America’s Pastors and the fall of attending churches
Good day to each of you reading this column on why American churches are seeing a fall in attendance. I want to explore various reasons as to who, when, why and where this decline began.
Before I begin, here is some more George Carlin quotes from Parade:
“Well, if crime fighters fight crime and firefighters fight fires, what do freedom fighters fight?”
“How is it possible to have a civil war?”
“War is rich old men protecting their property by sending middle class and lower-class men off to die.”
“Don’t just teach your children to read. Teach them to question what they read. Teach them to question everything.”
“If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you’re going to have selfish, ignorant leaders.”
“Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong.”
“Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do ‘practice?'”
“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?”
And, “When I ask how old your toddler is, I don’t need to hear ’27 months.’ ‘He’s two’ will do just fine. He’s not a cheese. And I didn’t really care in the first place.”
George has made quite a few interesting quotes, some that are funny, some that are to the point and some that I won’t touch, but I will say he was entertaining.
Let’s tackle an interesting question—Why has church attendance in the USA dropped considerably over the last 50 years?
In fact, why do we see a decline in the past few years?
Here are some of the excuses:
COVID—The dreaded sickness, the spread in the congregation, the putting on the mask and sitting six plus feet apart and the intervention of watching the service via the internet.
Outside activities—watching ball games, taking the kids to ball practice or having games on Sunday, doing chores such as grass cutting, cleaning the yard, playing golf, cleaning or fixing the car.
Inside Activities—Cleaning the house, going to the grocery store or drug store, organizing the house, doing chores that could have been done yesterday.
Work—We use to work 5 days a week (Monday- Friday) and with working at home, we work 7 days a week by answering e-mail, writing memos, working at home, speaking to clients, conferring with international clients, writing quotes/estimates, getting work done on Sunday so we won’t be behind on Monday, and hopping on a plane on Sunday to be ready to meet the client on Monday.
Time Management—Are we good at utilizing our time or have we fallen into the pattern of the “cram”, where we do tomorrow what we could do today and run out of time.
God- First, middle, last—which do you fall into? And where do you fall when it comes to giving back to God in the way of time?
Church excuses—I don’t like the preacher or agree with the preacher. A few people in the church control what goes on in the church. Busybodies and gossip are all I hear when I go to church. Give, give, give is all I hear whether it to be the local church, missions, the local fund, the denomination fund. Churches do little to help the poor and needy in their own community. If I ask where the money is going, I get bad looks. Churches have gone from having a traditional service to include a contemporary or watered down service.
My wife and I went to a prominent Presbyterian church a few years ago in the community. Since this was the beginning of the new year, the pastor ended by saying that income taxes were just around the corner, so make sure to get together with the elders below so you could donate your jewelry, coins, land, or house to the church for a tax deduction.
Let’s explore church pastors of the rich and famous—
Rick Warren, the author of the Purpose Driven Life has a net worth of $25 million.
Televangelist Kenneth Copeland enjoys a life of luxury. He has his own airport next to his mansion in Newark, Texas, where he keeps his private jets.
Minister Creflo Dollar is calling on his parishioners and supporters to foot the bill of a brand new $65 million jet.
You’ve seen them on TV, popular televangelists who preach the gospel to millions around the world. You may be surprised that these men of God are living a lifestyle few could imagine. Jesse Duplantis and Kenneth Copeland drive fancy cars and live in lavish mansions. They also fly in private jets.
The above were taken from: church pastors getting rich on youtube.
If you thought I was finished, nope, I’m just getting started:
The preachers getting rich from poor Americans
Courtesy of BBC News
Televangelist Todd Coontz has a well-worn routine: he dresses in a suit, pulls out a Bible and urges viewers to pledge a very specific amount of money. “Don’t delay, don’t delay,” he urges, calmly but emphatically.
It sounds simple, absurdly so, but Coontz knows his audience extremely well. He broadcasts on Christian cable channels, often late into the night, drawing in viewers who lack financial literacy and are desperate for change.
