The Mega-Debacle
I grew up in a Mega Church in Mesa Arizona. I was lucky to have a pastor in Gary Kinnaman who had a high value for scriptural education. However the Mega Church phenomenon has had it’s massive flaws. The loudest voice in the “mega movement” for the last 20-30 years has been Bill Hybels and his church Willow Creek. In fact my church of then (when I attended) 5,000 people was modeled after Willow Creek in many ways.
Interesting thing has happened now. Bill Hybels and his staff conducted a study on their own church. Their findings? That they are doing great at building a large church and ministry, but failing to help
people become true followers of Christ. Here is a quote from their own report:
In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage.
They are now repenting for the way they have “packaged” Christianity and are going back to the Word for help to know how best train people in to a life in Christ.
Read the article here: Willow Creek Repents
I bless them in their search. I hope they will continue to influence the “mega movement” to do the same.
Wow. This is really amazing.
always goes back to the basics doesn’t it?
Mega churches suffer from serveral major flaws, not the least of which is popularity. Popularity proves nothing except that it’s popular, and the raw, unadulterated words of Christ have NEVER been popular, not even in Christian circles. Secondly, megachurches suffer from the delusion that growth equals success and vice versa, when in fact growth simply for the sake of growth is cancer. Again, growth in itself and size in itself proves nothing except that it’s growing and it’s large. This is not to say, by any means, that small churches automatically equals good churches. Size is not the issue. Popularity is not the issue. The only thing that ever has been and still is the issue is obedience, even as Christ said, “Go ye into all the world making disciples of all nations teaching them to OBSERVE *ALL* THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.” The raw, unadulterated and unabridged words of Christ are avoided, neglected, ignored, explained away or otherwise nullified by Christians. We pick and choose what we will obey and what we will believe. As proof, I offer this one statement of Christ: “Except a man forsakes ALL that he has, including his own soul, he is not worthy of Me and he cannot be my disciple.” We say Jesus is Lord, but is he REALLY? Is he really OUR Lord, does he really own US, for “know ye not, ye are not your own, but are bought with a price?” Do we really set aside our lives to serve him in all things? The sad, sorry truth is Christians, when faced with the words of Christ,recoil in fear and revulsion and seek means by which they can nullify them, which shows not obedience but rebellion.