[ichabod1]

Got to admit, Joel has been drawing the people to Christ. The church has like quadrupled membership since his daddy died, and it wasn't small to begin with, or I should say at that time.

[AppyPappy]

It sounds like he has been drawing people to Joel. It's a seeker-sensitive church. IOW you don't have to be a Christian to attend the church. What little I have heard of him (on BET), he doesn't preach a really meaty message. It's not horrible but it's more of a performance than true worship. If it gets people interested in Christianity, more power to it. But I imagine a lot of people are showing up just because of Joel and the Lakewood experience.

[LS]

Absolutely. Of course, as soon as you say that---that pastor pr preacher "x" is popular or leading people to Christ, then you get all the people who scream "false prophet" and "Jim Jones."

Jesus had no problem with variety as long as they were teaching ultimately about Him. He said "He who is not against us is with us."

[Terriergal]

Got to admit, Joel has been drawing the people to Christ. The church has like quadrupled membership since his daddy died,

You mean he has been drawing people to his CHURCH. Not necessarily to Christ. If people find Christ, it's not because it's in his preaching. I listen to him when I'm in the mood to be irritated at the growing apostasy and lukewarmness of what purports to be 'the body of Christ.'