Are you and I largely responsible for the monsters being created? I don’t know. But at the very least, it’s a reasonable thought to consider.
Mary Shelley opened her eyes after a frightful dream and realized she’d found her story. “What terrified me will terrify others,” she documented in 1816. Soon after, she set about writing a sci-fi novel, a first of its kind that she entitled Frankenstein. It may surprise you to learn that the true Frankenstein, according to the novel, is the scientist Victor Frankenstein, not the monster or “it” he created.
Tons of churches, I fear, like mad scientists, are creating their own form of monsters. There’s an old adage that says, “Flattery digs a pit for someone else to fall into.” Or as the Bible states: “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.” (Pv. 29:5). We’ve grown so accustomed to fawning over star-power pastors that we might as well dig pits closer to their pulpits for expediency’s sake. It’s awful to appear coy, but how many more pastors must we overly-elevate, thereby expediting their fall before we get the point? Something’s super unhealthy here.
When I hear, “Our church is growing like crazy under pastor so and so’s leadership,” you know what goes through my mind? “I tremble for pastor so and so. I greatly fear for his soul. I am concerned for his wife. I feel for his children. I worry about that church.” The Gospel, in its purest form, tends to make much of Christ and little of us. The larger a congregation grows, the inverse invariably, or almost invariably, happens. It’s like a tipping point when “It’s all about me syndrome” usually sets in. |
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| | I get it: Mega congregations have their place. They can and do accomplish wonderful and mighty things for the Kingdom of God. But you cannot deny the disproportionate number of star-power pastors who let their first loves go. Greater temptation coincides with greater growth.
Of the headlines below, do any sting the most? Yes. Learning about Tony Evans’ demise while writing this blog was ultra-deflating. The guy impacted me over four decades. The most gut-wrenching epithet for any ministry would read like this: “Did not finish well.” Is this harsh? Of course. But if I witness a structure getting torched to the ground, “play nice” isn’t the first thought that crosses my mind. Drastic rescue efforts must come first. This has gotten totally out of control. |
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| | How Much is Too Much?
So, how much is too much, meaning the number of people in the pews? Does a metric exist that churches could use to determine when a spin-off needs to occur? I’m not sure, but a reasonable rule of thumb may come from a particular teaching of our Lord. In John 10, Jesus referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd and explained that:
“The sheep listen to His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He puts all His own sheep outside, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Could the tipping point of a church outgrowing itself occur once an undershepherd, in this case, the pastor, cannot identify each sheep by name. Again, I don’t know. But at the very least, it’s a reasonable thought to consider.
Does a Better Option to Mega Churches Exist?
If I were to guess, I strongly suspect more Americans will start moving towards a basic house-church model like those seen around the world. House churches, as a concept, come directly from the Bible. If you read the Book of Acts, you’ll find a straightforward model of how the earliest churches rapidly expanded. They did not grow up and up. They grew out and about. Once a house of worshippers outgrew one space, they overflowed to another home, and on and on. Similar to a cup, like in Psalm 23, that keeps overflowing.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. – Ps. 23:5
I don’t necessarily foresee these smaller fellowships (i.e., house churches) replacing the larger ones but offering a healthy alternative. For instance, can a worshipper on the verge of tears get overlooked at small gatherings? Sure, but rarely. Smaller company lends itself to unveiling hidden hurts better than any other place on earth. It’s nice to be seen, heard, and discovered.
Is it easier to fall through the cracks in a tiny or a huge church? Where are you most likely to be greeted by your first and last name? What about being held accountable or hearing another’s cry for help? Most importantly, especially as it pertains to this blog, is the pastor of a small house church more or less likely to think too highly of himself than the pastor of a large church? Less likely for sure.
Finally, the monster would not have existed if the mad scientist Victor Frankenstein had not created it. This should make us wonder: Are you and I largely responsible for the monsters being created? I don’t know. But at the very least, it’s a reasonable thought to consider.
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Jesus said, for those who have ears to hear, let them hear. – Jesus |
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