Is Your Church Built on Personality?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, June 16, 2008
- Viewed 203
- (48) comments so far
This past Sunday one of the great pastors in our country spoke at our church.Yet, a significant number of you chose to either sleep in or blow off church to do something else. Attendance on Sunday was 1,062, which is just pitiful for our church.
Many leaders at CCV wonder if people chose not to come because you knew I was not speaking.
Please understand that if that turns out to be the case, honest to God you won’t hear me speak until 2009. I will hire first-year Bible college interns who can barely chew gum and talk at the same time to rotate the speaking responsibilities for the next 6.5 months.
I will not have any part in helping build a church around a person, personality, or particular style of preaching.
What a strong and powerful way to communicate your passion and integrity as a leader. This is a great example, as far as I’m concerned, of leading out of love. As a matter of fact, Brian later shares in the comment section:
The issue here is discipleship. Are we trying to put on a “religious show” where people will attend based on the person presenting God’s word, or are we fashioning a gates-of-hell-storming-community of disciples?1 Corinthians 1:17ff makes it drop-dead clear that leaders cannot participate in exacerbating personality adoration in the body of Christ. “I follow Paul.” “I follow Cephas.” “I follow Christ.” Paul went nuts over this, as he should!
The focal point of CCV can never be Brian Jones, ever. And as one of its servants, if I sense that I am getting in the way of someone’s ability to grow as a disciple, it is my God-ordained responsibility as a pastor to remove that barrier. That’s not a threat, or un-Christ-like behavior; it’s spiritual leadership.
Thanks, Brian, for the transparency and the guts to share some tough love when it’s needed.
I wonder…is your church built on personality? If so, how can you communicate the importance of getting back to the one thing that IS important?
One of the blogs I read regularly is BrianJones.com. Brian is the lead pastor of Christ Church of the Valley and has a real heart for leading his church to maturity in Christ. I had the opportunity to meet Brian a few weeks ago in Orlando. He's the real deal.
On a recent Sunday Gene Appel spoke at Brian's church, and Brian was a little disappointed that more people didn't attend the services to hear Gene speak. Someone on his staff suggested that maybe people didn't come to church that week because Brian wasn't speaking.
Ever have a moment of righteous indignation? Well, Brian did, and he posted his honest and very direct open letter to his church on his blog. (Brian has a great dialog with his church members on his blog. They trust him. And that gives him the respect he needed to pull off this post). Here's what he wrote:
Comments
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Phil DiLernia on Mon, June 16, 2008
How silly. All churches are built by personality ... whether quiet or loud, reserved or dynamic, etc etc. Most, if not all, organizations take on the personality of their leaders. That’s a fact.
That has nothing to do with what the “personality” is promoting! If the “personality” is not promoting Jesus Christ and de-promoting himself at EVERY TURN then the “personality” is not leading well. Don’t you think Paul led by “personality?” His “personality” was such that WHENEVER he felt that the congregation was more focused on the human leadership over the true “head” and “personality” of our churches, Jesus Christ, then Paul’s “personality” was such that he pointed out the error of their ways ... with much “personality!”
What this pastor did may not have been what everyone else would have done but that’s irrelevant. He is the God-ordained man for that local community and needs to be trusted to have his finger of their pulse. I commend him for 1) recognizing the problem and 2) attempting to address it.
Any postulation or insinuation that he somehow was “embarrased” or had some other less than honorable motivation is not Christlike since we have NO IDEA what this pastor’s heart was other than what he says it was.
God’s peace.
Timothy Ippolito on Mon, June 16, 2008
May I add…. though I may not have responded in like fashion, I agree with Phil’s comments
regarding Brian recognizing the potential problem and attempting to address it as the man of God for that church.
Dane on Mon, June 16, 2008
I kind of felt he was enforcing the personality cult by being upset that the church didn’t turn out for the big man.
At the end of the day, you’ll probably never know if the church is built more on your personality or Christ…until you wean the baby! Leave the church to someone else and move on. Then you’ll find out if you built on you or on Christ.
chipster on Mon, June 16, 2008
This attitude is far different than the Ed Young Jr kingdom building blod a few weeksa ago. I certainly appreciate that spirit and mentality! May God continue to bless that church.
David on Mon, June 16, 2008
I don’t think that Brian was reprimanding his flock for not showing up to listen to the “big dog.” Rather his response was to the suggestion that they didn’t show up because he wasn’t in the pulpit.
In an era of ego stroking pastors I think that his reproach is indeed refreshing even if some of you would be to proud to receive that type of rebuke from your pastors.
I also don’t think the concern for the seekers and spiritually immature is sufficient to back off from strong statements like this. People are not stupid and they know that God desires for them to be involved in a community of believers. If people in his church are offended by this challenge to grow up and commit to the community of believers then I am sure that they will have no problem leaving and finding a church that will allow them to stay spiritually immature and comfortable in their own situation.
