Question of the Week: Mega Churches vs Mega Christianity?

Comments 7

1. I don’t see how these “mega-churches” can be edifying when there doesn’t seem to be any Law/Gospel preaching; no confession / absolution; no recitation of one of the ancient creeds, and no right understanding or practice of The Lord’s Supper.

   No Word of God rightly handled, no creeds, and no means of Grace means NO CHURCH.

   1. Reciting ancient creeds doesn’t make a church a church any more than putting a steeple on your building makes it a church. Words can just be words. Mega-churches can STILL be churches without reciting ancient creeds. There can still be genuine belief and discipleship going on through the ministry.

2. A long time ago there was a pastor of a “megachurch” (for that period) who commented on this very topic. John the Baptist: “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ … He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:27, 28, 30 ESVUK

   To grow a church into a “megachurch” scale requires a lot of things. Worship team, good preaching, small group discipleship, and sunday school are only few of the most visible, but it always, without fail, requires a great teamwork. When the team is in tune with the Holy Spirit, I believe God blesses the church and Christianity grows.

   But when the pastor or the team of a “megachurch” is more interested in popularity and pleasing the crowd, then regardless of size increase, Christianity does not grow in THAT church. At the same time, there also many small churches where Christianity does not grow in those churches.

   “Jesus also is the Head of [His] body, the church; seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place [stand first and be preeminent].” Col 1:18 AMP

   So to answer the question, I think it is not the “megachurch” that must decrease; it is the pastor that must decrease.

3. In direct response to the question at hand: “Does the megachurch need to decrease for Christianity to increase?”

   I would say “Yes.”

   I have mixed feelings about mega-churches in general but the question specifically asks if “megachurch” needs to decrease of “Christianity” is to increase.

   One of the things that you will find in any spiritually strong megachurch is some sort of plan for small groups, sunday school, home bible studies or the like. The reasons for this is because even megachurch leaders know that the megachurch must decrease for Christianity to increase.

   At some level of ministry there must be a place for colloboration (of gifts and mission), encouragement, and accountability. I saw this best displayed at the Grace Life Church in Muscle Shoals Alabama. I’m not sure if they are considered a megachurch but they were pretty “mega” to me. They have their Sunday school classes geared up for evangelism, accountability, and spiritual encouragement. It has produced some pretty powerful, God glorifying, results.

   It’s possible that small churches need to realize this reality about megachurches. I think many small churches think megachurch is all about a big sunday morning. What makes a strong megachurch is the same thing that makes a strong little church… Colloboration, encouragement, and accountability. When small churches strive to “be like” megachurches by playing the right music, dressing down, and upgrading their tech… their missing the point altogether.

4. I don’t believe that mega churches are bad, however, when the focus of the church becomes more about a pastor or personality, I believe you are headed down a treacherous road. How do you effectively challenge and encourage the spiritual growth of thousands of people when there is little to no accountability for them? In a lot of mega churches, the pastor who is the main teacher/author/personality is untouchable. He is not seen by the people until he comes out to preach and then when he is finished, he disappears. He doesn’t take a lot of time to spend with his people. The best advice I ever heard when it came to pastors (mega and non-mega church pastors) is this: A shepherd should smell like sheep.

5. The only problem I see is that when you see a true “mega church” on TV or making inroads.. Bad theology/practices seems to follow. Joel Osteen, Perry Nogle, Steve furtick, hillsong. They all seem to fall short of true preaching of the gospel and resort to therapeutic preaching. I don’t think mega churches are healthy.. I also don’t think small churches are healthy. There are broken people in both. Mega churches seem to neglect reminding people they are and they need a savior, not just do things go well, but that they might be saved..

6. I don’t think the mega-church is an inherently evil entity. In the gospels we see Jesus minister to thousands at a time.

   Still, I would argue that spiritual growth requires a “hands-on” discipleship like Jesus did with the 70, the 12, and even the inner 3.

   If mega-churches can keep people plugged into small groups/discipleship groups, I see no reason why they can’t continue ministry to the thousands.

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