My Feelings About When Christian Artists Say They Do Not Need The Church

Over the past five years or so it has become quite popular for Christian musicians and authors to make the claim that they do not need church, nor do they see it as important or essential to their lives. 

Often they can be seen on social media taking a shot a pastors who talk about the number of people who attend one of their church services or celebrate what God may be doing in their church as far as salvations, baptisms or other things that I believe Scripture calls us to celebrate. 

I can understand why people who are not connected to a church would be bothered by what the church celebrates. That makes complete sense to me…

However, what bothers me is when a Christian musician or author who makes fun of things like this and continues to bang the drum of “church is not necessary” and that “numbers do not matter” because I believe they are being incredibly hypocritical without even realizing it. 

I'd like to ask the Christian author out there who “does not need the church” to please stop sending me (a pastor in a church) a “free copy” of your newest book (and/or small group material) and asking me to talk about it on social media. After all, I work in an organization you have clearly stated you do not need. Please stop having your agent call churches and ask them would they be willing to host you to speak on a Sunday OR to maybe even schedule a book tour stop. 

This makes you look bad…REALLY bad, because even though you say you do not need the church, when it comes to economics, you would essentially be BROKE if people in the church did not promote and purchase your product. 

If you are a Christian musician who does not need the church…then please stop sending the latest copies of your brand new album or single to worship leaders (who work IN CHURCHES) and asking them to promote and purchase your new release. It makes you look like a hypocrite. 

AND…authors and musicians, if numbers do not matter and are an unnecessary obsession that churches focus on in an unhealthy way—then help us stop that madness by NOT talking about how many albums or books you have sold and where your latest project sits on the charts. It’s sad we will allow people to celebrate a temporary place on a list that one day will not matter, but then frown upon churches when they celebrate when people come from death to life.  

AND…if you do not need the church, then when a church does allow you to speak or sing for them—DO NOT TAKE THE HONORARIUM. After all, you've already said you do not need the church, right? If you do not need the church but are willing to take her money you are no better than a teenage boy who keeps a couple of girls on a string and calls them only when he wants to hook up. 

AND FINALLY…remember when you speak about the church you are talking about the ONLY THING on the planet that Jesus Himself began (Matthew 16:18), HE sits at the HEAD of the church (Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 1:22) and it is THROUGH the church HE wants to REACH THE WORLD (Ephesians 3:10). 

I really do hope and pray that any artist that would call themselves a Christian would love, appreciate and support what Jesus loves—HIS CHURCH. She’s beautiful, she’s breathtaking and she is the hope of the world. The Church will be here long after our books and worship albums can no longer be found.  

And as for NewSpring Church, we WILL keep celebrating the numbers. Because every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story matters to God.