I have observed this interesting and fierce competition between the “yuppie” churches, especially along the Lekki axis; it simply is amazing the quantum of advertising that is going on, especially on the out-of-home medium. From the Law School all the way to Ajah, its an amazing media assault. Wow. I am not sure a week goes by without some new material announcing a programme or the other being posted. Its an exciting time for the Church!
I have however observed that the five or so churches involved in this blitzkrieg are so keen to achieve dominance that they have basically segmented the offerings into two categories:
1. Business Seminars
2. Entertainment
Someone with marketing experience is tutoring them segmentation.
And so we see banners and posters that scream some seminar topic on how a Christian can survive the recession. How to start and manage your own business; how to become rich and successful etc
We also see banners that offer entertainment splashing the pictures of saxophonists, singers, comedians etc.
ONE THING IS CLEAR. ALL OF THESE IS SIMPLY ABOUT ATTRACTING AND KEEPING THE HIGHBROW LEKKI-AXIS TARGET AUDIENCE. I STAND CHALLENGED.
Now i have a few points to make, and I will never tire of speaking on these perceived evangelical excesses.
Some of the guest speakers are past or current government functionaries who are very well known but have no track record of success. How can you be inviting a minister who is yet to deliver on his or her commission to come teach on how to manage recession when he/she has not been able to do same on her current job? Does owning an oil company make you a successful business role model? How can a church invite someone with known dubious business etiquette to come speak on integrity?
All I see is simply an attempt by many of the churches to identify with the current high fliers in the society, and hope to cash in on this to inflate their own population. It is wrong. It is immoral. It is unscriptural. It is unspiritual. It will not work. They should stop it.
How come they don’t call “unknown” but proven people as guest speakers? The principal who served the government diligently for 30 years and built a good state school? The honest civil servant? How come the guest speakers are always these same people, who come to tell the same old story? Sadly, some of such celebrated heroes of the past have been found to be unfaithful with depositors monies in their banks. Some used to loudly celebrate their Christianity but underground were stealing people’s money. When will (Evangelical) church leaders learn?
I wont talk about the entertainment bit where sacred altars have been yielded to crass and bad mouthed comedians who even mimic people who speak in tongues. I wrote strongly against it not too long ago.
Finally, I have a word for these pastors and i think I am a bit qualified to do this. In case you doubt my prerequisites, let me tell you i have been a believer for over 30 years. I was ordained a pastor in 1990; I have run and grown businesses built on the word of God and integrity. I have served and serve under men and women of integrity in Ministry.
These things you are all doing will not work. The Church is God’s house of prayer and worship. Many of you have abandoned these and have substituted them with the methods of the world. You are bringing the world into the church. You are building your personal brands instead of Christ. You imagine that the key success factor in Ministry is a large crowd, a fanciful auditorium etc. You are wrong. While all these are desirable, God is more interested in the spiritual development of His people.
Jesus whipped the Pharisees and teachers and sent them out of the synagogue because they were doing these things you are now doing: BUYING AND SELLING IN THE CHURCH. See what the Lord told them in Matthew 21.13: “IT IS WRITTEN, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER,’ BUT YOU MAKE IT A DEN OF ROBBERS.” Let us “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” and this fame, money, large congregation, large auditoriums etc, will be added on to us.
The other day the papers and the social media showed an under aged “General Overseer” coming out of his Rolls Royce and extended Hummer. I once was at a function at the Sheraton where the same fellow was awarded along with some of us. He noisily came into the hall with a retinue of over 15 older people, fawning over him. I felt sick with disgust. The following week I returned the award given to me. I could no longer in good conscience share the same award category with someone like him.
When last did you see Muslims selling entertainment or business topics? Or even the serious orthodox churches?
I am waiting for the day when banners will announce a week of intensive prayers and fasting, repentance, and not all these attempts to copy the Harvard Business School. Habakuk 2.14 imprints on our minds that, “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea”; and not the knowledge of the glory of the world!
Owners of these churches must make up their minds if they want to run churches, entertainment centres or business schools.
By God’s grace i will be back.
“Sometimes it may not be pleasant or even make us very popular, but we must have the moral courage to speak out against tyranny, injustice and bad behaviour”
