The New Tower of Babel: Megachurches and the Glory of God

This is a guest post by Matthew Risher.

Man intrinsically seeks his own glory. From the primitive ages to today, man has been on a quest to make his name great. A skyscraper in downtown Chicago has – thirty stories up and in large silver letters – the name ‘Trump.’ A thousand miles to the south, in Savannah, Georgia, is a Presbyterian church with a steeple a few feet higher than the nearby Catholic church steeple. It seems we are always seeking fame. This desire has crept into the church broadly by way of megachurches.

Is the megachurch the new Tower of Babel?

God mandated, in the beginning of Genesis, for man to fill the earth. This mandate was given first to Adam and Eve in the garden. It was later given to Noah as he landed safely on dry ground after the devastating flood. Here we see God’s desire: that mankind would take dominion over the entire earth. Yet, the first act we read about following the flood is mankind banding together to make a tower to reach the heavens. What was the problem with that? In Genesis 11 we can clearly see the problems that occurred and God’s response.

The first problem is seen in Genesis 11:2 – “It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.”

Instead of dispersing and filling the whole earth, mankind settled in one region. Instead of building out, they built up. Today we see this same pattern with the megachurch. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not demonizing wanting to build and expand. But we must ask ourselves, to what extent? Is it beneficial to have one congregation of thousands of people? I will get into practical problems later, but for now I want you to recognize the pattern. The great commission mandate was to make disciples of all nations and to teach them to obey all that Jesus commanded. This mandate is like the mandate in Genesis, to fill the earth. Yet instead, many churches have settled and built up, forming larger and larger membership roles in one location.

The second problem is seen in Genesis 11:4 – “Let us make a name for ourselves”

God gave a command that would bring Him glory. Mankind sought his own glory, not God’s. We must be careful here. A true church will primarily seek to glorify God. I am confident many megachurch pastors are well intentioned with their ministries. Nevertheless, the fact remains that many times the name of the church becomes more known than the God they serve. When you started reading and saw the word ‘megachurch,’ you probably thought of the names of several. They may not even be in your city, but their reputation is so large that you know about them. There are massive benefits to this. But is there a better way? What if, instead of saying “Church X in San Diego is really doing well,” you were able to say “The churches in San Diego are seeking the Father’s glory.” Notice the subtle change? It no longer becomes about one church but the whole Church.

How did God respond? Ironically, he set a pattern that he would repeat in the New Testament:

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. (Genesis 11:5-8)

God scattered them. His tool to do so was the confusion of their languages. God did not want mankind to reside in one part of the earth; instead, He desired that they cover the entirety of the habitable world. God always accomplishes his purposes.

Something similar happened in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 8 shows what happened to the church after the stoning of Stephen: “And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” Here the instrument God used to spread His people across the world was persecution. This helped further the Great Commission mandate given in Matthew 28. It seems that God wants man to build out, not up.

Challenges for Megachurches

Beside the regular challenges that all churches face, megachurches face three special challenges.

First, it can be difficult for the congregation to use its spiritual giftings in a megachurch. The adage of old rings true: 10% of the people often end up doing 90% of the work. This tendency is exacerbated in the megachurch. Very seldom are there opportunities for everyone to be able to use their giftings. Many times people sit back never using their gift in the context of the local church.

Second, church discipline is often rare in megachurches. Sin can easily go unnoticed or even overlooked in a megachurch. The difficulty is that people can hide in a megachurch. They can slip into membership. They can slip in and out of services without any real accountability. My fear is that we have droves of church members feeling secure in the church who will ultimately end up in hell.

Third, it is difficult to the congregation to form deep connections with the elders in a megachurch. Here is a simple question for anyone who is in a megachurch: when was the last time one of your pastors was at your dinner table? So often in a mega-church, members are not able to develop deep relationships with their elders. To be fair, I truly believe most elders desire to know their members on deep levels. Practically, however, it becomes nearly impossible in the context of a mega-church.

Of course, these challenges are not limited to megachurches; however, I do think they are more difficult to overcome in a megachurch setting.

Solution

I would propose the following. Raise up elders to plant new churches in different parts of the city. This may cut your congregation in half, but this does not mean you cannot stay connected. You can plan events to get the network of independent churches together. Several healthy churches in different locations within your city will be a tremendous blessing to the city. There are many benefits to this model. The witness and power of the gospel will shine in more diverse settings. The mission field is larger and more attainable at the same time. Most of all, God will be glorified as He increases and the name we are building decreases.

Matthew Risher is a PhD student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He currently serves in part-time preaching ministry as he studies systematic theology, plays soccer, and spends time with his wife, Bethany (Daniel’s sister!)