To those condemning Steven Furtick (as well as those defending him)
Hi Dojo readers,
For those of you who peruse the Christian blogosphere, there’s been a story that has been generating chatter over the past day or two right here in Charlotte. It centers around a news report by the local NBC affiliate on the new home that is being built by internationally known preacher, speaker and author Steven Furtick of Elevation Church.
There has been a good bit of conversation on social media in the wake of this story and I have been asked by friends what we are to make of it. So I wanted to comment in a way that I believe does justice to why Disciple Dojo exists in the first place–to CHALLENGE us all in our presuppositions and conclusions…but in a way that honors our Lord and Master.
So I would like to take a moment and address everyone who is criticizing and condemning Steven Furtick…as well as everyone who is defending him as a man of God.
To Steven Furtick’s critics:
Are you genuinely grieved over the fact that a Preacher is living in what many would consider “extravagance”? Or are you, for whatever reason, not a fan of Furtick, Elevation, megachurches or celebrity pastors…and using this story as an excuse to air those grievances publicly?
Do you know Steven Furtick’s heart? Do you know the details behind why he chose to live in this house and how he intends it to be used? Do you know whether or not it will be a place where people are welcomed or taken in when they are experiencing hardships of their own? Do you know whether or not it will be used as a conference location for ministry purposes when there is a need to gather without having to rent space? Do you know whether or not travelling ministers, missionaries or those in need of respite will find a place within it walls?
You see, I DON’T know the answers to these questions. So I DON’T want to judge whether or not Furtick is buying such a home out of faithful obedience or worldly desires. I don’t know his heart…and I doubt many of you do either.
What I DO know is that when I think about the homes of my pastor friends in Odisha, India, I realize that nearly every single person I know who’s criticized Furtick on social media lives in as much luxury and extravagance compared to my Indian friends as Furtick does to you.
When you ask, “Does anyone REALLY need a 16,000 sq.ft. house with that many bathrooms??” I imagine my Indian village pastor friend asking, “Does anyone REALLY need a 1,000 sq.ft. house with running water and central air-conditioning??”
You see, wealth and “extravagance” are relative. And 99% of us live “extravagantly” compared to the VAST majority of Christians who have ever walked this earth–including our Savior Himself.
So before you unleash your righteous indignation upon Steven Furtick and Elevation for their perceived worldliness…be sure that our brothers and sisters around the world couldn’t condemn you for the very same thing.
Now…to those who are defending Steven Furtick:
The desire to defend our friends when they are criticized is normal. The desire to defend our preacher or church leaders when they are attacked is commendable, in fact! When we’ve been blessed by someone spiritually, we have a natural tendency to see them as a manifestation of godliness…but we also have a tendency to whitewash their shortcomings at times.
As great a preacher as Steven Furtick is (and he IS a fantastic preacher!), and as much good as Elevation has done in the lives of thousands and thousands of people in this city and around the world (and they HAVE done some amazing things!), they are NOT above criticism.
In fact, according to Scripture itself, church leaders WILL be put before others for scrutiny, whether they want it or not. Look closely at Paul’s words to the young Pastor he was mentoring. He tells the young Timothy that a leader of the church must be…
“above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” (1Timoth 3:2-7 NIV)
“But Paul,” I can just hear people today saying, “why should it matter what the ‘haters’ think about a church leader? Why should his reputation matter? Who are they to judge him as a man of God?? He’s doing so much good and blessing the church! Only God can judge him!”
Yet Paul’s words are a somber warning that leaders are held to a different standard than the average follower of Jesus…for the simple fact that they are in a position of visible prominence. Their actions and decisions affect many people…even outside the walls of the church.
So when you defend Steven Furtick (or ANY famous preacher!) as “a man of God” who God is “clearly blessing” and “pouring out favor” upon, are you being faithful to what Scripture itself actually warns against?
When you dismiss all his critics as “haters” and those who are “just jealous”…are you really holding to a faithful, Biblical standard of wisdom?
Or are you getting defensive because you see the criticisms against your favorite preacher or your church as implicit criticisms against you as well?
I don’t know the answers to those questions, of course. But I know that God does.
I also know that in this same area just a few decades ago (and just a few miles away from the Furticks’ new home) there once stood another internationally-renowned megachurch campus headed by a young, dynamic, exciting preacher who led thousands and thousands of people to the Lord. This young, dynamic preacher was also lauded and passionately defended by his listeners and congregation members when charges of extravagance and irresponsibility were leveled against him by critics. This “man of God” was also made incredibly wealthy by book sales and multimedia enterprise.
Yet today, Heritage USA remains as nothing more than a ghost town, abandoned and parceled off to various buyers. Jim Bakker ended up first in prison, then authoring a book entitled “I WAS WRONG”. His family’s former extravagances now stand as an embarrassing memory within the church of Jesus and a continued reminder of the seductive power of worldly wealth–even if such wealth was initially acquired through a mixture of good motives, poor decisions and spiritual naivety.
Is it any wonder, then, that those who’ve seen the meteoric rise and shameful crash of previous celebrity preachers in Charlotte get uncomfortable when they see similar adoration and hype lauded upon another passionate, gifted young preacher?
