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| MRT Photo by Tim Fischer |
By Stewart Doreen, Editor
• Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - This weekend, The Family of Fannin church in central Midland will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the arrival of its pastor, Doug Lamb.
For three decades Lamb has dabbled in book writing, playing the drums at the occasional service and providing spiritual leadership for a willing congregation. He said the last 30 years has presented challenges to the church.
“For some, the church is no longer something to which people are committed. Participation in the life of a faith community is optional,” Lamb wrote during a question-and-answer with the Reporter-Telegram. “It’s almost as if church is what you do if something better doesn’t come along. This seems to be the outgrowth of relativism and an increasing individualism that rests upon our culture today. For a number of years, I had the feeling that instead of looking for a community of faith to be involved in, people were looking for the “best show” in town. There appears to be a change taking place.
“Lately, at least at our church, people are looking to grow spiritually and to make connections with others. I don’t know if this is the result of the isolation that happened during COVID, or if God is stirring up something new.”
Question and answer with The Family of Fannin Senior Pastor Doug Lamb
About Pastor Lamb
Doug Lamb
Position: Senior pastor
Church: The Family of Fannin (Fannin Terrace Baptist Church)
Family: Wife and two daughters
Number of years in Midland: 30
Favorite place(s) to eat in Midland: Cork and Pig and Heroes
Favorite Midland moment - Birth of my daughters
MRT: What has kept you at Fannin for three decades?
Lamb: Ultimately, God. I am a firm believer in the sovereignty of God. While I don’t always understand what or why God is doing what He is doing, I know His plans and purposes always prevail. I am responsible to do the work God has placed in my hands to the best of my ability. Anything after that is on Him.
MRT: Has the role of the senior pastor changed over the last 30 years?
Lamb: It seems to me that the role of the pastor has shifted to include others. It used to be that the pastor was one who was expected to do all the teaching, baptisms, hospital visits, praying for members and other ministry tasks. The shift that appears to have taken place is that many others have now joined in and do the work of the ministry alongside the pastor. This would include elders, deacons, teachers and other leaders in the church. In my opinion, this is the way it should be. The Scripture speaks of the church as a body with many parts each doing its function. For the church, this means everyone should be involved in ministry, not just the pastor.
This ties into another change I have observed. As you listen to people talk, it seems as though a lot of them have come to view the role of pastor as a CEO. Personally, I am uncomfortable with that. Biblically speaking, a pastor is a spiritual leader, not a business executive. The focus should be on the lives of the people, not the amount of money raised. The church is not a business, the church is the bride of Christ. Can we learn from business practices? Probably. But a full-blown use of a business model doesn’t fit the patterns of the New Testament Church. There are some pastors who would disagree with me. That’s OK. If they want, they can fly out to Midland in their private planes, and we can talk about it.
MRT: Talk about the growth and changes at Fannin during the last 30 years.
Lamb: Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” That means, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” In one sense, after 30 years nothing has changed: people everywhere, including Midland, are separated from God by their sin and in need a relationship of forgiveness and peace that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
On a more practical level, several areas of growth come to mind. These areas of growth reflect the underlying changes we have seen.
Early on we put a contemporary service in place. When I arrived 30 years ago, the use of any instrument other than an organ was rare. By contrast a contemporary worship style could include drums, guitars and less formality. Fannin started a contemporary service in 1994. A couple of local pastors snickered at us. Funny how things turn around. Those pastors are gone, but the churches where they served now have at least one contemporary worship service.
Another change is that our ministerial staff has increased. We have talented, caring, experienced leaders serving here at Fannin. The ministry team along with the administrative support we have in place now is awesome. It is a privilege to serve with this group of people.
Spiritually, we are seeing a deeper growth taking place in the lives of the people here. Spiritual growth is not always easy to see over just a few years. That is an advantage to staying in one place for so long.
Numerically we have had steady growth in our membership. Attendance has been up and down over the years with oil prices and most recently with COVID. While not explosive, God has added to our church as He sees fit.
Facility wise Fannin built a worship center, a large building containing space for the student ministry and a great fellowship hall. We also remodeled the entire inside of the facility several years ago. Currently we have a project on hold to rebuild the Children’s facility and make room for a spacious foyer. Once things stabilize, we hope to raise the funds needed and move forward with construction.
MRT: What do you think the next 30 years will look like?
Lamb: For me the next 30 years look like work. Personally, I don’t see myself retiring and sitting in a rocking chair. For some that is the dream. For me, I prefer to work and serve others. The next 30 years for Fannin? I anticipate Fannin will move forward faithfully helping people become more like Christ.
MRT: Are there challenges to reach new members in Midland today compared to 30 years ago?
LAMB: Yes. For some, the church is no longer something to which people are committed. Participation in the life of a faith community is optional. It’s almost as if church is what you do if something better doesn’t come along. This seems to be the outgrowth of relativism and an increasing individualism that rests upon our culture today. For a number of years, I had the feeling that instead of looking for a community of faith to be involved in, people were looking for the “best show” in town. There appears to be a change taking place. Lately, at least at our church, people are looking to grow spiritually and to make connections with others. I don’t know if this is the result of the isolation that happened during COVID, or if God is stirring up something new.
MRT: Do you have an Easter message?
Lamb: Yes, every year we go over the Easter message of the resurrection of Jesus. It is the reason the church is here. The resurrection proves that Jesus is who He said He is. This Easter we will look at evidence that shows that belief in the resurrection is reasonable. Anyone who would like to visit with us Easter is welcome to join us on April 17 at 8:30 am or 11 am ...
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