Are Mega-churches the New Cathedrals?by Mark D. Tooley
The Weekly Standard
WHEN TWO FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE OFFICERS were slain by a deranged teenager in mid-May, their funerals were both held at the 10,000-member McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia, about 15 miles outside Washington, D.C.
Detective Vicky Armel, the mother of two young children, was a recent convert to Christianity and an active member at an evangelical church in Culpepper, Virginia. Master Police Officer Michael Garbarino was a faithful member of St. Mark Orthodox Church in Bethesda, Maryland. His priest presided over an Orthodox funeral service in McLean Bible's enormous auditorium, where 2,400 mourners had gathered, with over a thousand more seated in viewing rooms.
The funerals of both officers Armel and Garbarino were understandably public events, attracting thousands of grief-stricken friends and respectful strangers, along with politicians and civic leaders. Such funerals in the past may have been held at a cathedral or a traditional Gothic structure belonging to Episcopalians or Presbyterians, or perhaps a tall-steepled Baptist structure.
Instead, the funerals convened at evangelical and non-denominational mega-church, whose sprawling, shopping center-like campus includes a 2,500 car parking garage, 2 auditoriums, a book store, and a food court. Welcome to the new face of American Christianity, where dynamic mega-churches are increasingly prominent in public life.
MCLEAN BIBLE is located in Fairfax County, one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in America, and the blue part of a red state. Government employees and high-tech workers predominate. It's not Massachusetts, but neither is it the Bible Belt. The county has been governed by liberal Democrats for many years and supported John Kerry in 2004.
But mega-churches are not a phenomenon exclusive to red America or the deep South. They are most common in large and affluent suburbs and exurbs, appealing to families with frenetic schedules and eclectic spiritual needs that often do not fit with more traditional churches.
Officer Armel, who was 40, seems to have been a not untypical evangelical. She had recently joined the newly formed Mountain View Community Church in semi-rural Culpeper, Virginia, whose congregation meets in the local high school. Not raised in a church, Armel's pastor, Mark Jenkins, described her as having been skeptical of devout Christians. Jenkins, who presided at the funeral at McLean Bible, played a tape of Armel's Christian testimony that she shared at her own church last Easter Sunday. Large video screens, always common in mega-churches, flashed a large picture of Armel.
"My name is Vicky Armel," she said, "and if you told me last year that I'd be standing in front of hundreds of people talking about Jesus Christ, I'd say: 'You're crazy. Go to the insane asylum.'" She added: "My idea of a Christian was the little old ladies that came into the jail and the inmates took advantage of them. I didn't want to be like them." ...read the rest of this article.
Mom blogger Kristine has some interesting thoughts on mega-churches at Notes from the Laundromat. For a more humorous look at shopping for a mega-church, view this animated video clip via jonnybaker.
What's your opinion of mega-churches?
Top photo courtesy of Opheliates (Flickr). Photo above courtesy of Areopagus (Flickr).
9 Comments:
You know....when I hear of a mega-church I think of a preacher who tickles the ears of the listeners. The sad thing is that when I hear of Baptist churches that are busting at the seams and running in the thousands I tend to think its a church with low standards (or no standards) and people not getting the preaching they need. The truth is there are a FEW of the mega Baptist churches out there that God is blessing abundantly and they are doing things right...at least as far as I know they are. I tend to think that if a Baptist church is preaching and living right (like ours is) that they will run small (like ours). But that isn't necessarily true is it? God help me not to judge larger churches till I know more about them!!
Interesting article! My personal experience of the megachurch led me to believe that they are wonderful for bringing large numbers of people, especially in affluent suburban areas, into Christianity and a personal relationship with Christ. The atmosphere is impersonal and non-threatening -- NOT what Christianity is supposed to be, but perfect for bringing nonbelievers into the fold in a non-scary way. In my opinion, the benefits end there. The megachurches bring them in, but then do not lead them deeper. They stay in that impersonal and nonthreatening place. In order for Christ to truly pierce your heart, doesn't it have to get personal? Doesn't it have to feel threatening and scary in some ways? That's just my personal opinion from attending a megachurch for six months, but I could be way off base!
You know, I am always waving back and forth about Mega-Churches. Do they take care of their members? Are just there for entertainment? I don't know.
I don't know why I am so facinated about the house-churches in Africa, China and other countries where Christianity is 'surpressed'. They grow, not because they have the huge buildings, but because they testify about God's love and His salvation...Thank you for bringing up this topic.
I haven't been to a mega-church, so I really don't have an opinion about them. I have a friend, though, that belongs to one in Colorado. The sense I get from her is that there it is not "christianity lite" in any sense. Because of the huge-ness of it, there are tons of smaller ministries, all of which offer deeper relationships with one another. More opportunities to grow in relationships, etc. In fact, my size church (500+) may have a bigger challenge in that area because we are too big for intimacy and too small for the diverse ministries that offer a way of connecting with one another.
My bigger concern with mega churches (and this is purely based on what I have read, mind you) is that they could easily slip from worshipping God to making the congregant (do they even call them that?) feel good. And it seems obvious that it can become about the personality of the preacher. We have a mini mega here in RI and at some point I will have to pay them a visit to see for myself.
A mega church is usually when you reach 10% of your area....so a "mega church" could actually be quite small. Bug if you are a growing church - that is important. If you keep growing and never mulitply or "plant" other churches....that's not good. If you grow but there is not a place for people to plug in - like in small groups or home groups then it is easy to get lost. But I've seen people get lost in a small church as well. So what is the attitude of the church members? The staff? What are they trying to accomplish?
Thank you sis. julie, rachelle, eph2810, rachel, and paula t for your very thoughtful comments! The common thread running through all of your observations about mega-churches is the need for small groups. I'm planning to interview someone in leadership at Mars Hill Church, a vibrant urban mega-church in the Pacific Northwest (USA). I'm aquainted with a member one of their "community groups" who says he has found some solid fellowship there. Stop by again for an update!
P.S. to eph2810: Thanks for mentioning the growth of "house churches" in China, Africa etc. I just read an interesting article on the amazing phenomena of house churches right here in the US. I understand they really took off in Britain in the '70's. (Is this true, my UK sisters?) I need to do more research, but I'd like to post something on this topic in the future. Thanks again for your comments.
Check out Keith Giles' blog at Subersive 1 (http://subversive1.blogspot.com/). He's running a house church out of his home in Orange County, CA and blogs about it.
Thanks for your lead, Laura. I'll go take a look.
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