138 - "Would Any of Them Die for Me?" — The Question That Took a Successful Rector to His Knees - June 25th, 2026

"Would Any of Them Die for Me?" — The Question That Took a Successful Rector to His KneesBy every external measure, the parish was a triumph: the largest in the diocese, 700 people every Sunday, 1,500 at Easter, a 17-person staff, decades of unbroken growth. Its rector was proud — and he had every worldly reason to be. Then, kneeling alone at the communion rail one evening in 1987, he heard the Spirit of God begin to ask him questions. How many of your new members are members only because they were born or married into it? How much did it cost to gain 17 new believing adults? How much should it cost to make a disciple? And finally, the question that took him from tears to weeping: would any of them die for me? In episode 138 of That NAMS Podcast, Jon Shuler tells this true story and sets it against fresh demographic numbers from the Anglican Church in North America — where half of all congregations have fewer than 50 people. The challenge he leaves with every leader is unforgettable: what is the return on investment for the congregation you serve? A searching, convicting, and unforgettable episode for every pastor, church planter, and Great Commission Christian.