As a Brit Lit fan (English literature), I’m a fan of small things with growth potential. Not big behemoths that try to take over.
That’s my impression of mega churches. (It’s the same impression of mega corporations, and mega movements.) Eventually, running to keep up with the hugeness distracts and detracts from the mission, and the sheer size contributes to the fall.
Like the old apocryphal saying, “When your outflow exceeds your income, your upkeep becomes your downfall.”
When companies (or countries) run to keep up with their debt, they end up cutting the wrong corners until they end up in a corner. Boxed in by their own belief that “the spice must flow”, or whatever. (Any Dune fans out there?)
That’s my impression of what happened to Mars Hill, as a megachurch that began with a real mission: reach the world for Jesus and make disciples.
Like a noxious weed, the message got intertwined with the charismatic leader’s brand-building and personal image. Branding wrapped tighter and tighter around the mission, cutting off light and oxygen, until the mission was overtaken by the weed.
The same is true in church life or in small-business life. Leaders might start with great intentions of avoiding some obvious traps of mega businesses: cold impersonality, the jockeying for position, the relentless focus on PR and saving face. The pastor/speaker might mock mega churches from his pulpit: “Church growth is the turning of God into a product to be marketed to a customer.” A few years later – the primary thought is how to get more influencers on board to inspire an impressive level of growth.
But once the popularity train starts, can it be stopped? Should it be stopped, or do you just roll with it and hope for the best at the end of the line? Do you expect to lay new track forever?
“Willow (Creek) has to reach its full potential because it’s the hope of the world.” Not too different from an egotistical exceptionalism viewpoint, is it? From the self-importance of “we’re too big to fail” to threats of loss [“you’ll have to bail (us out) or you’ll lose everything”] is really just a few steps in thought process and a few wrong turns that can’t continue to be hidden.
No industry is immune to ballooning issues caused by a focus on celebrity success, and lack of oversight, that will eventually reward loyalty culture while replacing character culture. No agency is immune. And certainly no church.
Source: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Episode 2 “Boomers, The Big Sort, and Really, Really Big Churches” by Christianity Today
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