the messenger becomes more important than the message, trouble follows... the messenger becomes more important than the message, trouble follows...The internet has finally bought down The Tyrant Bill Gothard this summer!
These rock and roll country club mega churches with their rock star pastors, 50 piece orchestras and 100 voice choirs make me sick to my stomach.
I was raised in a strict Southern Baptist home where, it seemed, we went to church 20 times a week. Now I’m a backslider.
I was recently invited to a musical program at one of these mega churches. While there, I was scanning through the hymnal. Could not find one single hymn from my childhood. Every ‘hymn’ they sang had a rock and roll beat to it. Give me a break.
Steven Furtick, a megachurch pastor in North Carolina, and Dave Ramsey, an evangelical finance guru, have been taking hits, too, as have the wheeler-dealers on the Preachers of L.A. reality show. This, against a backdrop of culture shifts creating strong headwinds against the leader-and-follower model typified by today’s Christian superstars.
What are a megapastor and his followers to do? Remembering the biblical admonitions against idolatry would be a good start.
PFL
Though this article does not mention Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church in Houston, my first thoughts were of him. He is the epitome of Mega Church pastors...
While our last church wasn’t a mega-church, it was a seeker-friendly church. This is a type of church where the gospel message gets watered down so as not to offend the seeker. It basically turned into a Sunday morning coffee shop, rock concert. Needless to say, we left this church and are now attending a Southern Baptist Church, where the Gospel message is proclaimed without political correctness or apology!
BTW, as another poster noted, the musical selections in some churches has become a true disappointment. Many services go by where no classic Christian songs are sung. Instead, we have a “Praise Band” blowing the roof off the church with songs nobody’s ever heard before. While I’m certain I’m the minority on this, I find Praise Teams to be a distraction to my worship. I find they take the focus off of God, and put it on themselves. Not saying they always mean to do this, but I find it does happen.
As my son says, “Pastors and Priests should never preach in Hawaiian Shirts...”
I am sure using church funds to finance something personal would be a no-no anywhere sane.
I wouldn't be proud of that, dude
I’ve always thought there something not quite right with Mark Driscoll. The man just creeps me out.
I like Dave Ramsey
I just thank God we have so many churches here in the good ole USA, that we can choose and pick the church of our choice. I have been to big churches and little churches, some I liked and some I did not like. I pray we will always have a choice here in USA.
Funny how Mars Hill, with a very conservative viewpoint of scripture takes a big hit. And the author of The Shack is shown as a good example.
Excerpt from “The Shack”:
“Those who love me come from every system that exists. They are Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don’t vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved. (p. 182)”
If you ever want to see real life examples of gossiping, be sure to read the FR “mega-church” threads....
These men need to walk in the light, not dwell in the darkness.
I have been following the suicide of Ergun Caner's 15 y/o son. Really heartbreaking.
Pastor Spends $200,000 of Church’s Money to Buy His Own Book to Make it a New York Times Best Seller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb-gZ3bcBZs
The pastor conveys the message, he is NOT “the message”.