Each Sunday, I try to post a devotional thought for you to meditate on. Sometimes it will be something out of my own studies and prayers. Other times – like today – it will be from another source.
Today, I am posting a great thought from Don Fortner regarding market-driven Christianity, courtesy of Grace Gems:
“Am I now trying to win the approval of men–or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men–I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
Religion in America is big business. Scads of money, powerful personalities, huge egos, and positions of prominence, influence, and recognition are at stake in the business of religion, just as they are in any other business. There was a time when the concern of churches and preachers in this country was the glory of God and the truth of God. Today, like any business, the concern is for success.
Christianity today is market-driven. The goal of all marketing is to make both the buyer and the seller satisfied. Consequently, market-driven churches, in utter abandonment of God’s glory and God’s truth, in their insatiable quest for success and recognition–do whatever it takes to win customers and keep them.
Be warned! False doctrine and worldliness always go hand in hand. Worldliness usually leads the way. The early modernists did not aim at destroying biblical Christianity. They simply tried to make Christianity palatable to an unbelieving world. It cannot be done. When Christianity becomes acceptable to unregenerate people–it has ceased to be Christianity!
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing!” 1 Corinthians 1:18
photo by Goldemberg Fonseca
If you are currently in a church that is showing signs of market driven Christianity, then I pray that you heed the warnings written above!
Interesting. The market is efficient at connecting buyers and sellers but it doesn’t mean that the buyers aren’t doing something wrong… the free market is the best system at giving the customer what they want; in that system, the customer is always right. The customer might still be making a decision that doesn’t lead to the best personal growth or that they’ll come to regret down the road! Well, we are only human in the end.
Interesting article Khaleef!
The Market Driven Church…sounds like an good book title.
I think that God’s truth will always win even when we humans do stupid things and let our sinful nature lead us to make it fit our foolishness.
So where’s the line I wonder? What’s considered too much for reaching the lost? Is providing coffee and bagels on Sunday morning keeping us from more important things, or is connecting relationally the very thing that reflects Christianity (I’m for the latter..)
I do agree, though, that some churches have been, are, and will be run by people who don’t ‘get it.’ Their message will fail, while God’s truth will remain.
Wow, interesting point of view. If you boil it down, all religion needs to be market driven. What’s the point of having a church if no followers (customers) worship? However, it cannot be the number one reason or else it really isn’t a religion anymore, it’s a business.
I know there are not many fans of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints among Christian sects but one thing that really sets them apart is no paid clergy. No one makes a dime and the money is strictly for building costs and church expenses. There is also a complete 3rd party audit to guarantee that money is being spent on church costs and not people being paid. This is virtually unheard of in churches in general. It just shows that it can be done and it leaves all the volunteers that have a calling to spread the word without monetary gain being a motivation. I urge those that can open their hearts and minds to investigate the teachings. I know that you will find them to be true as I have and the rumors will prove to be incorrect.
Khaleef,
I am not sure this is a symptom of market driven Christianity, but I see way too many churches competing with each other instead of cooperating. After all, we ARE on the same team.
I am proud of our youth minister, who, in our small community, has set up a cooperative ministry including youth ministers in five other churches all working together to minister to the young people of our community. The important issue is building the kingdom of God, not building our own church empires.
Interesting post, Khaleef. I’m not sure if I completely agree with you though.
You wrote that …
“Consequently, market-driven churches, in utter abandonment of God’s glory and God’s truth, in their insatiable quest for success and recognition–do whatever it takes to win customers and keep them.”
If the true purpose of marketing is to convince the organization to offer that which is needed by its “consumers,” then wouldn’t that lead market-driven churches to the ultimate solution – God?
Sometimes, I think mega-churches get a bad rap when they are actually better at developing an authentic community of believers through their small groups and larger scale amenities. Worshiping together should also happen outside the walls of the church building, but it doesn’t in the average church today.
Having said all of that, there are too many mega-churches that are just in it for the money. They’re just a corporation peddling faith to shallow Christians who don’t desire a deeper knowledge or relationship with God.
It’s tempting to throw the baby out with the bath water though, isn’t it? Thanks for giving me something to think about today.
Hey Brad – I was hoping that you would see this article! 😉
Actually, I can’t take credit for this, it was one of the daily devotions that I receive by email from Grace Gems. It was written by someone named Don Fortner.
I think that when he is referring to market-driven churches, he is speaking more to their methods of “attracting” unbelievers. They will water down the message of God’s word – completely removing any reference to sin, God’s wrath, or Hell – in an attempt to avoid “offending people”.
I don’t have a problem with churches that try to make themselves known to people (which is what I’ve always understood marketing to be in it’s basic form), but I definitely have a problem with a church that will change God’s directives for preaching the gospel.
Excellent post. I believe that Christianity and business goals should not coexist. I believe that the purpose of the church is to be a resource for spreading the gospel message and helping the downtrodden and oppressed. It is not to enrich the coffers of an individual.
Khaleef, even the title of the article rings warning sirens that we all should heed. Thank you for having the boldness to cause us to question and reflect on this important subject. Revelation 2 and 3 speaks to the seven churches that were prevelent during the time shortly after Christ’s resurrection. In them Christ warns of things that had already infiltrated the churches. It is powerful reading to see if we recognize our own churches or personal relationships with Christ in any of these examples.
I like this article but i’m on the fence as to
whether or not i believe my church is market
Driven.