Monthly Archives: August 2007

-So Many American Mega Churches Have Adopted the ‘Business Model’?

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The are so many mega churches in America that remind me of several of the corporations that I have worked for over the years. The Pastor is the CEO and uses the corporate jet and lives in the executive neighborhood with the proverbial house on the hill designed for the obligatory parties and entertainment that goes along with position and power. I know this sounds harsh but it is all too prevalent in some Christian circles.

Here is a fine article by J. Lee Grady (‘Fire In My Bones’-Charisma Mag. @ 08-17-07) that points out the struggles between this model and the call for relational ministry. Grady observes:

“Perhaps we have allowed the sophisticated culture of the business world to invade Gods house. After all, many of our churches have evolved into mega-corporations with our own CEOs, controllers, administrators, tax codes, dress codes, office hours and private jets and even bodyguards! In such a stuffy atmosphere, genuine love can turn lukewarm.”

Comments: Come Holy Spirit and shake all of the American churches and bring your true revival, and bring your direction and order to your church in America. In Jesus name, Amen.

-My One Late Great Contact with the ‘Jesus People’ Revival

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As I recall, it was sometime in 1970 while I was in seminary that I came across a couple of hippies preaching. They were teaching that Jesus was coming back any day for his church, the Anti-Christ was going to be ruling in Europe soon and Russia was going to attack Israel but the USA would do nothing. It didn’t matter what any of us did, the whole world was just going to get worse, but all the faithful were going to be ‘Raptured’ away before the coming nuclear World War and before God brought universal judgment, so you better join with Jesus now. Pretty radical at the time.

I was not impressed. I had a different eschatological view and pretty much ‘knew it all’ like any other seminarian. These ‘unwashed’ guys came from some little church at the beach (Costa Mesa, California) called ‘Calvary Chapel’. This would be my only contact with the ‘Jesus People’ at the time, a move of God which would see more that 750,000 people to Christ in the early 70’s and started the Calvary Chapel Fellowship of Churches, eventually the Vineyard Movement, and many others.

Contemporary Christian music and worship also got its start during this move, so many thousands of churches across America and in the Western world have actually been affected by this little California Revival.

Later, since my involvement with the Vineyard Movement starting in 1986, I have talked to many pastors and members about their recollection and participation in this move. My long time pastor/friend Ed Piorek was a surfer who came to Christ and started a Calvary Chapel in San Clemente, which later after several moves became the Vineyard church I am part of. But that is another story.

One of my greatest disappointments now is that I didn’t investigate this revival which was less than 50 miles away. However, it might as well have been a thousand if you are a self assured smart aleck denominationally bound seminary student that knows better.

I was reminded of the ‘Jesus People Move’ with the coming of the 3 day Harvest Crusade at Anaheim Stadium this weekend and the Keynote preaching of Greg Laurie, supported by Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel and many other churches in Southern California. Pastor Laurie got his start during the early days of the revival.

8/6/07 Update: The Harvest Crusades were started 18 years ago in order to reach the ‘next generation’. Over 102,000 attended the three day crusade this year (Aug.3-5,2007) with over 9,500 making decisions for Christ.

-Celebrity Preachers? -We Still Have A Long Way to Go In America

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The latest Fire In My Bones article ( Fri. July 27, 2007) from J. Lee Grady is a must read: “The Deadly Virus of Celebrity Christianity”:

Paul and Barnabas and later Silas use to walk from town to town and were known to even work occasionally to support themselves. Jail was more often than not their reward for preaching in their ‘marketplace’ conferences. Now in 21th century USA, those who consider themselves ‘more than Apostles’ demand worship, 5 star hotels, luxury cars to drive, and manicurists?

That the Charismatic/Pentecostal community puts up with such as these is more than I can bear. It is almost enough to make me wish that I was a cessassionist. Where are all the humble servants of the Lord? How long will the Lord suffer such idiocy in his name? I believe that judgment is on the way for such as these. Hear me now! Along with revival comes judgment for all unfaithful servants.

J. Lee Grady ends his article with the following:

New Testament Christianity is humble, selfless and authentic. And those who carry the truth don’t preach for selfish gain or to meet an emotional need for attention. May God help us root out the false apostles and false teachers who are making the American church sick with their man-centered, money-focused heresies.

May the Lord bring revival to this land and save his church from all the egotistical man-centered so-called ministers. Lord, let all the humble servants that you have prepared to finally rise to the top and have their day in the sun.