A bigger issue might be the questions of what type of communities are we building in our churches. Those of you who have hit on the problem of personality centered worship instead of Christ centered worship are definitely on to something. Yes, the seekers and immature believers will latch on to the personalities of men, but we must push them towards Christ and not men.
Derek on Mon, June 16, 2008
Right on Phil.
From my experience, most local churches tend to take on the personality of the pastor. This is unavoidable. Leaders and teachers certainly lead and teach from their personality. Their uniqueness is a part of how God uses them.
I do think we have to work hard and not building the church too much around our personality. This is done through shared power, shared ideas, community, etc. I was gone one Sunday at the end of May and I had one of our elders teach on finances. He is not the best communicator, but is a crown financial ministries trained counselor. We had a great crowd and even though his presentation was a bit dry, it was filled with good Bible and good application. And he preached and hour!
I was thrilled to know that people came to church even though I wasn’t there.
Derek
Jeff Ables on Mon, June 16, 2008
Hey guys, it’s SUMMER! Am I the only pastor whose numbers dip EVERY summer REGARDLESS who’s speaking??? It doesn’t bother me that our numbers dip a little in the summer because I know our people are on vacation and I want them taking family vacations! If I have a speaker I want to bring in and I want to make sure all our people are there to hear him, I’m not going to do it in JUNE! (Just thought I’d add a little “seasoned” perspective.) As to the issue of “personality-driven” churches, the same apostle who said it’s not about Paul or Apollos told people to follow him as he followed Christ. I think our church families feeling connected to their pastor is a healthy thing as long as that connection ultimately points them to Christ.
karen on Mon, June 16, 2008
I agree it is important to feel a connection to the pastor. However, I don’t think it’s healthy to only feel a connection to a specific pastor. It always leads me to ask the question - why do we go to church - for the Pastor? for us? for God?
I have also experienced a “warning” from our Senior Pastor that the service will be “different”. That kind of warning just makes it easier for people to stay home that day.
Tommy L. on Mon, June 16, 2008
You all analyze this way too much. Don’t you realize that people are creatures of habit? Folks don’t like change. I think there are a lot of churches that don’t foster change. These congregations become routine. Sheep don’t like their routine broken.
Many larger churches have developed teaching teams that showcase different personalities and teaching gifts.
Heres a way to change all that. Find a trusted associate in the church and start to develop a tag team approach. Recently I was at Saddleback Church in Lake Forrest California. Rick Warren often uses the tag team method. Rick uses his father-in-law Tom Holliday to present one of the points of the sermon. Together the congregation sees a competent team and it opens the door for Rick to be gone on a Sunday and the congregation not to feel abandoned.
This also helps to develop other teaching gifts in the church and starts to limit the ‘following of one personality’. This concept will help some of you guys break the routine. Congregations that are constantly fostering change allows their people to accept change better. Attendance should hold when the congregations realize that God can bless them through a multitude of teachers. After all, isn’t part of the calling of a pastor… to “perfect the saints for the work of the ministry” to help others discover their gifts and calling.
David Sinclair on Mon, June 16, 2008
While I applaud his ability to be open and transparent in his frustration, it should be a good indication for determining the nature of his congregants. It sounds more like a community center, with a bunch of people coming out to watch the star performer. This should not be a surprise for a congregation of seekers.
Now, if this was a boulder tossed at regenerate believers, he may want to drill deeper to see what is happening in his discipleship ministry.
Peter Hamm on Mon, June 16, 2008
Tommy,
That is BRILLIANT!
SD on Mon, June 16, 2008
The question is…being faithful to man (Pastor) or to ministry where God has placed you. This usaually reflects the maturity or commitment of the members. Hopefully they grow in understanding but you will always have some that don’t really commit.
Casey Sabella on Mon, June 16, 2008
I found this letter troubling. Blanket rebukes because the pastor is upset rarely if ever produce life change. I’m sure he felt better getting this off his chest, but you know what? The 1052 people who had to endure this tirade did attend service and no doubt felt pretty stupid listening to him blather on. In my view, the man should humble himself and repent.
Larry C on Mon, June 16, 2008
I say hoorah for this pastor who knows the needs of his flock—because that is what shepherds are supposed to know. I’ve been in churches that have died when a popular shepherd has left, and it has been really sad (and certainly not a good witness to the unsaved/unchurched.).... This man fulfilled part of his responsibility by discipling his flock in how he felt the Lord led him.
By the way, thus far no one has commented on the “spanking adults” comment. I wonder if Christ ever “spanked” his followers and disciples? If so, did he “spank” only the already-mature ones? We all should know the answer to those questions.
Tony Myles on Mon, June 16, 2008
(I was thinking about responding to this, but I am going to wait until a few more people show up to it)
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