I agree. My church has over 15K members. Our head pastor remains humble, but he is truly amazing and could easily move on to a bigger church in a bigger city.
I like that they have thousands of members with all sorts of young members, it gives me hope that all is not lost in this country.
To me, Mega Church, means a large and impersonable church. A place where one is lost in the crowd and thus a sense of not being cared for as an individual. I understand that some Mega Churches have “small groups” of one type or another to make sure that individuals are known and cared for, and here I am talking primarily about spiritual needs.
Of course I grew up in a small church of a couple hundred members and am a member of one that size now. I guess I think of a church as a place, “where everyone knows your name.” (And I never watched Cheers.)
And I agree with your statement: “If the Church is preaching the word and not ‘Fluff and Puff’ then I would hope that it is packing them in!”
The other thing that I find troubling is the how the term Mega Church has become so derogatory even among Christians. If the Church is preaching the word and not 'Fluff and Puff' then I would hope that it is packing them in!
I know that you have applied the appropriate "if" to your comment, to which I agree.
However, "Most" of the derogatory comments I have heard and read about Mega Churches ARE about the content (or perceived lack thereof) in the sermons/preaching/etc. However, if a Mega Church is preaching the Gospel Truth, more power (and people) to them.
Well I like a small church some say, so what are you going to do put a limit on attendance? Stand outside and when your chosen threshold is met stop anyone else from coming in and lock the door? Or when one more person starts attending your church then you deem right quit and mover to another? I wonder if these types if they had lived in the time of Jesus would have put up a rope barer to limit attendance to the Sermon on the Mount? I personally, do like a small church. But I would never imagine my desire would lead me to take any of the actions you propose.
I can't speak to anywhere else, but here in Southern Mississippi, there must be at least a gazillion small Southern Baptist Churches, so any single church locking anyone out or using rope barriers doesn't seem to be a likely scenario.
As to moving to another church, if the one you attend has grown beyond what you are comfortable with, and that fact is impeding YOUR focus on, and walk with the LORD, then I fail to see how that is treating anyone else (who wants to attend your current church) negatively.
There might also be other reasons that some folks don't want to be part of a "large" church. My wife's parents (years ago) attended a small church at which the Pastor, the Deacons, and some "key" members decided that the church needed to "grow" and "expand". As it turned out that meant that Her parents and every other member were supposed to mortgage their home to provide the necessary funds for that grand vision of growth. They didn't feel that what was being proposed was for anything other than the self-aggrandizement of the Pastor, Deacons and the "key" members, so they declined and subsequently left that church because of the continuing pressure they were getting.
Sadly, their experience was so bitter that they left, but never sought out another church to attend and support GOD's work at.
May GOD bless you and yours on this beautiful day He made for us.