The New Model of SBC Church | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Here is what has become of the old Baptist Church in a big city ---

    Here is the "New Baptist Look." His father was at the Taylors (SC) FBC when I started at Easley in 1970. He came over to our Association Pastor's Conference as guest speaker. He was handsome and dynamic, but most conservative. Went from there to Columbia (SC) FBC which he captioned "The Fellowship of Excitement."

    Then the Big time in Texas hit at Houston 2nd Baptist which was given the "Fellowship of Excitement" sobriquet as well. Daddy was featured in a national Baptist periodical with a nauseating depiction to me of "The Church of the Big Show." I used it for my sermon: "The End of Your Search for a Messed Up Church."

    The Scriptural base was Simon the Magician drawing crowds with tricks vs. Jesus sharing a message of love and forgiveness to the outcasts and homeless . . .

    These kinds of Preachers now are the "ideal image" for the Southern Baptists of NC and the students training to go to churches, mostly in NC. Some go to surrounding states to carry their new way of being Baptist. If you went to the SBC meeting archives this week or wish to now---you can see it for yourself:

    The author takes a look at the entire Mega Church movement:

    "The church eventually bought the $2.5 million tract in 1994, with an $800,000 down payment. Two years later, it was announced that the gargantuan Grapevine Mills shopping mall would be built across the highway. The church received unsolicited offers for parts of its land, suddenly desirable for developers, and sold off 23 acres for $1.675 million - the exact balance owed on its property note. Construction ensued, and two years later, in 1998, the newly rechristened Fellowship Church moved into its new megabuilding. Ed's father spoke at the dedication service.

    Today, Fellowship Church estimates its weekly attendance, across its branches, at 20,000. Many compare Ed Young's ministry to fellow Texas superevangelists Joel Osteen, of Lakewood Church in Houston, and Bishop Jakes at Potter's House. Young is flattered by the comparisons, but says he is hardly operating on the same scale. That may be true, but his fellow ministers with means are no strangers to the issues of God versus gaudy.

    In October, Jakes spoke out about the Oxygen network's flashy new reality show, Preachers of L.A., in a sermon: "Now, I know you been watching that junk on TV. I want to tell you, right now, not one dime of what you're sowing right now will buy my suit. I want you to know my car is paid for. I want you to know I got my house on my own. I want you to know I'm not bling-blinging. I am not shake-and-bake. I had money when I came to Dallas, and I plan to have some when I leave." He added later: "I have sold enough books and produced enough movies. I don't need your offering to pay for this little slimy suit. So I rebuke that spirit in the name of Jesus Christ."

    Osteen had his own heart-to-heart on the issue last year with Oprah. He told Winfrey that he no longer takes a salary from the church and now lives off his book royalties. He said he celebrates God's blessings and offers no apologies for his wealth."

    I see many passages in the Gospels dealing with wealth. An example was the Rich Young Ruler who met with Jesus over his wish to join up. Jesus knew of his wealth and told him: "Sell all you have and give it to the poor, then come back and follow me." The young man hung his head and went back to his fancy ways . . .

    Another statement Jesus made was "The love of money is the root of all evil." This came on the heels of him driving the Money Changers off the Temple steps over "turning His Father's House into a den of thieves." --- making money off the fears and desires of weary travelers to Jerusalem after their pauper's trek of a lifetime to worship at the main place of Jewish church. It was the Mega Church of his day!

    Our closest to this was Jim Whittington who resided in Greenville with the same affluence made from evangelistic services he held all over for big bucks. Elmer Gantry comes to mind. That old story from the 40's where a flamboyant salesman hooked up with a meek and humble lady evangelist and her ministry ultimately went to ruin after becoming a gigantic Tabernacle which caught fire and burned to the ground.

    Another fellow from NC, Carl Sandburg, wrote a poem on this kind of stuff---"To a Contemporary Bunkshooter."