'Moral failings' in the mega-church - surprised? (not particularly) in Essays

Calvary Chapel was shocked yesterday when Pastor Bob Coy resigned at a special meeting because of 'moral failings'... I don't know what the particular failings are, and I don't particularly want to know either, but I'm not surprised. I've seen this happen time and time again. Evangelical church leaders are suppose to be above reproach, perfect in every way and with some special sacred pipeline directly to God so that He can show them what to do, when to do it, and how to keep building a bigger and better church, but they're just people like the rest of us. The more successful they are, the larger their church snowballs and the more influence they have, the more temptation they have as well. Pastor Bob built one of the largest churches in America... I sincerely liked his preaching - so did a billion other people, or Calvary wouldn't have become a mega-church and lasted for so many decades. I didn't get any 'bad vibes' off of him... he seemed sincere and he taught well for many many years, but he's a man first, and a pastor second. It shouldn't be at all surprising that he's as human as the rest of us.

My first pastor turned out some years after he left to have had a shall we say biblical fondness for teenage girls in his congregation. I figured that explained why I never felt quite comfortable around him... there was just something about him that put me on alert and I wouldn't have trusted him enough to be alone with him even though he never said boo to me (guess I wasn't his type). Another pastor stayed with the church for years after he should have acknowledged his human weakness and got help - he was just going through the motions and trying to lead the congregation based entirely on 'head' knowledge when he had no real faith left in his heart so it was all just words. In the end his wife told him that if he didn't resign, she was going to make him. He ended up abandoning church entirely, walking out on his family, and indulging in one of the world's largest midlife crises... I had also felt that his teaching was not quite up to par - he was all words and not enough feeling. I wasn't really surprised that he screwed up his life so thoroughly, but I was sad for him anyway.

Before you think that all pastors are bad, I have also seen wonderful pastors who have NOT given way to temptation and who have successfully led large churches for decades without any sign of failure/sin, and inspired me to want to be a better person every day. But they haven't forgotten that they have feet of clay...

Ironically, I went to another church yesterday and when I walked in the door, I thought 'this guy has ambitions to be another Calvary.' There was slick music, dim lights, a 'Hollywood' theme to the sermon, much pacing, ranting, and impassioned pleading with us... it was exhausting to watch him preach. It wasn't 'bad' or 'wrong', and I'd go back again if I didn't have anyplace better to go on a Sunday morning, but it's not anything I'd want on a regular basis. He felt more like a televangelist than a minister. It seemed that the other hundred people in the room were getting what they wanted out of their Sunday morning worship, but it left me cold. I prefer my worship sincerely simple, or simply sincere... and it resolved a conflict that I've been wrestling with since we moved. ie. which church to formally dedicate myself to. Next week I'm going back to St Luke's Episcopalian, and I'm going to fill out the membership card and put ourselves on the record as parishioners. They might not be flashy... they might not have all the bells and whistles... but they are real.

One major difference - the Evangelical chapel has no windows and for half the service they had it darkened 'cinema style'... the Episcopalian church has floor to ceiling windows around three quarters of the building, and it's surrounded by beautiful old trees. When I am worshipping I don't feel the need to be cocooned away from the world in a little Christian bubble... I like to look out the windows at the temple our God has made for us. Christians are not made to be apart from the world - we have to live in it, and with it.