Megachurches, Megabusinesses

Forbes.com ^ | September 17, 2003 | Luisa Kroll

[anncoulteriscool]

Christian Capitalism

Megachurches, Megabusinesses

Luisa Kroll, 09.17.03, 12:00 PM ET

Maybe churches aren't so different from corporations. World Changers Ministries, for instance, operates a music studio, publishing house, computer graphic design suite and owns its own record label. The Potter's House also has a record label as well as a daily talk show, a prison satellite network that broadcasts in 260 prisons and a twice-a-week Webcast. New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has a chief operating officer and a special effects 3-D Web site that offers videos-on-demand. It publishes a magazine and holds Cashflow 101 Game Nights. And Lakewood Church, which recently leased the Compaq Center, former home of the NBA's Houston Rockets, has a four-record deal and spends $12 million annually on television airtime.

Welcome to the megabusiness of megachurches, where pastors often act as chief executives and use business tactics to grow their congregations. This entrepreneurial approach has contributed to the explosive growth of megachurches--defined as non-Catholic churches with at least 2,000 members--in the U.S. Indeed, Lakewood, New Birth, The Potter's House and World Changers, four of the biggest, have all experienced membership gains of late. Of course, growth for them has a higher purpose: to spread their faith to as many people as they can. "In our society growth equals success," says Scott Thumma, faculty associate at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. "And religious growth not only equals success but also God's blessing on the ministry."

In 1970, there were just ten such churches, according to John Vaughn, founder of Church Growth Today, which tracks megachurches. In 1990, 250 fit that description. Today, there are 740. The most common trait that these churches share is their size; average number of worshippers is 3,646, up 4% from last year, according to Vaughn. But they also demonstrate business savvy, with many holding conferences (47%) and using radio (44%) and television (38%), according to a 1999 survey conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. The average net income of megachurches was estimated at $4.8 million by that same survey.

Churches are exempt from income taxes. But in some cases they do pay an unrelated business income tax on activities not substantially related to the church's religious, educational or charitable purposes. (Churches do pay payroll, sales and, often, property taxes.)

Church Attendance* City, State Pastor

Lakewood Church 25,060 Houston, Tx Joel Osteen

World Changers 23,093 College Park, Ga. Rev. Creflo Dollar

Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa 20,000 Santa Ana, Calif. Pastor Chuck Smith

The Potter's House 18,500 Dallas, Tex. Bishop T.D. Jakes

Second Baptist Church 18,000 Houston, Tex. Dr. H. Edwin Young

Southeast Christian Church 17,863 Louisville, Ky. Bob Russell

First Assembly of God 17,532 Phoenix, Ariz. Dr. Tommy J. Barnett

Willow Creek Community Church 17,115 S. Barrington, Ill. Bill Hybels

Calvary Chapel of Ft. Lauderdale 17,000 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Pastor Bob Coy

Saddleback Valley Community Church 15,030 Lake Forest, Calif. Dr. Rick Warren

*Catholic churches are not tracked for this study. This is all 2003 attendance data and represents total weekend attendance for each congregation. Source: Dr. John N. Vaughan, Church Growth Today

Technology also plays a large role in helping these giant churches communicate with members and keep track of them. Many provide a transcript of the weekly sermons and an events calendar on the Web site as well as sell products, such as books and CDs. They also allow members to post prayers and donate online. Almost all (99%) have Web sites. "Cell phones, e-mail, complex phone systems and the Internet all enhance the way megachurches work," says Thumma, faculty associate at the Hartford Institute.

Helping churches grow is a business in itself. There is even a publicly traded company, Kingdom Ventures (otc: KDMV - news - people ), whose sole mission is to help faith-based organizations get bigger. In its latest 10Q, the company did disclose that it's received a subpoena from the Securities And Exchange Commission relating to its stock and transactions. Founded in 1999, the tiny company operates 12 subsidiaries and claims to work with 10,000 churches on everything from fundraising to event planning (it provides speakers and artists for events) to upgrading technology by helping sell new audio and visual equipment and sound systems. "One of the reasons megachurches are as big as they are is because they use the technology of today," says Kingdom Chief Executive Gene Jackson, "We can help smaller churches become big with technology."

If that doesn't help, they may steer folks to a new book they are about to publish: PastorPreneur, which is hitting Christian book stores this month. The book teaches pastors to think like entrepreneurs; for instance, encouraging them to set up strategic partnerships with nonchurch groups and to use event marketing to draw in new members.

