Thursday, April 19, 2012

Multi-Site Churches

My thoughts on multi-site churches.  I initially wrote this for John MacArthur's blog. 

Pastors and elders, who stand before us every time we gather together to worship, are unique people. They represent a holy God and His standards of righteousness, all the while being sinners like all the rest of us pew sitters. They’re not some beamed in by satellite, giant sized, figureheads, who cannot reach out and touch someone personally. They’re physically real. They’re physically present. They’re equally sinners. All their warts and failings, as well as their good fruits are present for all to be a witness to. When we "super size" the leaders of our churches (on big screens), they become larger than life itself; they become unreachable, unattainable, remote, untouchable and virtually unknowable. This creates a mystique and a warped curiosity about them, not to mention a fawning type allegiance to someone who seems all-vainglorious.

Mutli-site churches are for the pastor’s glory only. Their passion is not in shepherding their sheep with firm handshakes, bedside hospital visits, reaffirming hugs and encouraging, godly words, or heart-felt sympathies for one's personal circumstances and tragedies; but their concerns are for building names and reputations for themselves. Shepherding simply gets too involved, complicated and messy; better left to an underling.

We need to see our leaders (pastors and elders) fail before our eyes, as well as “witness” their personal victories, and to realize that they are sinners in desperate need of a holy Savior like all the rest of us, which also reminds us that ONLY Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. These failings eliminate any possibility of hero worship, and any possible feelings that only THEY can be trusted with our very souls. Likewise, their personal victories and testimonies stir us on to greater depths of holiness.

The responsibility to preach the gospel to all the world was never given to a “few good men,” who for whatever reasons, believe that only they have unique communication skills, or some extra extraordinary visions, or special words from on high (such as Mark Driscoll has fantasized about). God has endowed and gifted “many good men,” in the body of Christ, so as not to create a hierarchy system similar to the Roman Catholic Church. No one man, or group of men, should have a monopoly on God’s Word. Martin Luther fought and died believing this, as did many of the Reformers.



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mary, good thoughts. However,I do feel that you made some real general observations concerning multi-site churches. I do have the same sentiments about many of our big personality pastors and mega church leaders.

I would just be careful with broad stroke comments, because I do believe that some have a ministry philosophy of keeping their church together even if it means bigger buildings and multi-sites, but their heart is still that of a shepherd.

Mary Elizabeth Tyler said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mary Elizabeth Tyler said...

Hi Anon,

When I wrote this, I had only one thing in mind; and I may not have expressed myself fully. My argument is that some of these pastors, who plant many of these churches, are unwilling to relinquish their pastoral duties to another pastor, and insist that only THEY are able to preach the message to all the different sites simultaneously, via large screens. This is a dangerous practice because it puts way too much power in the hands of a very few men; thus my last paragraph: “The responsibility to preach the gospel to all the world was never given to a “few good men,” who for whatever reasons, believe that only they have unique communication skills, or some extra extraordinary visions, or special words from on high (such as Mark Driscoll has fantasized about). God has endowed and gifted “many good men,” in the body of Christ, so as not to create a hierarchy system similar to the Roman Catholic Church. No one man, or group of men, should have a monopoly on God’s Word. Martin Luther fought and died believing this, as did many of the Reformers.”

Thanks from stopping by, Anon! Don’t forget to visit the gty.org blog.

Here is a good video with Mark Dever, James MacDonald, and Mark Driscoll discussing this very subject. Please notice what Mark Dever has to say to Mark Driscoll: “Aren’t you concerned it builds people too much into YOU particularly?” (I am not sure this is verbatim, but check it out) here: http://thegospelcoalition.org/videos/26481167

Many of the admins/authors and John MacArthur, over at GTY's blog, are aware of comments made by Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald concerning multi-sites, which are not fully expressed here in the video above. Mark Driscoll has expressed in other videos, that his verbal skills are superior, so why trust a new pastor at the multi-sites.



God bless,
Mary