The mega church model, or the bigger is better model, seems to be fading into the sunset of church history. Big churches are failing, going bankrupt, and closing their doors. Covid seems to be the beginning of the end for some of these trend setting churches. It's not all moral failure. Big churches depend on an ever growing revenue stream and when attendance falls off or when tv viewers diminish so does the millions of dollars that they need to stay open.
Our Fellowship has mocked those mega churches over the years. But when your church buys a multi million dollar building have we become just like them? The only thing that keeps some of our churches from growing into the thousands is the hard preaching we hear on a regular basis. I guess that if you notice your pastor sounding nice and acting cordial maybe he has discovered this. Pastor Mitchell has said that truth is hard on church growth.
"From that time many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, do you also want to go away?" Jn.6:66-67
I've lived long enough to see mega churches begin, and thrive, and now fail and close down. I think that we could learn some valuable lessons from our too big to fail neighbors. The mega church model may just be a flash in the pan in the light of history.
When a mega church shuts down, where do the people go?
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