Collide Magazine (Where the Media and Church Converge) recently carried a story about Bay Area Fellowship, a Corpus Christi mega-church that recently renovated its 2,700 “worship center.” The article says that the church sought to maximize lighting effects, video, sermon branding, and music (see article for photographs).
The magazine’s images raise the question of the glitz and glam in the American church. When did the preaching of the Gospel begin to need lighting effects and smoke machines?
There are those who would point to Collide’s article as a prime example of the error of the “Prosperity Gospel,” but I believe that would be false logic. On our last trip to Haiti, our camera equipment alone cost over $20,000.00. Our expenses included film ($1,800), airfare ($1,200), and all the other expenses of travel (somewhere in the neighborhood of $2-3,000.00). If the Lord hadn’t blessed us financially, we never would have been able to go and help out Danita’s Children (not a single donation came in for our trip).
Since we posted the Danita’s Children photographs on our photo website, we’ve had over 30,000 pageviews (in just two and a half weeks). Those 30,000 pageviews have accounted for less than $100 in actual donations for Danita’s ministry (.0033 cents per view). I’ve written in the past how Danita’s Children is a shoe-string operation that uses its donations to the full, but apparently my writing and our photographs have failed to generate much of a financial response.
Some dedicated Christian writers/preachers have had the same kind of experience. Dan Edelen has written a popular and influential blog (Cerulean Sanctum) for a number of years and hasn’t been able to generate enough donations to fill a Starbucks cup. He’s had to resort to a sponsored ad on his site. Phil Cooke, a critical thinker who has consistently written about issues affecting Full Gospel churches, resorted to Google ads for a while. He took the ads off after hearing enough complaints about them and has continued writing pro bono.
The real problem with the “Prosperity Gospel” is not prosperity per se, but the Paris Hilton glam of it in the American church. American Christians (or ministers?) seem to be more interested in tithing (and receiving?) to buy smoke machines and fancy lights than they are to feed a Christian kid who hasn’t eaten in a week.
[Note: While I point to Collide’s article about Bay Area Fellowship, any number of churches could be plugged into its place.]
[Note 2: I remain grateful to those who have given.]
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Well said Peter!
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I’m speechless. Danitas Children and BAF quite a contrast. Both the kids in Ouanaminthe and Corpus Christi need Jesus.
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Thanks for keeping it real. God is gracious and merciful and takes care of us with His tender mercies. May He continue to take you to places and provide for the expenses in full. Father, use these brothers and sisters that are out there doing Your work. May they see great and mighty things too wonderful to contain, and bless You. May Your creativity and passion win Your people over to do the things that You created them to do.
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