Humans love to-do lists. It is part of our nature to assemble a set of goals that, when or if accomplished, will somehow settle a debt we owe God. In the garden of Eden, we see Adam and Eve were the first humans to rebel against the God who made them. In a world where sin is a constant reality, we fail to see the magnitude of this treasonous crime against their benevolent Father. The way that Adam and Eve attempt to make-up for this horrible act that damned the entire human race to hell is by sewing leaves together to make a onesie. Brothers and sisters, when we decide to replace the corporate confession of sin with a 10 step plan, we are sewing fig leaves together.

Every January, people are looking for new ways to do things. Many will write down their new goals, or recycle old ones, so they can improve their lives. Often, these goals will be vague enough that they can be adapted to the ebb and flow of life. The theme of these resolutions are almost always self-improvement. We want to eat healthier, be more physically active, or invest our money more wisely. These resolutions will show up in social media posts in one way or another. An example would be a post with a goal to lose weight, and people will comment with the practical ways they have accomplished these goals. I personally have not seen someone provide a philosophical reason for going keto or the theoretical considerations of joining Crossfit. People are seeking things that will work for them on a tangible level. We want to see statistics, survey results, and independent fact checkers. Pragmatism is not an inherently bad thing. The problem is when we bring pragmatism into the church.

The Vision-Casting, Goal-Setting, Growth-Minded CEO Pastor

Are we told how God wants His church to be operated? If you were to ask that question to lay people in the local megachurch, they would most likely say “no”. That is not necessarily their fault because that answer often reflects the attitude of their pastor. The popular evangelical theology behind their form of church government is no theology at all. The “pastor as CEO” form of church government that is seen in many large popular evangelical churches is a dogma without a doctrine. It is a form of church government that is based on “what works” and everything else is perceived as formal, high church bureaucracy. This is the foundation for the pragmatism found in the rest of the popular evangelical church operations. It is done this way because it yields the results we want to see. 

Upon this foundation, the church erected the walls they called “church growth strategies.” If the way we do church is left up to us, then why not incorporate a strategic plan that includes a marketing plan, social media team, production crew, professional musicians, stage props, skits, strobe lights, and fog machines? The problem with these walls is that the back door is as large as the front. By that I mean that the business strategy, seeker-sensitive church has a large number of their attendees leaving because they were not satisfied with the production or entertainment value. In order to patch the holes in the sinking ship, the CEO decides to implement a number of programs to retain these fleeing families. This might sound familiar.

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