Posted on 02/21/2006 2:17:28 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
THE head of the World Council of Churches has expressed concern about the spread of megachurches around the world, such as Hillsong in Sydney, saying they could lead to a Christianity that is "two miles long and one inch deep".
The WCC General Secretary Samuel Kobia said megachurches - huge Protestant churches with charismatic pastors, lively music and other services - mostly ran on a business model to make worshippers feel good and were shallow in their theology.
Megachurches, which pack in thousands for rousing Sunday worship services, are popular in suburbs in the United States. Most are evangelical or Pentecostal, with few or no ties to mainline churches such as the Lutherans or Episcopalians.
Mr Kobia said the megachurch movement, which is not represented in the mostly mainline Protestant or Orthodox World Council of Churches, broke down borders among denominations with a populist message.
"It has no depth, in most cases, theologically speaking, and has no appeal for any commitment," the Kenyan Methodist said at the WCC world assembly in this Brazilian city.
The megachurches simply wanted individuals to feel good about themselves, he said.
"It's a church being organised on corporate logic. That can be quite dangerous if we are not very careful, because this may become a Christianity which I describe as 'two miles long and one inch deep'."
Reverend Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the 400 million member World Evangelical Alliance, said at the assembly that "historical and deeply-felt issues" separated them from other branches of Christianity.
The largest US megachurches attract some 20,000 worshippers every Sunday. Abroad, megachurches have also sprouted up in Australia, South Korea, Britain, Canada, and other countries.
According to a report by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, there were 1210 US churches drawing more than 2000 worshipers, the official minimum for a megachurch. That was double the number in 2000.
The WCC groups nearly 350 Protestant and Orthodox churches that mostly broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the Great Schism of 1054 or in the 16th century Reformation.
What you say is true. I went with the young lady I am currently seeing to her "church" service (rock concert with Bible verses thrown in) out of repsect and she attended Mass with me. The most glaringly obvious thing I noticed was at her "worship" the "pastor" never once mentioned the word sin. Never once.
Mind-blowing.
And, finally, the floorplan:
I've got to go to work, but check this out. Believe me when I say, the pictures don't do it justice.
http://www.cathedralstl.org/tourism/tour.html
Baptist ping
I'm a little concerned about some of the mega churches too, but I can do without the hypocrisy of the WCC. It's mostly a left-wing association and it's theology is less than an inch deep. And what theology it does have extremely faulty. All they have is the theology of socialism=good.
Which, of course, is about two miles longer and one inch thicker than the Christianity preached at most the Churches that are members of the World Council of Churches.
So how many members does a church have to have before it goes "mega"?
"Talk about your pot and kettle. The WCC and NCC are both about as shallow in terms of theology and deep in terms of socialism as you can get" RITE ON! AND THE GUY IS METHODIST 2 BOOT! THEIR THEOLOGY IS A MISHMASH AT BEST.
It may be a case of the pot calling the kettle black, but regardless, he makes a good point.
LOL! I posted my comment BEFORE reading yours. Honest!
Wassamatter? Not enough witchcraft being taught to make the WCC happy?
"I missed the part in the Bible that set zoning and occupancy requirements for Christian churches" I MISSED THAT PART IN THE CONSTITUTION TOO!
Methinks they realise that they're losing out to The Catholic Church on the one hand (that teaches Church philosophy) and to the mega-song and dance productions on the other
they do probably believe in the error of "election"
it's not a question of bigger is bad. It's just that many of these big groups that congregate in soccer stadiums etc. are no more than song and dance acts, like Benny Hinn
If the World Council of Churches is against it, I am for it.
Yes, they are shallow.
It's all SHOW and no TELL.
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