Sure there are exceptions, but it seems that the more fundy a church, the greater that it is the pastor’s face on the billboard or newspaper ad. When the pastor dies, often it is the son who takes over. This does not make fundamentalist christian churches look good to me. The church should be about the congregation, not some megalomaniac pastor.
Exactly what is the question you would like to throw before the teeming millions?
Heck, if you could throw in an actual example, it’d help. 
Controlling churches (or cults, for that matter) are a hot-button topic for me.
When I was in college, I was a member of a “toxic church”. The pastor was the “head shepherd”, and we were his “flock”. Likewise, the deacons were “deputy shepherds” (not their term) and were responsible for several elders, and so on down the line. I was not introduced to this part of their doctrine until I had been attending their church for some time. “Hidden doctrine” is often a characteristic of a dysfunctional church – they don’t want to scare you off before they’ve had a chance to work on you.
We didn’t have the pastor’s face on everything, but the doctrine was one of a rather strict heirarchy. Everyone answered to someone else in the church, someone who had been there longer and had more “seniority”. This “shepherd” advised you on what Bible passages to study, who to associate with, etc.
When you were first assigned a “shepherd”, he was just a “friendly advisor and counselor, sort of like a big brother in Christ”, but as time progressed, the noose would tighten. Eventually, this person would become your god, although I’m sure this was a term they conscientiously avoided when describing the “shepherd/sheep” relationship.
When confronted with the fact you are attending a dysfunctional church you really only have two options:
[ul]1. Fight it.
Controlling personalities (and groups) don’t like to have their authority questioned. To say the least, bad feelings will erupt, and you are likely to suffer a personal attack (character assasination is the favored tactic). Besides, if you’re a newcomer, they’re going to “circle the wagons” to defend against an outsider, no matter if he is right or wrong. If he isn’t “one of us” then of course, he’s wrong.
or
- Leave.[/ul]
I left. I was only about 19 at the time, and had little experience with fighting dysfunctionality. Having spent much of the next 20 years in the military, I am now of the opinion I did the right thing by leaving.
Now I’m older and (possibly) wiser. I am less inclined to worry about what others think, and more inclined to stand up against what is wrong, rather than just leaving. I am inclined to get confrontational when someone tries to become “deputy G-d” and order folks around. I don’t answer for anyone’s actions but my own, nor do I answer to anyone unless I decide I want to.
~~Baloo
I have to echo much of what Baloo posted. In fact, I may have grown up in the same church. The “shephard” system was almost exactly the same as described above. There certainly was a cult of personality feel to the whole thing.
Now, I must say that I thought the concept behind this type of church was purely driven. I never got the feeling, even in hindsight, that any of the church elders/shephards devised this system for a power kick. I truly believe that these people had a love for God and Christ and thought that the organized “Church” didn’t allow people to connect with God very well, or develop a personal relationship with Christ.
The shepharding movement I am familiar with developed out of Southern California about the same time that people were beginning to question authority and the institutionalized nature of many organizations, including churches. It started with some street evangelists, moved through much of the hippie movement, and into the homes of Christians rather than Church buildings.
Rather than veer off into the commune tract some sects went into, this one became more mainstream. The main attraction was for those who felt stifled by institutionalized religion and wanted to experience the emotional aspects of the evangelical movement (clapping and dancing in church; shouting to the Lord; singing in tongues, etc…).
I think they felt they had a good way, through personal relationships and accountability to peers/elders/shephards, for people to grow as Christians. The Bible calls us to be Christlike, or at least strive for righteousness. Having close relationships within the church was supposed to encourage accountability.
Of course, the tempatation for personal power or ego seemed to have been too great for some. I could see it even as a kid, although I couldn’t have explained it very well. (I don’t think, however, that churches have the corner on the market for developing toxic egos.).
I have not let my cynicism of the shepharding movement affect my overall Christian beliefs. Nor did my mom and stepdad, who both had a lot more invested into this Church system than I, as a kid, did. It’s not easy for grown people to admit that the tree is bearing bad fruit without overcompensating to the side of disenchantment and disbelief. I am glad that my parents found a way to manage it. It wasn’t easy, and it involved a lot of soul-searching.
