The Scandal of Christian Conferences

THE SCANDAL OF

CHRISTIAN CONFERENCES

The 1960s saw an explosion of Christian conferences. From charismatic to independent Baptists to reformed and most every other genre offered a conference designed to accommodate your particular affiliation. Basically it was an opportunity to excite your base and many times to excoriate your doctrinal opponents. And it also was a vehicle to sell books and tapes which later became books and Cds. And it made many a preaching hero as well. People would flock to hear John Rice or Robert Shuller or other pastors and preachers.

But during the last 40 years it has expanded exponentially and has become a sophisticated way to spread whatever doctrine or lack thereof you desire. And these conferences are a medium that elevates personalities and ministries, and provides an atmosphere of man worship and preaching to the choir. They have become slick presentations that are well advertised with men’s names attached as drawing cards. And make no mistake, this is a phenomenon which bleeds across all doctrinal camps from orthodox to liberal to emergent and everywhere in between. Basically, they are a revelation of the humanistic culture and a disgrace to the body of Christ.

People spend all kind of money to travel to these events, and when they are national in scope, airline fairs and motel accommodations are a must. And although they number in the tens of thousands, the spiritual climate of the western evangelical church sees no spiritual revival and in fact continues to see a decline in all the ecclesiastical venues. But let us lift up the veil and expose the unpleasant underbelly of what takes place in these gatherings.

What draws people to these events? Is it that the men and women are coming with some new doctrine or some Biblical insight that they could not share via the internet? Are these speakers anointed with a knowledge of Christ that can only be communicated and transferred by in person messages? Let us be honest here, people go because they hold whoever is headlining in high esteem, and they look forward to messages that scratch where they already scratch themselves. They realize that these speakers will say what they already believe and that just their in person delivery will give them spiritual goosebumps.

But look even deeper. Many of the speakers are already pastors and not only will they receive their normal salary at their home church, but they will reap handsomely the financial benefits of this event. They do not usually come for free. And along with that financial remuneration, they often sell books and preaching Cds as well as Cds from the music leaders. If that does not accurately reflect the atmosphere when Jesus overturned the money changers I do not know what does, except maybe the Roman Catholic indulgences. They are little more than a mirror of a multi-level marketing convention.

And the church growth conferences throw out church growth red meat, and the Calvinist conferences throw out Calvinist red meat, and the emergent conferences throw out emergent red meat, and the purpose driven conferences throw out purpose driven red meat, and everyone dines sumptuously on the meal they already knew they would receive and already desired. The convention centers love them, the motels love them, Kinko’s loves them, the restaurants love them, the speakers love them, but God has no use for them.

But they are symptomatic of a church gone far astray and yet attempts to keep the excitement through spectacular events modeled after the secular and pagan culture. Does not the popularity of such events give us pause to evaluate their essence? Men and women profit greatly, not only directly through the event, but by the word of mouth when the attendees return back to their church and relate how much they were blessed. However nothing changes.

But what do they offer that the local church could not? If you desire better music you can still buy Cds. If you want to hear sermons from certain men they are offered over the internet or by request to their church or ministry. Here is a pastor who is a Calvinist (as an example) who shells out hundreds for a plane ticket to attend the annual Shepherd’s Conference put on by John McArthur. He pays the fee and secures a motel room near the event. Sometimes he rents a car and uses a credit card for his meals at nearby restaurants. And what does he hear typically? As in the 2007 conference he hears the main message, “Why I am a Calvinist”. So let me get this straight. The Calvinists come to hear another Calvinist speak on Why I am a Calvinist? Talk about your preaching to the choir! And I would assume that copies of that ground breaking message sold like doctrinal hot cakes. And for what reason?

Shouldn’t the local church be a continuing “conference” of who is Jesus and a penetrating challenge on following and emulating Him? Why do we have to travel great distances and spend great amounts of money to hear what all true churches should be preaching consistently? And these conferences are not evangelistic. They are meant to excite the base and also elicit funds and a pervasive followship of men and women. They do not exhort a crucifixion of the flesh, in fact they excite the flesh. They do not spend days on their faces before God beseeching Him to move in their own lives and in the lives of their churches. Most pastors and preachers arrive with a confidence that their lives and ministries and churches could use some advise but overall they fall within acceptable parameters.

The advertisement, the glossy pamphlets, the communications through the mail, the detailed maps, the motel listings, and the entire scope of these events mirrors a rock concert or an insurance convention. It engenders pride and is at odds with Biblical humility. It elicits unnecessary funds that might be used for other more Biblical endeavors. It makes rock stars of different speakers and expands the popularity of certain men and their ministries and their protected labels. And many times it exposes compromises that had remained clandestine until certain speakers were surprisingly asked to come. Oh yes, many times you would be shocked at the array of speakers from all kinds of doctrinal persuasions.

Ray Comfort (Way of the Master) spoke at a health and wealth conference, Rick Warren spoke at John Piper’s Desiring God conference, and T. D. Jakes is a common speaker at conferences mainly held by Southern Baptist persuasions. Strange bedfellows with the common denominator to attract people, cover the expenses, and spread influence. These conferences are fleshly outlets for religious entertainment which were learned directly from the heathen. The money that is spent is obscene, the excitement that is raised is fleeting, the amount of prayer is paltry, and the entire construct should be completely unnecessary if the local churches were following Jesus and His Word.

And many times the preacher takes a week long paid vacation and his church pays for his expenses to attend this conference. And I have personally known preachers who attend the three day conference, line up a Sunday morning preaching engagement for which they are well recompensed, and also receive their more than moderate church salary. And that is supposed to be Christianity? And some arrange for their families to be with them. In short, it is a scam.

Where are the advertisements in the Book of Acts? "Come hear the Apostle Paul!" Come and see people healed by Peter's shadow! But paul calls himself the chiefest among sinners and the offscouring of the earth. Not much of a drawing card and in fact his letters seemed more powerful than his personal appearance. And when paul or Peter or the other apostles preached, it was usually at the peril of their very lives. Quite different than a sumptuous meal and an air conditioned motel room. And HERE is a discription of what used to represent a "Christian" cruise. Yes, we've come along way.

And with all the conferences, and all the books, and all the singers, and all the preachers, and all the sermons, and all the famous men and women in Christian leadership, the fallen culture continues to be a more effective evangelist than all them put together. If we have ears to hear, that should speak volumes.