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.

[MEGoody]

I think any church that operates a business, e.g. a recording studio, a book publisher, even a day care center, has to pay taxes on that business like anyone else would. Not sure why anyone would be concerned about it in that case.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

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

Correct.

The answer is that some are and some aren't. Just like the little churches.

[biblewonk]

I'm actually fairly offended by megachurches.

[MEGoody]

"Plus, why the insistence on what we must do, when the works of the Law won't save anyone, and when Jesus came to forgive ungodly people like me?"

Amen and amen.

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

Sometimes, people get hung up on law keeping and think that those who put their faith completely in Christ for salvation do nothing for the Lord. They are wrong.

[Lexinom]

You're very fortunate to live in Seattle. I grew up in Mt. Vernon.

There's an excellent Reformation church in Bellevue, the Free Reformed Church of Bellevue. Wished I'd known about this church when we lived in Bothell. Mr. Winslow is an elder there, and I attended his mother's funeral earlier this year. You may want to visit sometime to see what historic Protestantism is all about.

Highland Community Center,
14224 Bel-Red Road
Bellevue, WA, USA
(425) 649-9676
10:00 and 6:00

[VOA]

The reason these churches are growing is that they are fundamentalist, with sound
Christocentric doctrine. The churches that have elected to soften the doctine are dying off.

'Nuff said.
(slang for "Amen")

[Lexinom]

Did Christ educate the woman at the well in doctrine BEFORE he revealed himself to her? To say that the Church must set up the (effective) barrier of "liturgical training or doctrinal knowledge" between the unchurched and the congregation is 180 degrees oppisite of the mission of the church. When, in Acts 2, the crowd asks Peter "Men and brethern, what must we do to be saved?" Peter did NOT answer "Go and acquire liturgical training or doctrinal knowledge and get back to me."

The Bible itself is a book of doctrine, full of doctrinal knowledge. Your very act of reading it is a study of doctrine. God doesn't speak to us with pictures, shows, or even music. He speaks through paper and ink, water, bread and wine. Words. Doctrine. "In the beginning was the Word (logos)..."

God is also sovereign, and HE knows (and chose) whom he will save. For this reason, we can have great hope for infants who die, for the mentally incapacited, for those who are insane, for "vegetables". Their entrance into the kingdom of God does not depend (thankfully) upon their decision, but upon His sovereign, unmerited grace. "I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy."

Christ did not posture himself weakly and beg the woman at the well to accept Him into her heart (a popular concept that finds no support in Scripture). He commanded her, "Go and sin no more." Her inability to keep that command, drove her to the cross, to the One who did keep the Law, perfectly, and paid her debt with unspeakable suffering. Her gratitude, if she was indeed saved, led her to love God by keeping His commandments, not as a condition to salvation but as a fruit thereof.

[Lexinom]

This, with respect, is nothing more than a variation of Gnosticism.

What is Gnostic is a rejection of things altogether indifferent, such as smoking and moderate alcohol consumption, as sinful, while placing an undue emphasis on "being spiritual". Saying that smoking and alcohol consumption are sinful while refusing to acknowledge any relevance for the Ten Commandments, and assuming that the sacraments are just meaningless procedures without attributing any spirital value to them because "what's really important is the spiritual" is far more akin to Gnosticism than anything the Lutherans might do, who are most certainly NOT Gnostics.

Interestingly, if you look at modern church building construction, you will notice the materials and styles often reflect the "light and airy". Synthetic materials and clear glass have replaced heavy wood, brick, and stone.

[Lexinom]

It wouldn't be terribly unfair to say that, as far as slickness goes, the Megachurch unwittingly does to Christianity what Bill Clinton did to the Presidency. I do not say this lightly.

[WillRain]

The Bible itself is a book of doctrine, full of doctrinal knowledge. Your very act of reading it is a study of doctrine.

No doubt about that...

God doesn't speak to us with pictures, shows, or even music. He speaks through paper and ink, water, bread and wine. Words. Doctrine. "In the beginning was the Word (logos)..."

While I would NEVER argue the experience over the Word, that way lies mega-heresy, your conceptiuon of God is way too limited if he's never spoken to you through a song. The Word is the final athority, but it is far from the only way God can touch a person. We must be areful not to attempt to limit him.

God is also sovereign, and HE knows (and chose) whom he will save. For this reason, we can have great hope for infants who die, for the mentally incapacited, for those who are insane, for "vegetables". Their entrance into the kingdom of God does not depend (thankfully) upon their decision, but upon His sovereign, unmerited grace. "I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy."

Amen. Still waiting on you to get to the point of the thread.

Christ did not posture himself weakly and beg the woman at the well to accept Him into her heart (a popular concept that finds no support in Scripture).

I pay some attention and I've never heard it taught that he did any begging.

He commanded her, "Go and sin no more." Her inability to keep that command, drove her to the cross, to the One who did keep the Law, perfectly, and paid her debt with unspeakable suffering. Her gratitude, if she was indeed saved, led her to love God by keeping His commandments, not as a condition to salvation but as a fruit thereof.

