... (that’s a megachurch of haters). Please open it and confirm your subscription. To contact us or to submit an article, click here. Today is National Voter Registration Day! Mega-church steps up criticism of white spaces plan. Moved From Willow Creek Community Church. Throughout inner cities, suburbs, remote locations, and more -- megachurches are raising up new congregations in amazing numbers. 'Those who belong to megachurches display as high a level of personal commitment as do those who attend small congregations. Size doesn’t make for bad experiences, people do, and I have yet to find a church without people. Megachurches make a dent in communities. He is the son of a Southern Baptist pastor, graduate of a Southern Baptist seminary, and his megachurch in Orange County is part of the conservative denomination. Hard to believe, but I sometimes think we Christians spend more time criticizing large churches than anything else. If criticism is anonymous, I delete and/or throw it away immediately—100 percent of the time. The dust-up and the coverage of it revealed the ambiguity around sexuality that Hollywood megachurches and their celebrity congregants rely on to avoid scrutiny and criticism of their real beliefs. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. And while I haven’t led a megachurch personally, I have led a large church (1000+) and this criticism always chased our ministry. But give the same freedom to others who want to worship in a large community. For these and other reasons, I think it’s time to remember we’re all on the same team. So I say it's time to celebrate and support churches of all sizes, because the most important thing to remember is that the Church is the hope of the world. Of all the criticism, this one stings me the most personally, mainly, because it’s just not true. The pastor of an Atlanta megachurch on Tuesday apologized after facing widespread criticism over comments he made about "white privilege" and the history of slavery in the United States. After all, what pastor in his right mind is going to turn away potential worshippers? A controversial evangelical pastor at the head of a Michigan mega-church announced this week that he is leaving the church he founded in order to … Done! But I work with churches of all sizes for a living, and I can tell you that for every case of shallow teaching, bad theology, leadership failure, financial impropriety or whatever the criticism du jour happens to be, I can point to a long list of 50-plus-member churches guilty of the same things. That is the primary meaning of many critics of the Mega Church movement. But give the same freedom to others who want to worship in a large community. For these and other reasons, I think it's time to remember we're all on the same team. 5. 6. From the perspective of a person passionately interested in how Christians engage today’s culture, here’s some reasons I think it’s time for a moratorium on megachurch criticism: 1. Are there problems in 2,000-plus member churches? Megachurch slammed for ‘Friendsgiving’ plans after 2,500 attend indoor show in Oklahoma ... is receiving online criticism due to a packed crowd at a … If you look at the credits for a concert or stand up comedy program, there are often many people involved in producing the media. 2. '” In fact, much of the pioneering work on the most respected Bible study resources and materials are coming from the leaders of large congregations. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as a Protestant congregation that has an average ... while Pastor Steve Furtick of North Carolina caught criticism … There are plenty of bad experiences to be had in small churches, too. Their websites, video presentations, printed material and social media campaigns are far more effective and well executed. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote. He's the founder of the Influence Lab. He's the founder of the Influence Lab. Baylor sociologist Rodney Stark's (research study) 'What Americans Really Believe' lauds the strengths of megachurches as compared to small churches. Most do an excellent job of sharing the message of the gospel through media channels that reach enormous numbers of people. Megachurches make a dent in communities. Fallen humanity is no respecter of church size. 'Shocked and deeply saddened': Massive Christmas event at Missouri mega church draws criticism By Sam Masterson. And by the way, if you’re interested, here’s a good look at the state of megachurches in the U.S. at the end of 2013. But problems are problems, and being a preacher’s kid and spending my life inside churches, I can report that many large congregations are doing some amazing things. Like it or not, we live in a media-driven culture. But you are there to SEE Joe Comedian or Jane Vocalist. Most leaders of large churches I know are remarkably innovative when it comes to effective mission outreaches. Yes, the same Houston, TX ravaged by floods Stay up-to-date with current issues, Christian teachings, entertainment news, videos & more. Megachurches are making a global impact. But a single megachurch in that same town gets far more buzz and word of mouth. The “show” is focused on one (or two) individuals. Charisma News - Informing believers with news from a Spirit-filled perspective, Click here to subscribe to the Charisma News newsletter. Much of this criticism is grounded not in theological fidelity but in self-righteousness. A Kansas City mega-church just lost their 20 million dollar campus to the bank. Yet most small churches don’t have the resources, know-how or interest in using media to impact their community. I would not like to see this section deleted but would like to see it expanded upon and articulated clearly and concisely. Kill Your Megachurch Worship. One criticism of megachurches is that while they allow a welcome anonymity to new visitors, they can also breed a certain sort of ‘spectator worship’. This content has been moved from Willow Creek Community Church the original author was Fides Viva See the Talk page of Willow Creek for reasons for creating this article.. Deletion of this Section. Their websites, video presentations, printed material and social media campaigns are far more effective and well executed. 6. Large churches generate publicity, which generates conversations, which generates more opportunities to share Christ with friends and co-workers. This is a dead end, says Evangelical Jonathan Aigner (GongTo/Shutterstock) January 14, 2016 | 7:56 am. And what better place to put our bulls-eye than the church up … Plus, they send enormous amounts of money to fund missionaries in countries around the world. But what are we still debating in the church today? If people want to attend a particular church, let them. One Ohio megachurch, Solid Rock near Cincinnati, has continued to meet despite harsh criticism from locals. Get Charisma's best content delivered right to your inbox! In the last month or so, there’s been a rash of negative stories of pastors screwing up. Whatever size a particular church happens to be... Part of HuffPost Religion. Phil Cooke is a filmmaker, media critic and adviser to some of the largest churches, ministries and nonprofit organizations in the world. If you want to worship in a small community, great. Financial troubles forced Rick Warren to send a desperate plea for money to his Saddleback congregation two years ago. Are there problems in 2,000-plus-member churches? First of all, if you think the people who attend large … Megachurches are motivated and aggressive about planting new churches. The Rise and Fall of Carl Lentz, the Celebrity Pastor of Hillsong Church. Hard to believe, but I sometimes think we Christians spend more time criticizing large churches than anything else. Phil Cooke is a filmmaker, media critic and adviser to some of the largest churches, ministries and nonprofit organizations in the world. I ignore it. Size doesn't make for bad experiences, people do, and I have yet to find a church without people. You should receieve a confirmation email shortly. America has cities and towns where it seems like there are tiny churches on every corner. That’s not to downplay the importance of small churches, but when it comes to sharing their message outside their walls, most might as well be invisible. I know it’s coming. To contact us or to submit an article, click here. Grow up. 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