, and also pay for the expense of the ministries of the church–e.g., Sunday school materials, missionary support, etc.
The attendees also provide enough volunteer services to be able to do several ministries; e…g, a Sunday school, perhaps a choir, or at least provide music with a pianist and a song leader, supporting a missionary, presenting a Christmas pageant or a series of summer concerts with local singers, etc.
But if even a few families leave (to attend the megachurch), this cuts into that budget. At first, it’s only the ministries that get cut, or perhaps eliminated entirely. After all, who needs a Christmas pageant?
If a quarter of the families leaves to attend the megachurch, this really hurts. It’s likely that the music ministries will go, and probably adult ministries (like Ladies Bible studies, Men’s Prayer Meetings, etc.) And the janitor/groundskeeper will probably see a drastic cut in his/her hours, because the pastor and the receptionist/secretary can take on these additional responsibilites.
If half of the families leave, the groundskeeper/janitor will be discharged, and probably the receptionist/secretary. The pastor will take on these responsibilities, and the resulting stress and physical exhaustion will result in less-vibrant sermons and less visitation to church attendees and friends. This will cause others in the congregation to depart.
And when more than half of the families leave, the pastor’s salary will be cut, and he will eventually have to take on another secular job to be able to provide for his family–and this means more exhaustion and even less energy left for his prayer life, Bible study, and sermon preparation.
And eventually, the church folds. Perhaps a few families will stick together and lead their own Bible studies in the building if it is paid off, and in their homes if they have to sell the building.
So very sad. I’ve seen it happen too many times.
