Herescope: Sacred Cows and Stars The Cult of Evangelical Leadership
From the earliest days of the modern evangelical movement the church followed the same sociological patterns as the culture at large and elevated certain men to Superior Status. By the late 1970s, as the broader evangelical media became an integral part of the American church landscape, leaders naturally – and unnaturally – arose. The television ministry became a new channel for popularity. In this climate of excess, Robert Schuller built his exotic Crystal Cathedral. The old humble revival meeting circuit gave way to the popular conference circuit. Prominent leaders like Pat Robertson and Dr. James Dobson rose to the forefront. Evangelical Stardom was birthed.
…Somehow Born-Againers never quite repented of their proclivity to follow the Stars. And a cult of leadership idolatry arose and became utterly acceptable. The only ones who seemed to notice with dismay were pastors who watched their own dethroning as their sheep flocked to the new ministry experts. Stardom took over the lucrative job of herding the sheep/fans.
There was money to be had in Stardom. Sacred Cows are Cash Cows. The Stars thrived on publicity. They published books, wrote articles, went on tours, ran the gamut of conference circuits, and addressed receptive audiences from behind the fancy new plastic podiums in rising megachurches. Some Star Performers launched their own media outlets, and others formed mega-ministries. Their name became their brand name. Evangelical show business became big business.
…How did this tabloidesque culture of the Stars emerge so easily in evangelicaldom? These Superior Superstars owe it all to training the Superstitious Sheep. Fawning Followers, captivated, bow down at their platforms. Time and again the malleable sheep will follow ostentatious or pretentious Shepherds, no matter how far off the narrow way they journey. Fallen Shepherd? Hey! An occasion for even more publicity! The “Touch not God’s anointed” mantra guarantees that meek sheep won’t question the deceptive path. The Revered Stars are above questioning. They are Sacred Cows, after all.[3]
Spiritual starvation tactics work well. Hungry sheep will follow Snakes into the pit, hoping a bit of the Charm of their Stardom will rub off. “Benny Hinn laid hands on me!” my friend exclaimed in awe, after he followed Hinn around the country seeking a cure for his cancer. Clever magician tricks on a spectacular stage entranced him into believing that Hinn – not Jesus – would meet his needs. “But the crowds!” he explained when pressed. “They stretched around the building for blocks!” That made it right. If plenty of sheep/fans follow the leader, then Stardom must be okay. Meek sheep don’t dare question the popular fads of rising Stars unless they want to get a terrible backlash. Some churches will show them to the door.
I used to be starstruck. Then that idolatry, which was sin, bit me in the behind. God woke me up. Now I know ministers poop too. And it stinks pretty bad most of the time.
Bang-on! But some of the terms are wrong. These are not “shepherds,” they’re “goat-herders,” and they are not “sheep,” they’re “goats,” for Jesus said that His sheep “follow Him for they know His voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:4-5).
Thanks for questioning the salvation of millions of charismatics, Peter. That’s always good for a cheerful respite on a rainy October afternoon.
Titus 1:16
Many act as if they know God. Having faith in Jesus should transform a life. Who can know for certain that someone really lives by that transforming faith?
Salt and light in the world. We christians are born again. It boils down to our conducts.
Mark – happy I could shine some light on your day
Millions? Well…maybe. Having been involved in the charismatic movement for over three decades, before I really got saved, I’ve seen may “christians” who are just as worldly as non-christians. Their gods are anything but YHWH. Susan has stated it well. There is no fruit of regeneration in their lives.
It used to drive me nuts: those Christians who were always on about God and Jesus every time they open their mouths. Now I’ve come to understand that they are probably the elect and are genuinely born again. You can’t be touched by the infinite, Holy and Glorious God of the universe without it affecting you deeply.
It may not be, but I think the “strong delusion” spoken of by Jesus which will deceive even the very elect if that were possible, could be (some parts of) the Charismatic movement, where many thousands of people think they are saved because they came forward during some altar-call and someone told them they are now saved but there was no true repentance.
i wonder if the “strong delusion” is putting dogma before compassion?
Well Mark, if you’d like to question the ‘salvation’ of my tongue-talking pentecostal mother, who almost daily came home from work yelling in anger and putting me down constantly when growing up, then feel free to do so. I sure know what ‘god’ she was serving and it wasn’t the right one.
Like light illuminates the darkness, I believe a light can shine from human beings and show a path, that can allow us to see beyond ourselves. I believe there is a joy that illuminates a life, that causes a sparkle in the eyes of others who are around that joy. Oh, if we can keep the light shining and hold on to our joy, how distinct it would be in our world.
Television evangelists on our airwaves today, most of them are charlatans and sociopathic to a greater or lesser degree. I once worked for one that was significantly a major control freak and participated in very unethical business practices along with his then chief of staff and also the VP of Human resources who is now the chief operating officer. Its a sad story and organization that has underminded and destroyed many employees throughout its history.