For a lesson in marketing, religious leaders would do well to study the success of Bill Hybels and his Great Barrington, Ill.-based Willow Creek Community Church. In 1975, he and members of his student ministry went door to door asking residents what kept them away from church. Hybels then crafted his services to address their concerns, becoming one of the first pastors to use video, drama and contemporary music in church and encouraging a more casual dress code. "Hybels really showed that churches can use marketing principles and still be authentic," says Michael Emerson, a Rice University sociology professor who has studied megachurches. Willow Creek, which has a staff of 500 full and part-time employees, is renowned for its conferences and seminars that teach other churches how to market themselves as well as for its "buzz" events, featuring well-known personalities such as country singer Randy Travis, NASCAR Champion owner and former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs and Lisa Beamer, widow of Sept. 11, 2001, hero Todd Beamer--all intended to attract nonchurch goers.

Media has helped spread the message, particularly for Lakewood Church, the largest megachurch in the U.S. In 1981, Joel Osteen, son of then-pastor Joe Osteen, quit college to set up his father's television ministry. The services eventually aired in 140 countries. He also advertised Lakewood on local television and on billboards throughout Houston where the church is located. After his father passed away in 1999, Osteen became pastor and expanded the church's media strategy.

Like most churches, Lakewood's broadcasts had been relegated to the very early Sunday morning shows. Lakewood instead decided to target the top 25 markets in the nation and negotiate for timeslots on the four top networks between 8 A.M. and 10 A.M., rather than working with just one network. It also agreed to increase its budget for airtime to $12 million from $6 million. Its program now can be seen in 92% of the nation's households.

Never satisfied, the church analyzes its media strategy each quarter.

As for the services themselves, Lakewood makes sure to put on a grand show. It has a 12-piece stage band, a lighting designer to set the mood and three large projection screens. The technology will be even more spectacular when it moves into its new home in the former Houston Rockets' stadium "We really want it to feel like a concert," says Duncan Dodds, Lakewood's executive director. Something is working: Church attendance has grown from 6,000 in 1999 when Osteen became pastor to 25,060 today.

Pastor Rick Warren, who founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., in 1980, has deftly used technology as well as marketing to spread his message. His Pastors.com, which reaches 100,000 pastors worldwide each week, has e-mail forums, archives of all of his sermons from the past 22 years and a place to post prayer requests. He also sends a free weekly newsletter, Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox, to pastors. When it came time to launch his book, The Purpose Driven Life, last year, Warren used Pastors.com to invite churches to participate in a "40 Days of Purpose" event (to correspond with the book's 40 chapters). The 40-day-long event attracted 1,562 churches and was kicked off with a simulcast broadcast to all those churches. Some 267 radio stations ran a "40 days campaign" during the same time period. And a CD of "Songs for a Purpose Driven Life" featuring well-known Christian artists was also released. From the start, the books and CDs were distributed in mass-market retailers such as Wal-Mart (nyse: WMT - news - people ), Costco Wholesale (nasdaq: COST - news - people ), Barnes & Noble (nyse: BKS - news - people ) and Borders Group (nyse: BGP - news - people ). It quickly became a New York Times bestseller and has already sold 5.8 million copies, outselling Billy Graham and making it one of the most successful book promotions in Christian publishing history.

No doubt, churches have learned some valuable lessons from corporations. Now maybe they can teach businesses a thing or two. Companies would certainly appreciate having the armies of nonpaid, loyal volunteers. "The business world would love to have that kind of fellowship," says Vaughn.

[anncoulteriscool]

Here is the article that Cal Thomas referenced in his column today.

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[Larry Lucido]

So, are they saving souls? Big, small...not much else matters, really.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I am not a religous person, but Joel Osteen is very good.

[bethelgrad]

I would say, for the most part, yes. They are subject to more pitfalls than your average church is, but many of them like Smith's Calvary Chapel are reaching people without watering down the gospel.

In fact, I would say "especially" the Calvary Chapels.

[Lexinom]

As for the services themselves, Lakewood makes sure to put on a grand show. It has a 12-piece stage band, a lighting designer to set the mood and three large projection screens. The technology will be even more spectacular when it moves into its new home in the former Houston Rockets' stadium "We really want it to feel like a concert," says Duncan Dodds, Lakewood's executive director. Something is working: Church attendance has grown from 6,000 in 1999 when Osteen became pastor to 25,060 today.

This, and not the liberals, is probably the biggest reason our society has degenerated so much in the last 100 years. God is no longer feared. The purpose of these churches is to "put on a show" rather than worship the Holy One of Israel. Can you imagine Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, or John Calvin preaching in one of these congregations? How many of us even know who these men were today, and the prominent roles they played in shaping American culture?

Our Lord said, "Strive to enter into the narrow gate", for the broad path leads to destruction. God is not your buddy. He is a consuming fire, and an awful, irreprehensible, and righteous Judge. At least in my Bible...

Every single problem we discuss here on FR can without exception be traced back to society's myopic view of God, regardless of denomination.