And when Furtick says that his house is being paid for through his book sales, rather than by church funds, isn’t it totally legitimate to point out that since Elevation church is in large part the marketing machine behind the promos, videos, TV spots, online marketing and social media platforms which ultimately drive the sales of his books, the lines of demarcation between “church funds” and “book royalties” aren’t quite as clear as Furtick’s statement seems to imply.
You see, what disturbs many critics is this blurring of lines between “Steven Furtick the author” and “Steven Furtick the Pastor.” and between “Elevation the church” and “Elevation the book marketing partner.” That’s a legitimate concern and one that I hope Furtick, his staff and his supporters genuinely take into account before dismissing all criticism as worldly “attacks” or “jealousy”.
God will judge his heart. We can’t do that. But the question raised above is 100% valid for any pastor to consider when they become a successful author and in-demand speaker.
However…we must to be careful in our critique because it is incredibly easy for actual divisiveness, jealousy or sinful pride to creep into our minds and disguise itself as “righteous indignation” when we see a celebrity preacher living in a way we feel is excessive.
That being said, there are millions of believers around the world (as well as in this country, and even in this city!) that work far harder and serve every bit as faithfully as any megachurch pastor…yet scrape along beneath or just above the poverty line while trying to shepherd God’s flock and provide for their families. So seeing things like this does raise natural concerns, and it should.
You may say, “well, this is just a sign of God’s favor upon Pastor Steven. God is pouring out blessings upon him as a faithful minister!”
But I would caution you that “blessing” can often be a thinly-veiled rationalization for “greed” among Christians. The “love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”…and NO Christian is immune to its lure. The health and wealth prosperity gospel has wreaked havoc among Christians and how many of us view financial “blessing” from God. We MUST be vigilant and hold one another (and especially our leaders!) accountable when they make decisions that may not be the wisest course of action and may bring the Gospel into disrepute…but we also MUST do it in a graceful, charitable, and loving manner. N0t through snide posts on Facebook or smug tweets.
We can’t always judge the heart of those who end up doing things we feel is unwise, of course. There will always be times when faithful Christian leaders disagree on how best to minister (just ask Paul and Barnabas!).
But we CAN question (as long as we do so with a spirit of grace and truth rather than as a way to be passive aggressive and petty!). We can look at the good ANY megachurch pastor does and question how much of it is influenced by human greed…because greed affects and tempts each and every one of us.
As a minister who has worked in a large church, I know firsthand how easy it is to get caught up in worldly success and become so insulated that we don’t even realize the degree of excess and extravagance that we come to accept as “normal” or “deserved.”
But it is neither of those things.
At the end of the day, it seems that many people are raising eyebrows because Steven Furtick is in a position of influence as a “shepherd” yet has generated a lot of worldly wealth through combining the ministry of his church with personal book sales–while seeming to imply that the two are not directly connected.
This is a VERY valid concern for any preacher who is also an author and speaker, regardless of how much money they generate. Heck, it’s an issue of simple business ethics that even the secular world recognizes as perhaps questionable.
True, some people are just looking for reasons to attack and tear down (which is shameful and breaks the heart of Jesus, who prayed vehemently for UNITY among His followers!). But that doesn’t mean we should dismiss valid concerns over the way a shepherd of God’s flock uses their personal finances.
Based on Paul’s charge to Timothy (as well as the rest of the New Testament’s teaching on leadership), once you accept the call to be a minister of God, you immediately put your personal life on full display to a watching (and critical!) world, and you give up your right to be offended when people scrutinize your household, your personal life and, yes, even your finances.
That is part of the burden of ministry. And one that too many American Christians seem to have forgotten exists.
All that being said, I do not know Steven Furtick. I do not know his heart. I do not know his decision making process or his levels of financial accountability. I do not know if Elevation is a member of the ECFA (though given their size and success, I would urge them to consider joining it if they haven’t done so already). I do have many, many friends who are part of Elevation and have been blessed by its ministry. I know that Elevation is a major part of the Body of Christ in the metro-Charlotte area and for that reason, I want to see them flourish as a community of Jesus’ followers.
As someone not too much older than Steven Furtick, I can’t imagine the amount of pressure and scrutiny he and his family face on a regular basis (though I also can’t imagine the amount of wealth and financial provision they enjoy either). I know that ministry is a hard road and that only those who are truly called by God, appointed by Jesus, and gifted by the Holy Spirit should ever dare to place themselves in such a position. I believe Furtick is, in fact, called, appointed, and gifted.
So, from Disciple Dojo with all sincerity:
May Steven Furtick and Elevation Church leaders be blessed with wisdom during this tempest-in-a-teapot controversy. May they continue proclaiming the Gospel to a hurting, needy and broken world. May they continue serving as a welcoming gateway for many into the Kingdom of God and the Church (with a capital “C”!). May the criticisms that have validity be heeded by their leadership and those who surround Furtick and hold him accountable. And at the end of the day, may we all be ONE in the Lord whom we all serve as best we can with whatever financial means He has given us.
Blessings from the Dojo,
JM
ps: Speaking of financial provision…Disciple Dojo is constantly needing readers and supporters who will come alongside and partner in what we’re doing to equip, enrich and engage. If you benefit from the posts, resources and teaching ministry here, PLEASE consider becoming a Dojo donor! Even just $10/month would be of tremendous help in keeping this ministry going! Click HERE to see how you can help!
Categories: Blog, Ministry, New Testament, Political/Social issues
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