The Mega Project–Researching the Impact of Mega-Churches on North American Christianity

Some Links to get us started:

Hartford Institute

Reclaiming the Mission

Stand Up for the Truth (information on Peter Drucker)

Extreme Theology (more on Drucker)

Fighting for the Faith (Druker’s influence on the Seeker-Driven Church)

Apprising Ministries (Rick Warren’s relationship with Peter Drucker)

Book by Bob Buford: Drucker and MeBuford is head of the Leadership Network.

Added on 17 June 2015, a few not unrelated theses regarding the mega-church movement. These are not in ascending nor descending order, and this merely a working draft. Comments are welcome:

Theses

Please do not construe this article to be against large churches—a church of multiple thousands is not in itself a problem (although there are issues, not addressed here, that need to be considered when a church does get to this size).

This article is about the means to getting to thousands.

I believe that in the name of church growth, the megachurch movement (and megachurch planting movements) have seriously compromised the Gospel by adopting a methodology, and therefore an ecclesiology, that is contrary to the Gospel. That is, the megachurch movement in its current state is not Christian. The end result of this movement, which is determined by the means, is a faux Christianity.

For the purpose of this paper, I use the term “mega-church” to describe those churches that adhere to a consumerist approach to Christianity. This should be differentiated from large churches that have grown to their size by other means.

  1. The Church is not a business.
  2. The Church has nothing to sell.
  3. The Gospel is alone is all the good news we need, to any who have ears to hear.
  4. The Gospel is to be obeyed, and is much less a matter of invitation (Mark 1:15).
  5. Jesus, and by extension, His church, has no customers.
  6. There is a basic difference between announcing and marketing.
  7. The Gospel is not a consumer item.
  8. Consumeristic thinking is a stumbling block to receiving the Gospel.
  9. Attendees of preaching are not customers or clients.
  10. Churches must be true to Christ in making disciples.
  11. Discipleship making is a call to take up the cross.
  12. The church does not exist for the lost, but for the Glory of God.
  13. The Gospel is good news only by the preaching of the Law.
  14. The call to cross-bearing is for all Christians.
  15. Church polity is dictated by the New Testament.
  16. Leadership strategies, methods, and models are not neutral.
  17. Modern Leadership models are judged by Scripture.
  18. Eldership is defined by teaching and ruling.
  19. The Carver Governance model of management is foreign to Biblical Christianity and must be avoided.
  20. Peter Drucker has done great harm to the churches.
  21. The Gospel is not good news “but with a catch.” It is good news with an implication (Mark 8:34, 35)
  22. Christendom results from God’s people’s faithfulness in all areas of life.
  23. Christendom does not seek to impose Christian faith or spiritual life upon unbelievers.
  24. Christendom is an understanding that God’s rule extends even to those who do not acknowledge Him.
  25. Civil disobedience is required of the Christian when human governments contravene God’s rule.
  26. Any definition of religion supplied by non-Christian thought will be too narrow for the Christian to accept.
  27. Non-Christian thought cannot define Christian thought.
  28. All of life is religious.
  29. There is no neutrality in religion.
  30. Neutrality is a pretended attitude toward religion.
  31. Supposed neutrality in religion is anti-religion.
  32. Manipulation of the senses is a form of pagan spirituality.
  33. Sufficient Christian knowledge is possible through the Scriptures.
  34. The Bible is understandable.
  35. Primitive societies have remained so because of their failure to obey the cultural mandate.
  36. The cultural mandate has not been repealed.
  37. Acceptance of sinful behaviour is not an act of love.
  38. Discipling all nations is not limited to personal piety and acts of benevolence.
  39. The Kingdom of God is advanced on all fronts.
  40. Praying the Lord’s prayer (Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven) is an acknowledgement of the cultural mandate.
  41. The modern mega-church movement is, at its core, pietistic and rejects the cultural mandate.

 

 

 

3 Replies to “The Mega Project–Researching the Impact of Mega-Churches on North American Christianity”

  1. Perhaps spelling and grammar checks are in order. Also, we are trying to reach a consumeristic society so we have to speak that language at times. Some of the points are just flat out wrong.

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