[loftyheights]

So, are they saving souls? Good question! Most if not almost all of these megachurches need to be evaluated with a critical eye as they eschew denominational labels oftentimes and generally avoid doctrine and liturgy. "Deeds, not creeds" the saying goes. Eventually, they will be tossed around by the strange winds of doctrine which have always plagued the church. Christocentric liturgy, gospel-centered preaching, and serious study of the Scriptures and confessions of one's church is what ought to be taking place. What I see in and read about these churches whose primary emphasis is the Law(i.e. what we must do and can do for God) is not good and should be rejected. This is not to say there aren't Christians in their pews, mind you. It is to say that replacing good solid doctrinal teaching with 12-step programs and the like is a sure fire way to make sure your church will only be around in the next generation if it changes with the times. Then the question is Will you still be the church? I say no.

[Lexinom]

Bingo. It's just a perverted extension of the dumbing-down of America to the Christian church.

[Lexinom]

As a Lutheran minister, what do you think Dr. Luther would say to this?

[loftyheights]

I think Dr. Luther would condemn what is going on in "evangelical" Christianity today, as would Jesus. Why? Perhaps for several reasons. One reason is that much of what passes for Christian today emphasises the Law and minimises the gospel. And their Law is almost always taught as something you can do! God's Law is exclusive from all the man-made laws of false religion. God's Law is not doable, in that you would have to be perfect. Man-made religious law can actually be accomplished. The Christian teaching is that Christ fulfilled the Law perfectly in our place. If Luther and Jesus were alive today and the only churches going were these megachurches, they wouldn't go!

[sangoo]

Pastor Rick Warren, who founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., in 1980, has deftly used technology as well as marketing to spread his message. His Pastors.com, which reaches 100,000 pastors worldwide each week, has e-mail forums, archives of all of his sermons from the past 22 years and a place to post prayer requests.

Our new pastor is in love with Pastors.com and we hear one of Rick Warrens sermons, parroted by our paster, every week. I am really sick of 40 days of this and 50 days of that. On top of that we now have only "junk food" praise tunes. The worship leader is from the high school group and appears to want to be in show business someday. Fortunately we are moving out of the area and I won't have to force myself to attend much longer. Not much hope for finding a decent church where we are going...they all seem to be going this way.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

This, and not the liberals...

If by 'this', you mean christians looking for any reason to speak ill of other christians, even to the point of taking the worlds word for what is going on, then we are in agreement.

[Lexinom]

The "undoableness" of God's Law is precisely what drives the Christian to Jesus Christ. And the "end" of all things is God's glory, not man's happiness. They do err in taking an approach to worship that is akin to entertainment, which serves only the latter. But happiness will follow, as the Christian pursues his calling in life (which is usually not evangelism, I might add) and discharges his many offices.

How come this message is now so obscured I wonder? That is what I've been trying to understand for years. We know the ultimate reason: sin. But mediate causes are less clear. How I wish we could find a church where the simple Word is preached, the sacraments properly administered, and the correct God worshipped, correctly. I could care less about a church's desire to cater to my whims as an American consumer; I must stand before God and give an account one day, and none of that other self-serving stuff will matter...

[Lexinom]

'This' refers to the content of the article, specifically, to the commercialization of the Christian faith. It seems like the trampling of something sacred, and I believe with every fiber of my being that this - our low view of God - has a lot to do with the problems in society today, moreso than is generally acknowledged. Untold multitudes have gone to the grave for refusing to renounce their Lord - buried alive, burned, tortured, crucified.

Would that you and I could do the same, if so called upon... Only with God's help...

[loftyheights]

Lexinom, you might try looking for a confessional, liturgical, and sacramental Lutheran Church. I would be happy to help you out in this regard. My own here in the New Orleans area is, by the grace of God, one of them. I hate to say this, I really do, but many of the churches in my own denomination(Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) are going the "evangelical" and "church growth" direction. Oh how I hate to say that! I pray they see the error of their ways every day.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

Do you not go thru cycles in your relationship with God? Sometimes on your face, approaching the throne. Other times, running into His presence and plopping up on His lap, knowing that you are loved, accepted, and that there is nothing you can do to make Him stop loving you...

[Blast Radius]

I think P.T. Barnum said it best.....

[BooBoo1000]

I fail to see how Rick Warren, is providing any entertainment, as all he is preaching in " A Purpose Driven Life" is the work of God.\\

All of his points are taken from the Bible/ One lady said she didn't like him because he was too commercial. Yeah Right. I remember all of the people saying I would like to read the Bible, but I cannot understand it. They understand it alright, they do not like what it says.

Joel Ostein, is a favorite of mine, as he also tries to get people to live a God Centered Life. It 15,000 people per week go to hear his message, he must be doing something right.

[P-Marlowe]

The secret to real church growth:

Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.