Eugene Stowe addresses the critical relationship between church growth and the quality of its membership. He shares an incident where a pastor gently deferred a new convert's request to join immediately, insisting she attend the membership training class first. The core message is that a strong church demands qualified members; pastors must not compromise standards or build with "inferior material" for the sake of numbers. Training should cover church beliefs, ethical standards, and entire sanctification, ensuring new members are truly ready to accept the church's manual position. The goal is enduring quality, not statistical casualties.   *This appeared on the Ministers' Tape Club in September of 1979 as the "state of the church" segment given by the General Superintendents.   Lifelong Learning Code: 80890 Click here to learn about Lifelong Learning.