Somewhere along the way, the church stopped being a movement and became an institution. And for many churches, that institution started looking a lot like a business.
- Multi-million-dollar buildings.
- Pastors treated like celebrities.
- Board meetings more focused on attendance and tithes than on discipleship and outreach.
Jesus flipped tables over this kind of thing.
And people see it. That’s why church attendance is declining. That’s why faith deconstruction is growing. That’s why people would rather seek spiritual fulfillment anywhere but inside the walls of a church that looks more like a corporation than the hands and feet of Jesus.
Barna’s research reveals that nearly 50% of young adults see churches as more concerned with political power and money than with people.
Let that sink in.
If you’re leading a church, ask yourself: when did ministry become about sustaining a machine rather than changing lives?
And are you okay with that?
Keep reading: How the Church Became the Pharisees It Warns Against
