I try to be careful not to lump all of anything into one classification. That said, I will not say that all mega-churches are bad, particularly using the criteria you stated. I was once (probably still am, unless they purged me from the rolls) a member of a church which was on an energetic path of growth. It was a Methodist church in Jackson, Mississippi which, at the time, held three services each Sunday morning. The 8am service was the smallest. Probably a couple of hundred members, most of them older, in attendance. The 10am service would easily attract several hundred attendees, particularly those who wanted to get the Word and get out in time to grab brunch and make it home for 12pm kickoff of the NFL games. And then, there was the 11:15am service– which easily attracted up to 1,500 people, filling the sanctuary’s lower level and balcony– for a longer, very energetic service. The pastor was young and progressive; the choir was absolutely slamming; and despite the growing membership, there was an acute sense of community within the congregation. I agree with Stephanie who asks, “what’s the magic number” that makes a church too big. I also agree with your response to her question.

The massive numbers are irrelevant when it comes to the church. I would not want any church turning people who– want the Word, want a relationship with God through Jesus the Christ, want fellowship with like minded disciples, want to reach out to others in need, etc.– to be turned away. If that means a particular church grows to 20,000 members so be it. But, as eloquent as Stephanie was with her comments, I feel she conveniently ignored the propensity for some (you can argue many) mega-church pastors to flaunt excessively lavish lifestyles and make money the focal point of their weekly sermons.

When the leader of a church decides that he needs to see my W-2 in order to validate my membership, something is wrong. When the leader of a church decides that he needs a 5,000+ square foot house, a couple of $400,000 cars plus a fleet of lesser vehicles at his disposal, a private jet, and a salary allowing him to live the life most of his members can only dream of, something is wrong. And, when the congregation allows all of this to happen, something is wrong. Very wrong. I wonder what the usher who made sure to find you with the collection plate, which had already been passed, would have done had you just handed it back to him without a contribution?

Now, I do believe that mega-churches exist where the pastor and the members have their hearts in the right place. And, I applaud them for the work they do saving souls and enriching communities. But, we should all consider this– when it comes to faith and religion, the most important thing is not a building, or a pastor, or how many members belong to a particular church; It’s the personal relationship an individual has with God that is paramount. Some folks don’t even need a mini– let alone, a mega– church to have that.

I reiterate my original, brief, posting on October 5, 2010– GOOD COMMENTARY, Teowonna!