Pastor Steven Furtick's newly built $1.7 million, 16,000 square-foot mansion is under the spotlight. A few comments in no particular order of importance:
i) I automatically catalogue stories like these in the "There's a sucker born every minute" file.
ii) One thing you can say about prosperity preachers: they aren't hypocrites. They practice what they preach. Or maybe I should say, they practice what they leech.
Why is anyone shocked, least of all their check-writing parishioners, when a prosperity preacher is…prosperous? Admittedly, it's sometimes hard to balance a wealthy lifestyle with a healthily lifestyle, but Furtick's still young. The arteriosclerosis comes later.
iii) Imagine what a new 16,000 square-foot mansion would cost in California!
iv) Furtick's come a long ways from Moncks Corner. Jerry Falwell had many faults, but he was born, raised, lived, worked, and died in the same place all his life.
v) Furtick's parishioners have no cause for complaint. You get what you pay for. And they have the best pastor that money can buy.
They are to Furtick what Obama voters are to Obama. Just as Obama voters are coming to the rude realization that, where Obamacare is concerned, we are all One Percenters, the members of Elevation Church have more dollars than sense.
vi) If one of his parishioners built a $1.7 million, 16,000 square-foot mansion, would this even be a story? It's not just Christian ministers who are called to a servant lifestyle. All Christians are called to a servant lifestyle. Our life is not our own. We were bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20). Furtick deserves to be excoriated, but let's avoid double standards.
Update:
I notice that the controversy swirling around Steven Furtick's McMansion has spun off in a new direction. I think we need to draw some rudimentary distinctions.
There's a difference between valuing certain amenities and creature comforts because they make life more pleasant, and spending big bucks on status symbols. There's a difference between valuing something because it's beautiful, and valuing something to impress the neighbors.
Furtick's mansion is ostentatious. That's worldly.
To take a comparison: you can own a big boat because you enjoy boating, or you can own a big boat to make a statement about your bank account. There's a difference.
If anyone is interested, here's a link to Michael L. Brown's podcast on what's right and wrong about the prosperity gospel. He lists 5 rights and 7 wrongs.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lineoffireradio.com/2011/07/12/whats-right-and-wrong-with-the-prosperity-gospel/
If anyone is interested, here's a link to a collection of Steve's blogs on the cessationism. I won't be adding this current blog to the list because it's technically not on cessationism vs. continuationism.
http://www.charismatamatters.blogspot.com/2013/08/steve-hays-on-cessationism.html
Furtick deserves to be excoriated, but let's avoid double standards.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's EVEN WORSE for a pastor.
Why is it even worse for a pastor? Christian ethics are the same for laity and clergy alike.
DeleteThe ethics are, but the qualifications for an elder are more stringent, and they are significantly more visible to unbelievers and believers alike. They above all need to be sure they are setting the right example.
DeleteThere are more famous laymen than famous pastors.
DeleteBut a higher % of pastors are well-known than laymen. And besides, the Bible says they're supposed to be an example and all that.
DeleteSince laymen outnumber pastors by 500-1 (give or take), I don't know how you come up with that figure. Perhaps you mean most famous laymen are famous for something other than their Christian faith.
DeleteAll Christians are supposed to set an example.
Yes, that's what I mean. Thanks for helping me make my own argument LOL!
DeleteAll Christians are supposed to set an example.
True, but it doesn't overturn my points.
Do you think churches themselves should have large buildings?
ReplyDeletePros and cons. I don't see any excuse for doing what 1st Baptist Dallas did, spending $100 million on their campus.
DeleteFrom what little I read about it, I agree.
DeleteI like Gothic churches. However, denominations tend to liberalize over time, so I think it's best to avoid anything too permanent. Don't build an empire that the enemy may conquer and use to their advantage.
DeleteIf you have a large congregation, you need a large facility, although you can rent a large facility.
DeleteYeah, or you can follow the biblical/historical example of splitting the congregation to do some planting.
DeleteHowever, denominations tend to liberalize over time, so I think it's best to avoid anything too permanent. Don't build an empire that the enemy may conquer and use to their advantage.
DeleteDang, that's a good call.
How does one go about splitting a congregation? Does the pastor tell them to stop coming to his church? What if they come to his church because he's a great expository preacher? I don't blame a pastor for being popular as long as he's popular for the right reasons. There's nothing inherently wrong with megachurches.
DeleteIn anything, it might be better to do it in reverse. If he has a successful church, why doesn't he step down and start a new church elsewhere, given his proven ability?
Irrelevant questions, Steve. I notice that you haven't actually responded to my main point.
ReplyDeleteSince you didn't show that your advice was either Biblical or practical, there's nothing to respond to.
Delete