"The Lord is blessing," he assured me.

The pastor in my office described the great spirit in his congregation and how well people worked together. I was an editor for the denominational magazine.

When he left my office after his 20-minute glowing report, this pastor walked to the area director's office.

"I'm resigning," he announced and dejectedly described the sad condition of his church.

I heard the success story; the director heard the failures. Which was it?

Another congregation I know boasts an attendance greater than the total population of its area-far more than the number their facility could accommodate at one time. They may believe their figures. They may be counting not only those in the main sanctuary and educational facilities but the satellite churches they've started.

"Can we support the validity of this statement?" is not the test of truth when advertising church attendance. A better question to ask is, "Is the perception of the facts true?" Misleading figures can cause outsiders ...