I fully agree. But I can't see the connection between any of this and the point of this thread.

What is Gnostic is a rejection of things altogether indifferent, such as smoking and moderate alcohol consumption, as sinful, while placing an undue emphasis on "being spiritual". Saying that smoking and alcohol consumption are sinful while refusing to acknowledge any relevance for the Ten Commandments, and assuming that the sacraments are just meaningless procedures without attributing any spirital value to them because "what's really important is the spiritual" is far more akin to Gnosticism than anything the Lutherans might do, who are most certainly NOT Gnostics.

1. None of the Saddleback-type churches I was defending (and I by NO MEANS defend heretical folks like Dollar...Warren and his copycats are generally Baptist and it is their positions I speak of here) Have EVER dismissed the importance of the Commandments OR the Sacraments. I frankly have no idea where you get this accusation.

2. I did not say "All Lutherans are gnostic" I said, or rather implied, that YOUR personnal assertion that one needs to be stteped in theological education to approch the door of the church was a gnostic-ist position. I do not belive you speak for the official position of the Lutheran church.

Interestingly, if you look at modern church building construction, you will notice the materials and styles often reflect the "light and airy". Synthetic materials and clear glass have replaced heavy wood, brick, and stone.

Which means......?

[Lexinom]

I did not say "All Lutherans are gnostic" I said, or rather implied, that YOUR personnal assertion that one needs to be stteped in theological education to approch the door of the church was a gnostic-ist position. I do not belive you speak for the official position of the Lutheran church.

Probably not, since I'm not a Lutheran.

But I can't see the connection between any of this and the point of this thread.

The point, and relevance to the thread, is that the God worshipped in these churches, as seen by the way he is approached (using the world's music, entertaining style, what have you) is too small. Activities that go on there (at least the megachurches and other contemporary groups I've visited) are largely man-centric. Walking through the door, you generally don't get a sense of the holiness of God. The fact that these churches have grown so large indicates that a myopic view of God has permeated our culture. And that, I think, is eminently relevant to the subject of this thread.

I'm sorry if anything I've said has offended you; it's not the flock I'm after, it's the pastors and corporate gurus driving this movement. But everything we are discussing is vitally important to the culture, moreso than having the GOP control every branch of government.

[Windsong]

"After the rapture..."

Man oh man..you are WAY off base...

you should ditch the Pentecostal/Charismatic/Snake-Handlers and look in the New Testament to see what it really says about people who try and predict the Day...especially supposedly religious people.

[anncoulteriscool]

****I hear ya! I have to drag myself there every Sunday, and am about ready to stay home myself. There are some good preachers on the radio (MacArthur, Stanley, McGee) that will fill me and convict me much more than the Saddleback style of entertainment*****

I love MacArthur. I have alot of his books and tapes. MacArthur has a tape out called "Does the Truth Matter" about these issues of watering down doctrine. Its an excellent tape.

[Porterville]

And I bet they are all beholden to the IRS

[anncoulteriscool]

My problem with megachurches is that i really wonder how many people in these churches actually know each other. Also these megachurches create the illusion that church attendance is increasing in America when its actually not. And I suspect alot of people go to these churches more for social not spiritual reasons....or maybe their wife dragged them there.

[Porterville]

The Shakers were the same

[Not A Snowbird]

That's one reason Rick Warren nagged us to death about getting into a small group. He's persistent in saying that you can't just sit in a huge group like that, you have to get into a smaller group of people that you can study with and be there for when things get tough.

My small group happened to be made up of a dozen or so Orchestra members and spouses (which was also my ministry), but it cut across all the musical groups in the orchestra... brass, strings, woodwinds, rhythm... so that we got to know the people on the other side of the stage. Otherwise I would have hung out with the trombones and never known who the viola player was. Same principle for the congregation. Meet in a large group, but break down into smaller groups.

[GWfan]

Hi pastor-
I am LCMS.

I agree with your assessment completely. I moved from the mid-west to the south-west and thought that people had lost their minds!! Many don't have any idea that works-oriented religions are the opposite of what the gospel teaches. The doctrine (or lack of) in these mega churches is so muddy that it's almost belief by majority instead of looking to the Word.

[Swanks]

and look in the New Testament to see what it really says about people who try and predict the Day...especially supposedly religious people.

It's a quantum leap to claim those who believe in the Rapture are = to those predicting "a" particular day. Second you are 180 degrees off anyway. The Bible commands us to live righteously; even more so "as we see the day approaching".

So G_d gives a command, to follow provisionally, upon actively looking for, and being able to see, that day approaching. (Don't argue with me; not my words....)

Or, kindly explain for us the interpetation of that text.

[WillRain]

Certainly a valid concern to the extent that any or all of them neglect small group ministry.

Quite a different concern from the one I had been discussing, but certainly valid.