How Not To Become a Celebrity Pastor
People, in general—love celebrities. That much is not in doubt. Whether they be athletes, actors, or successful CEOs, we are fascinated with people who are rich, powerful, and at the top of their game. Indeed, we’ve been taught that the way you make an organization successful is by finding an exceptional person to lead it—a franchise player—who can put it on the map. All organisations need a superstar, whether it’s Lebron James or Jeff Bezos. Unfortunately, the church has sometimes adopted this same approach to leadership. If our churches are going to “succeed,” we figure we need our own franchise player to lead us—someone who is strong, dynamic, and inspiring. Welcome to the era of the “celebrity pastor.” Of course, anyone paying attention over the last decade will recognize the era of the celebrity pastor has not, as a whole, been a healthy one for the church. Sure, some churches are as big as they’ve ever been. But church scandals are also as big as they’ve ever been. So, perhaps it