AaronMarcelli.org

Posted By Aaron Marcelli on December 8, 2009

A couple of months ago Outreach Magazine released their annual study which lists America’s 100 largest as well as 100 fastest growing churches.  This always creates a lot of stir in the blogging world.  It’s as though the moment the lists come out there is a gunshot and someone screaming “let the mudslinging begin”.  I have to admit I have googled some of these blogs to jump into the conversation and defend the churches and pastors who are being labeled “sell-outs”, “worldly”, “seeker-friendly”, and sometimes even “heretic” just because they fill a lot of seats.

My reasoning for doing this has been that many of these pastors or churches have had a great impact on me.  I have been molded and challenged by being able to read or listen to many of the resources that come out of some of our countries largest congregations.  Visiting churches such as Willow Creek and North Point have made me better and allowed me to evaluate the way they do things.  I have not been to their churches, but getting to hear both Rob Bell and Joel Osteen in person (on separate occasions) made a great impact on me and God used those events, more than those men, to speak to me.

I also believe that God does not have a system.  I don’t think there is just one way to teach, preach, or do church that is His requirement.  So from what I know of most of the churches that make the 7,000+ attendees group, they are effectively reaching people as a result of God blessing that churches ministry.

All that being said, this post is actually about some of the things I have seen in many mega-churches that actually bother me, quite a bit.

I acknowledge that the following are generalizations and in no way do I believe what I am about to say applies to every large church (or does not apply to every small church).  The first thing that kind of irks me the wrong way when studying some of these ministries is that it appears to be all about image.  I love touring church building and hearing stories from church staff, but when that is the foot you lead with and you talk like there is never anything wrong at your church, that may be a problem.  So many larger churches have pages dedicated on their website to telling you all about their staff.  One area church’s site actually has a page of multiple posed pictures of the pastor and his wife you can print out to have, but no mention of Jesus.  Another top 10 attendance church in the nation which has a country wide TV ministry had the pastor visiting church member homes at Christmas to sing carols and eat cookies with the families.  Every home he visited was a highly attractive young couple living in at least half a million dollar homes.  It really bothers me that some churches try so hard to give a picture of their church as elite when I’m sure it has been reaching the downtrodden and outcast which has boosted their numbers in the first place.

Also, I find that many large churches seem to reach a point where they feel they must abandon what got them to where they are and begin doing what every other highly successful church is doing.  I see examples of this all over the entertainment industry where bands look like simple everyday guys on their first album cover but after “making it” they all grow their hair out and get tattoos, piercing, or do whatever else the groups they are trying to match are doing.

For church, could it not be that what made you big will keep you big?  I had someone advise me that once I get my ministry going, I need to stay a church planter as long as I can.  “You will eventually settle down into the roll of a pastor” he told me, “but even if your church grows to thousands, try to keep that church planter mindset of reaching everyone”.  Sure, more people and more money allow you and force you to do certain things in church world, but conforming is not one of those things.  It may have been being unique that got you where you are.  Part of why two out of three church plants fail is because they are built on some other church’s vision or philosophy.  So they fail.  Why has this not been learned by large churches that fail to continue growing when they feel that they need to offer certain ministries or start hosting conferences just because the big church across the country does.

Even though I have always been a part of large churches and in most areas feel they are best equipped to meet peoples needs, they, just like everyone else, are not perfect.  My hope is that as God continues to raise great ministries and great church leaders, He will strongly call us to authenticity and humility; two things He always blesses!

Category: Church Life / Denominations, Churches, Ministry
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