(ThySistas.com) I remember having a discussion about the state of the Black Church. There was serious concern with what mega churches have become and the moving away from the local church. It is important that we discuss concerns properly without allowing bias to enter the equation. A local church is merely one in your location or community. One that is easily accessible to you, they may know you and your family if you’ve attended for a long time, and they tend to meet the needs of the community they are in. This is important to acknowledge, because if we lose the definition of local, we diminish some of the reasons mega churches exist in our communities. When this happens, we write off the work they do in serving their members and community. After much thought, one of the major differences between mega churches and smaller ones are the number of members, and the access to resources.
Basically, with more members many congregations can offer more services and better meet the needs of the people. It’s time we were honest and fair about churches based on size, and that we don’t let rumors and hearsay determine how we feel. Furthermore, every church is not the same so all of them cannot be responsible for individual bad experiences.
One of the major things that qualifies a mega church for that title is simply the number of members attending. Now, one can say promises of prosperity, lack of true ministering and worship, and a conference like format is all the glitz and glamor that leads people from their “local” smaller churches to the mega church services. One must consider what church is meant to do. If one is ministering the Word and the needs of the people are being met…more people will come. When the pastoral staff is about doing the Lord’s work and they are reaching people across demographics and they are out in the community working…people will come. This is an important thing to speak about because as the people come the building must expand to house the congregation. Some may say this is being too simple, but it’s a fact. If your church, regardless of denomination, is doing the work and the people are being fed spiritually there will be growth. There are so many that are lost and hurting and looking for answers. If they find a place where their whole being is being ministered to and they feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable in that environment, they are coming; they are also more likely to bring their family and anyone else they know that is seeking answers.
Many mega churches are non-denominational. Yes, this is going to be attacked by denominations as a lack of spiritual grounding, and of course the idea that everything is about the “prosperity message”. Though this has been the experience of some…it is not the experience of all. This same money grab issue that is cause for judging non-denominational mega churches can be found in every size church and every denomination. In some cities we can go to neighborhoods where there are churches on every other block, and the denominations are the same. In some cases, there is a fall out in one church over mess, foolishness, doctrine, and money so someone leaves and starts their own church. There must be emphasis placed on the possessiveness some have as though it’s their house and not the house of God.
If one is honest this is an issue in every church, but the impact is often felt more on a smaller scale. So, in the mega church they may need to clean house when situations happen, but they are still able in some cases to meet the financial needs of the ministry. Also, when municipalities fail our cities and communities, and when natural disasters occur many of these large churches can assist their congregations and communities.
No one can say which congregation from small to mega is best because that is a personal preference, however all sizes can be local and serve its community. We must be sure we are not downing a church for its existence without sound reasoning. As stated previously, if people continue to come to a church it will have to expand. There is nothing wrong with deciding to serve in a smaller congregation, just know that all mega churches are not built on scams and manipulation…just like the smaller ones are not just built on strife and division. There could be more unity in the Body of Christ if we didn’t look at different churches as competition.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
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