THE PASTOR'S position in the local church is similar in many ways to that of the president of the conference. Think about some of the similarities. Both are administrators. Both must take an interest in fostering the total program of the church. Both have responsibility for a specific geographical area. Both are responsible for directing the activities of a corps of workers.
Let's zero in on the last two point. Every conference president is aware of the territory under his jurisdiction. He also realizes his responsibility to direct the conference worker force. Sometimes in a busy pastorate it is easier for the pastor to concentrate on certain focal points and, to some degree, lose sight of his total territorial responsibility. Sometimes the busy pastor forgets that he has a substantial working force at his disposal—the lay persons of his church.
Two things must be done to create a productive lay working force: teach them how to begin, and tell them where to begin.
"Many would be willing to work if they were taught how to begin." —The Ministry of Healing, p. 149.
"Everyone who is added to the ranks by conversion is to be assigned his post of duty." —Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 30.
A wise pastor/administrator will not overlook the importance of dividing his total territory among the families of the church so that each has a specific area of responsibility.
After presenting the concept of territorial assignment to the church board, the pastor can work with the lay activities council in structuring the territorial divisions. The boundaries might then be traced on two identical maps. One map could be kept as the permanent office copy. The other should be cut into segments, as indicated by the territorial boundary lines. Each territory could be assigned a number, and as assignments are made to the families in the church the name of the family responsible for the territory can be placed by the appropriate number on the master list.
It has been heartwarming to see the willingness of our members to accept territories when it is set before them in the context of finishing the work.
The presentation of territories can be the climax of a deeply spiritual Sabbath morning service. Members can be invited to come forward to one or more stations at the front of the church to receive their territorial responsibility. Along with the territory it is ideal to present a file of names of those within the territory who have manifested an interest in our message.
The appeal to our members is that they first of all begin praying for the people in their territory. At the same time, they begin planning what they might do to reach those in their territory with Christ and His message. This approach makes room for the different gifts possessed by various members of the body of Christ. Different families may use different methods in working their territories. But there is a powerful incentive in the assignment of specific territorial responsibility. And when God's people accept the assignment and begin praying for specific people in a specific territory things begin to happen.
The total territory assigned to a family in the church is to be determined by dividing the total church territory as evenly as possible among the number of individual family units in the church. Zip code boundaries will be helpful in some instances, making it easier to channel prospects to the right individuals as new names come into the interest file.
In many areas the ratio of total population to church members will be over whelming. Nevertheless, we strongly urge that the total territory should be assigned. We have the divine commission to carry the message to everyone, everywhere, and we must make a start.
A subdivision of the total territory assigned to each family can be selected for intensive seed sowing and cultivation. But interests arising from radio, TV, literature, et cetera, should certainly be followed up even though they are outside the boundaries of the sub division selected for intensive cultivation.
Two or more families in the church may want to work together in one territory on a Sabbath afternoon or Sunday, just as farmers trade labor. Visitation teams may be made up of husband and wife, mother and child, father and child, brother and sister, and so on. There is sometimes an advantage when members of two families are involved in teams of two ladies or two men. It is not easy to neglect the time for visitation when you have made a commitment to someone outside the family. The elderly and handicapped can be included by assigning to them mailing, telephoning, or prayer projects.
As members are added to the church, existing territories can be divided to provide fields of labor for the new families.
The follow-up of prospects in the total territory, and door-to-door work in the portion of the territory selected for intensive cultivation, will produce openings for Bible studies. When the family has all the studies it can care for, our excellent Bible correspondence courses can be used to care for additional interests that are found.
All the existing activities of the church will nourish to a greater degree in the setting of territorial assignments.
Among the approaches that have proved successful are the community religious survey, health, temperance, radio-TV, missionary magazines, tract distribution, lending library (using denominationally approved books or cassettes), Bible correspondence enrollment, welfare, neighborhood Bible class, branch Sabbath school, and many others.
Some churches are reporting 100 per cent of their membership assigned to specific territories. Baptisms are already resulting from members working in their assigned areas.
Territorial assignment is a Biblical concept amplified in the Spirit of Prophecy. It is refreshing to see the results of its implementation. Instead of the traditional faithful few doing the missionary work of the church, a sizable portion of the church membership be come active. This, of course, is not with out effort, but the effort pays off.
Getting the program started demands organization. There must be provision for on-the-job training, and specific territory must be assigned to specific families in the church. There must be definite objectives, and a system of re porting, of inspiring, and of overseeing.
The program seems to be flourishing in those fields that use the Sabbath school class as a missionary unit. Part of the ten-minute lay activities period is used for reporting, instruction, and inspiration. It does not seem essential to the success of the program that Sabbath school members in a given class have adjoining territories. The important thing is that they all have territories and are all involved.
Following the launching of this pro gram the leadership of the church should keep working toward the ultimate objective of total involvement. Pastoral visits to church-member families can be very meaningful with this objective in mind.
The responsibility of leadership is made clear in the following inspired counsel: "Let ministers teach church members that in order to grow in spirituality, they must carry the burden that the Lord has laid upon them the bur den of leading souls into the truth. Those who are not fulfilling their responsibility should be visited, prayed with, labored for." —Christian Service, p. 69.
