Should "Megachurches" Exist?

While I prefer a small church, I am not sure a mega-church necessarily has to be more expensive per member than a small church. Some in fact argue that it is better to pool resources into a mega-church so there will be more money to spend on the church's actual mission.

Some large churches (from 1 to 3 thousand members) that I know of are extremely generous in giving to causes like the one you mention.

The problem here is not mega-churches, but "prosperity" churches, where preachers tell their people that God want to make them prosperous. Nothing at all to do with the Gospel. You see that selfish kind of religion in small churches as well as large.

So while I prefer the idea of smaller churches, so they will be more spread out in the community, mega-churches have every right to exist - some people function better in the context of a larger church. We are all made different.

EDIT:

By the way, it is none of my business, but you are opening yourself up to being asked if your are giving sacrificially to help the poor and opressed.

I think that "mega churches" are incompatible with the gospel of Christ.

Sure, there are places where a given community is quite large, but rather than pulling down their old barns and building new, bigger ones, those congregations should consider dividing.

Huge churches are an obvious luxury and an offense to many believers and non believers alike. The message they broadcast is not that of historic Christianity, but of materialism and conspicuous consumption. Such places are nearly always environmentally unsustainable by design, and complete with their massive paved parking lots are veritable showcases for the biggest and newest cars.

People get lost in these glitzy, affluent complexes--the individual is faceless, and the poor [WHAT POOR?] distant. If more churches actually looked after their own members, we wouldn't need the "social safety net" that is strained beyond capacity in part because of the abnoxious affluence of the so-called "faithful."

St.Francis had the guts to live what he believed. He didn't drive a leather upholstered air conditioned car and he would be greatly saddened to find that people who call themselves Christians could be so callous as to do so today.

In these harsh economic times, Christians need to be more sensitive. Even if a church does not directly help those in Darfur, they should at least enable their own members to live a more responsible life of stewardship.

There is one faith, one lord, and baptism.

We all individually will give an account for everything we do.

I have driven used Cadillac’s and Chevy Pickups, but not Bentleys or a Rolls Royce. Years ago I once had a man tell me I could never go to heaven if I owned a Cadillac. He made $8.00 an hour in a box factory and I made $1,000 a week at the time.

Where should the line be drawn? We all must work out our own salvation in trembling and fear. You cannot draw the line for me. I must draw the line for myself and give answer to God.

Notice I said trembling and fear.

As to how preachers live that depends on the preacher and what his congregation allows.

I had a pastor who did not want to drive a car or own a house nicer than the average members of his congregation could afford.

I think this is the right thing for a pastor to do. I also think is income should not be above the average income of his church members.

If the church wants to give him more so be it.

The bible says to bring all the tithes into the storehouse. If the preacher keeps all the tithes he is a robber cause there is nothing in the storehouse. I do not think a preacher should own the church building, furnishings, or property.

If the church's people see their brother in need and don't help, how then is the love of God in them? That goes for the pastor as well.

As far as the amount of money spent to build/upkeep a church building and staff one would have to see the results of its ministry. Are they reaching out to lost and poor? Or is it just a bunch of fat cats getting together to get fatter.

The sad thing today is that some preachers are selling their anointing for a buck. In so doing they may not loose their anointing but they have lost God's blessing on their own lifes.

They preach prosperity is Godliness to make merchandise out of their followers. These preachers will not preach the Bibles message of salvation or its rightiousness. They are in the preaching business for the money.

I am not a pastor. I am a lay minister that can only speak for my church and pastor. We take up Sunday School, Sunday Night, and Wednesday Night offering, and tithes. That pays for all the visiting preachers, the music minister, Korean, India, African, and Hispanic Daughter work's pastor’s salary. We have ten people on staff as well. We also have a man on staff whose ministry helps older church members with any home maintaince issues they cannot do or pay for.

All of this is paid for out of the tithes given.

Our attendance is consistently around 1,000. We need to build a bigger facility as well.

We never hear anyone begging for money for a special offering. Never once does anyone ask for a "Seed Offering". Our spirituality or prosperity is not predicated by the money we give. Neither are we paying for our salvation or to be noticed by others.

Should mega churches exist? Seemingly that depends entirely on the true motive of the preacher and his followers.

Done right a church growing into a mega church is a wonderful thing.

well churchs support those who are less fortunate and worry about the sick, but it is ok for churches to grow to fit the needs of the congergation. the only bad thing is the churches that worry about the size and money and forget its purpose or stray from the truth, ive seen it happen. Whe a church gets so big they end up telling the congergation what they want to hear rather than the truth and what they need to hear because they may become affraid of people leaving or not being able to afford what they have already done. hope i helped!

in a world where secularism and anti-christian sentatment is the rule and not the exception the mega churchs offer a community of like minded that minster and keep the flock together for the good of the whole. In a world of spirituality it is also of great value to mentally be at-one-ment with the ideals of the church instead of throwing money at situtations that have had billions thrown at it with no progress. Mankind must change the minds, not just the political sense of those that suffer.

I personally think that had the mega churches spread their money out to the neighborhoods in many small churchs, they would find a better way to minsiter to all peoples in their community ...and would allevate condemnation as this question implies. Moderation in all parts of our lives should be the rule and not the exception.

Of course , the larger they are the more people, the more people the more money to fund missionary's about the World, My Church has only a congregation of 600 but we have 47 missionary's about the world helping to feed the poor, Build Hospitals and clinics and wells for irrigating crops ETC ect. what more do you want

The church I used to be one of the many pastors in back when I was a christian just did a 25 million dollar expansion.

Gross.

I've heard of some mega churches having Starbucks and McD.s in them so members can get their breakfast fix on the way.... I personally think it's mass-entertainment for the folks who like playing 'religion' but don't want to adhere to Bible principles... you know, the whole Rick Warren thing. Sad.

Any church that grows because it is doing the Lord's work should in fact exist.

They also need to be working in the mission field. Helping those that are widowed, orphaned, in jail, feeding the hungry, reaching out into the community and continuing the work of Jesus.

Who better to help others than a church that has been blessed with finances?

Should they exist, absolutely.

If there are pastors that are abusing their position, the finances of the Lord, etc., one day they will stand before the Lord and be held accountable for their actions.

I hope that helps!

In His Service,

SLJ

Can't keep making the big money without a big church.

All those display screens, sound equipment, multiple stages, the live band, the light shows, all cost money. American Christians don't seem to find the traditional worship service engaging any longer. Those churches that provide what the believers want will thrive, while those that don't will wither away and die. If you don't like it, sorry, but no one likes sour grapes.