Christianity teaches that the love of Christ is pure. If you find yourself in a situation where that is being perverted or compromised, the blame lies with the fallible humans who have twisted things (whether my malice or by weakness), not Christ.
To reply 1: Do any of you also see s corolation between fundamentalist and evangelical churches and preachers who seem to put themselves above the congregation.
To reply 2:
The first three examples are of pastors or ex-pastors who are fundamentalist or evangelical but seem to be moral, but whose faces are still always on billboards (in Houston). Ed Young of Second Baptist and Jouh Bisagnio of First Baptist. These are both very large congregations whose pastors are quite conservative, although the size of the church’s would indicate variety. Both of these people are on the billboards. The large moderate Baptist church, South Main, never has put the pastor on its billboard. It usually just puts a slogan. SM Baptist is an inner-city church that woo’s more than just rich white guys.
Lakewood church. An independent evangalical church. Very large. John Osteen was always on the billboards. He is dead, and his son is taking over.
I can give several examples of less reputible pastors who are known to steal and lie, maybe I will later.
I have never personally had the pleasure of enrolling in any fundamentalist churches. OF course the picture you describe pretty much fits the “profile” of such organizations. I would be curious to hear if anyone has had direct experiences with the same.
While in Philly, I lived around the corner from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith", headed by a bishop (forget the name) who was also “Apostle and Overseer” (Always thought that “Overseer” has an odd title for a predominately black church). I generally referred to them as the “Church of the Crazy White-Hatted Ladies”.
This place was definitely a cult of personality. The bishop when I first moved in had taken over the church in a coup after the death of the first bishop. At the death of the first bishop, the church had split between those who thought the first bishop was going to be resurrected, and those (led by the winner) who wanted to bury the body.
During my time there, the bishop died, and the church was again split between “resurrectors” and “burriers”. The split was worsened by tension amongst the burriers between followers of the deputy bishop and Prince Omega, the dead bishop’s adopted son (the “adoption” being another truly bizarre story).
Anyhoo, the church’s official theology was very fundy, but, as you can see, the bishop really became the focus of worship in the church.
Personally, I liked having the church around. I was living in a questionable neighborhood, and the church had a very effective vigilante organization. I “tithed” by buying lots of their baked goods at their bake sales.
V.
A lot of it is about marketing.
Most of the old-linedenominations – Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, etc. – are squeamish about marketing. They feel that word of mouth and the name-brand identity of the denomination, with a little discreet advertising will be enough.
What you’re calling “fundy” is actually independent, or non-affiliated. By that I mean their tehology could be either conservative or liberal – they just don’t happen to be affiliated, or are very loosely affiliated, with a regular denomination. These churches are often built and held together by their minister. Even if the church pre-dates the minister, the minister is the most visible “spokesman” for the church, and winds up being the front for the advertisng.
Granted I’ve know more than a few ministers who I believed were in it for the ego, or the money, and even a few who could have been another Jim Jones if the breaks had gone their way. But more often it’s just attaching a face to a product.
I am suspect of the “famous” preachers.
Pat Robertson, Bob Larson(heh),that guy with the tan who heals folks(cant remember his name), seem to be revered by mainstream christians.
Like they can do no wrong.It seems like a cult of personality to me.
Acutally I don’t call any of those guys “mainstream”. Billy Graham is mainstream. Not prone to idiotic rantings and tearful pleas for funds. I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for the man as a spiritual leader. Granted he has been criticized for affiliating himself with a few of our more colorful leaders but other than that he’s been pretty good about not putting big toe in his mouth too often.
Oh yes…religion especially Christianity lends itself so well to what you call the cult of personality. Hey look at say… good old Paul, you know Saul of Tarsis. Wrote Romans and Corintians, that Paul. I’d say other than Jesus himself that guy had a heck of a personality. Very historically correct for leaders in the Christian church to be loaded with “personality”.
Need2know
I used to read the Bible a lot. It still fascinates me, but now in more of a historical-anthropoligal-mythological way. I recall a story where Paul was doing a multi-hour sermon when someone fell out the window and allegedly died. Paul revived him, not in Jesus’s name, but taking all the credit for himself. Oh well (sigh). There is definitely precedence for this action.