Pandering to a mega church paradigm.

I have an agenda.

Recently when I was discussing my views on leadership and church growth with a pastor I was accused of not understanding the struggles small time pastors and small churches go through. I was told that my views would be better suited to large mega churches and that I pandered to mega church views.

I have for the last few weeks been thinking about this. Are my ideas really just a reflection of those expressed by mega churches? Am I wrong in what I believe about church leadership and its relationship to a pastors ministry?

In January I wrote on this blog that everybody has an agenda. Well here is something that may shock you, I have an agenda. Recently I asked a friend what he felt his purpose was he said to me that he felt that he was called to love everybody but he was called to disciple only those who were in his view, premier team churches. In other words he was called to put input into those churches that could be classed as large, fast growing mega churches or those who had mega church potential.

I thought this view was very narrow because I believe that all small churches have the potential to become large and successful. I believe that small churches can become large churches see rapid growth and build effective leadership to sustain this growth. I believe that those churches- who could be considered third division or tier can become first division or tier churches. My agenda therefore is to input into these churches by teaching leadership, the ability to influence, facilitate ministry and create lasting relationships in order to see sustained growth.

What then are the objections to me, that my pastor friend had and felt that I was pandering too?

Many believe that the church has favoured the same sociological patterns as those found in the world. For example the idea of following the stars the personality cult, where leaders are followed just because of their particular brand of teaching, in the same way as people not in church would follow the latest TV reality show personalities or astrological craze. I do not believe in this sort of church. I look for consistency in leadership, teaching and practice, I look for a church leader who will spend time with their congregation not just their leadership. I look for those who when going to minister in another church don't head for the green room as soon as they arrive or after they have preached but spend time interacting with people. The whole purpose of our calling is to minister to people, not hide in a green room under the pretext of being "honoured."If the "pandering" that my friend referred to is that of following a man, then I can truly and in all honesty say that that is not me.

Another area that my pastor friend may consider is me being some sort of Snake oil salesman. That is taking a para-church ministry and making it mainstream. In the last twenty years or so we have seen simple old fashioned teaching that was propagated in most evangelical/Pentecostal churches become the focus rather than the pointer to the truth. For example we have seen things such as end time prophecy, name it and claim it doctrine, financial prosperity and other so called Christian sociological and psychological teaching  become major church box office attractions. Jesus sin, salvation and relationship with God the father are rarely mentioned- unless of course you have planted your financial seed money. All these things in my mind are bogus unless they point to Christ. I believe that leadership builds churches and that ministries build people. If the churches I go to and minister in do not teach Christ crucified and that he rose again on the third day and that we can through the shedding of his blood receive forgiveness from our sins then I don't want to be part of that church. I have an agenda and that is to help these small and medium size churches become better equipped through good leadership practices to grow and become successful churches without compromising their fundamental beliefs.

Lastly my friend looks at these so called mega churches and sees what I refer to as the leadership band wagon. This is where leaders endorse other mega church leader. If you speak for me I will speak for you. "I have a church of over 500 therefore I will only preach in churches of over 500 or more because God hasn't revealed anything that would be of benefit to smaller churches"This creates a leadership hype and an image driven leader. What my friend forgets is that many times these mega church leaders are in very large population centres. This creates large churches. None of these leaders to my mind have started and succeeded in building large churches in small population areas. They feel they have succeeded and are not really interested in the small pastor in his small town of 50000.Unless of course he has paid to come to a mega church leaders conference.

For me I believe that the church has a mission, that mission has not changed in the last two thousand years. But I do believe that the method by which we present that mission has changed. I believe in reaching out to pastors and helping them become better and better at what they do helping their churches grow and seeing the message of Christ delivered effectively. I am not pandering to a mega church paradigm I am trying to do real life with real people.