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.
The WCC should welcome the PDCs. Since they have no theological grounding, these members will be easy to suck into their folds.
This is perhaps my biggest complaint about Warren and his PDC movement. They focus on meeting social needs, but theology is weak. Most of these, including ministers, if you asked them for the reasons they believe what they believe, they have no solid answer.
Can they cite verses concerning the Virgin Birth? Eternal Security? Reliabilty of the Scriptures? Salvation? THe return of Christ?
When you press them for answers, they sputter and seek to get out of the conversation calling you to narrow-minded.
Weak Christian leaders will only give birth to weak Christians. This is why most Christians cannot defend Genesis Creation and why they fall flat on their faces when they are told that the Church fought the idea of a round earth.
Wow!!! Thanks for posting those pictures. Is that a San Damiano crucifix?
The megachurches expose thousands upon thousands of "unchurched" people to God's love, mercy, & grace. What a shallow thing to do....
Apparently they do, as long as they 'receive' the Lord Jesus in their hearts. Guess they figured out how to widen the "narrow gate" ;-)
Why is that?
Is that your church? What a great picture (except for the snow). :O)
I'm a little curious as to why the WCC would make such a fuss about megachurches. Criticizing Christian doctrine is out of character. I suspect the organizations who are members are starting to be a bit troubled by the lost of people leaving for these megachurches.
Give me a church like yours. It may not have a food court but I'm sure you get fed.
You mean you aren't a sinner, too...? I've yet to meet anyone who hasn't sinned even after coming to Christ, though maybe you run with a better crowd than I do....
I don't think I said that; I can't imagine that we could FIND 72 actual virgins. ;)
Love your sig. That's right between the eyes truth.
I was, of course, joking about Sunday brunch being a "drunken orgy" as the other poster said, but Episcopalians are known for their fondness for good Cabernets and single malt Scotches. ;-D
That's a pretty bold statement now.
..."mostly ran on a business model to make worshipers feel good and were shallow in their theology.[...]
The megachurches simply wanted individuals to feel good about themselves, he said."
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;
and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.--2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NAS)
Sadly, it is not just megachurches that do this! (And no, I'm not saying ALL megachurches do!)
There was only one perfect man and they crucified Him.
I've yet to meet anyone who hasn't sinned even after coming to Christ,
Well .... that's comforting. Good to know that people still recognize their frailities and dependence on God.
though maybe you run with a better crowd than I do....
Probably not :-) However, here is how we approach repentance.
Some people get the impression (and there's a Barna survey that sort of backs this) that holiness isn't something we are to try to achieve. So some people get the impression that people are preaching that followers of Christ don't need to try to resist sin, or that it's too hard to reach for holiness.
And unfortunately, some people seem to believe this, even though they go to church.
And that's what some people are perceiving.
The Barna survey found:
The telephone survey of 1,003 Americans in January finds that only one-third of Americans contend that “God expects you to become holy,” and 46 percent believe God has called them to holiness. Young adults (39 years old or younger) are less likely to believe that God expects holiness
http://www.christianpost.com/article/ministries/1757/section/new.barna.survey.finds.most.americans.baffled.by.holiness/1.htm
It's clearly written that we should be holy people. Yes, we slip, but if we don't have a sense of what's sinful, or people PERCEIVE that we don't have a sense of what Jesus expects, it gets hard to be salt and light to the world.
brother,
praise GOD!
TONIGHT WE WILL TEACH 1ST TIMOTHY 5.
This whole chapter is really a commentary on Jesus' command of "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35, NKJV).
BY GOD'S GRACE WE WILL DEAL WITH THE SNOW AND THE FELLOWSHIP MEALS ARE GREAT!
5 SOLAS!
ONLY TRUTH!
"God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."—1 Timothy 2:3, 4.
PLEASE JOIN US ,IF YOU ARE NEAR!
Hmmm..., well my Bible doesn't mention anything about mortal or venial sins so I assume this is all part of the tradition of Catholicism.
I'm certain that my brand of Christianity looks odd to Catholics, just as the practice of Catholicism looks odd to me. Maybe we should resolve to do as St Paul admonishes in 1 Corinthians 10 and seek the good of all-- "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God--"
"I missed the part in the Bible that set zoning and occupancy requirements for Christian churches"
Try Romans 13:1-7 and Titus 3:1. We are all under authority and government was established for the common good. If we don't like the laws and civil ordinances we can address them at the ballot box. Zoning, occupancy, parking, building, fire and health codes do not hinder the spread of the Gospel, just the size, location and kind of structure.
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