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Steve Camp has written an excellent post on his site Camponthis entitled “He Must Increase – I Must Decrease….challenging protestant popery and the cult of personality within the pastorate.”
He begins:
I was speaking with a friend of mine recently who asked an intriguing question: "why is it that it seems that most famous pastors of large mega-churches in the media tend to have unbelievable egos about them?" Generalizations aside, there is some truth to that in that question. I think the answer is simple: we have made personalities of them and given them power, admiration, and authority that is not in keeping with servant-leadership or imitating Christ; and their lofty platforms, prove more times than not, very difficult for any man to handle. When sectarian loyalty abounds (1 Cor. 3), then believing ones own press release becomes a real danger. Even the best-intentioned subordinates on church staffs can succumb to this pressure when much of their time is spent trying to get close to "the senior pastor" and remain in his good graces for either reasons of influence, job security, or to gain advancement by riding on anothers coattails.
Read the rest here.
J,
I read Steve’s entire article. He makes some very good points. I have asked myself some of the very same questions. Are pastors required to be CEOs or minsters? Should senior pastors get their hands dirty with ministry to regular folk or just rub elbows with the uppercrust like a university dean seeking grant money? Inquiring minds want to know…
I enjoy your site. Many challenging articles. Carry on…
T.
This is a warranted and huge topic.
“Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostril;
For why should he be esteemed.” [Isaiah 2:22]
Thank you Matthew for sharing this scripture. I need to be reminded.
Many thanks for posting the extract and the link. I’ve been conversing with folks about this for a while, not understanding how a mature Christian could claim the title of “senior pastor”, lead a mega-church which is too large for anyone to pastor, be the only preacher people see on Sunday mornings, have “staff pastors” who are not elders, etc. I understand it from a sinful human perspective – not from Scripture.
Just thinking out loud:
Does God allow a man, a pastor, to gain a greater reputation than what he can handle? If the man falls from such a high position, is God removing him or diciplining him to keep him humble as proper for a servant of God? If so, then what shall we conclude about those that get famous and stay famous – and obviously enjoy it to their personal gain? Have you ever known someone that had a great ministry, and then was removed by negative cercumstances, such as an unjust deacon board? Could this have been the means God used to keep that person humble?
In this day of SBC autonomy for pastors and SBC “leaders” (rulers?), what are we to make of the tremendous egos we observe? I also think these egos are helped by masses of church folks (Christians?) who practice respecting persons. Are these folks (Christians?) receiving what they want instead of God? I think hard about mega-churches, and I consider that God always seems to have a remnant as opposed to a great majority.
After all, what is fame and glory with a great number of followers in this world – yes even in the Christian world – compared with God’s merciful salvation?
Just thinking out loud.
Joe