“I understand the laws that govern insurance, stocks and bonds and all that is involved with Wall Street,” he once said, looking directly into the camera. “God has called me… as a financial deliverer.” Crucially, he always refers to the money as a “seed” – a $273 seed, a $333 seed, a “turnaround” seed, depending on the broadcast. If viewers “plant” one, the amount will come back to them, multiplied, he says. It is an investment in their faith and their future.
Preachers and their $5,000 sneakers: Why one man started an Instagram account showing churches’ wealth
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey
From his couch in Dallas, Ben Kirby began asking questions about the lifestyles of the rich and famous pastors when he was watching some worship songs on YouTube on a Sunday morning in 2019. While listening to a song by Elevation Worship, a megachurch based in Charlotte the evangelical churchgoer noticed the lead singer’s Yeezy sneakers were worth nearly the amount of his first rent check.
Kirby posted to his 400 followers on Instagram, “Hey Elevation Worship, how much you paying your musicians that they can afford $800 kicks? Let me get on the payroll!”
Plus, Kirby wondered, how could the church’s pastor, Steven Furtick, one of the most popular preachers in the country, afford a new designer outfit nearly every week?
With a friend’s encouragement, Kirby started a new Instagram account @PreachersNSneakers posting screenshots of pastors next to price tags and the street value of shoes they were wearing. Within a month, the account had attracted 100,000 followers.
“At the beginning, it was easy for me to make jokes about it,” he said. “Some of the outfits are absurd, so it’s easy to laugh at some of the designer pieces. The price tags are outlandish.”
On his feed, Kirby has showcased Seattle pastor Judah Smith’s $3,600 Gucci jacket, Dallas pastor T.D. Jakes’s $1,250 Louboutin fanny pack and Miami pastor Guillermo Maldonado’s $2,541 Ricci crocodile belt. And he considers Paula White, President Donald Trump’s most trusted pastoral adviser who is often photographed in designer items, a PreachersNSneakers “content goldmine,” posting a photo of her wearing $785 Stella McCartney sneakers.
Colorado Pastor Facing Securities Fraud Charges Says God Told Him To Create Cryptocurrency
By Stephanie Martin
Eli Regalado, pastor of a Denver-based online church, created the cryptocurrency INDXcoin supposedly on God’s orders—and then urged parishioners to invest and get rich. Now the Colorado pastor and his wife, Kaitlyn, face charges of securities fraud.
Regalado, founder of Victorious Grace Church, said in 2021 he heard God say, “Take this [cryptocurrency] to my people for a wealth transfer.” He promised parishioners they’d earn a tenfold return and “very soon…have more money than you’ve ever had in your life.”
Unfortunately for investors, the currency was worthless, and they have no way to recoup their losses. INDXcoin could be traded only on Regalado’s Kingdom Wealth Exchange, which he shut down last November. The website for his church has also been shuttered.
On Jan. 18, the Colorado Securities Commissioner filed civil fraud charges against the Regalados and various entities, saying they raised almost $3.2 million from more than 300 individuals. “We allege that Mr. Regalado took advantage of the trust and faith of his own Christian community,” said Commissioner Tung Chan. “He peddled outlandish promises of wealth to them when he sold them essentially worthless cryptocurrencies.”
The lawsuit states that defendants “took the investment money for their own benefit.” The Regalados allegedly directed $290,000 to their church, a nonprofit they own. Other investment funds went toward the couple’s cosmetic dentistry, luxury vehicles, jewelry, a nanny, and more.
“Defendants told investors that they would ‘tithe’ and ‘sow’ in causes that helped widows and orphans,” according to the lawsuit, “but the payments to ‘widows and orphans’ were primarily to the Regalados.”
Eli Regalado responded by posting a nine-minute video on Jan. 20. “The charges are that Kaitlin and I pocketed $1.3 million dollars,” he said, “and I just want to come out and say those charges are true.” About half of their total earnings went to the IRS, he added, and “a few hundred thousand dollars went to a home remodel that the Lord told us to do.”
Megachurches—Good or Evil? The above gives you an idea of the power of money. And what does the Bible say about money,
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1Timothy 6:10 (NIV)
I am not judging, but bringing attention to those who have put other priorities instead of God.
People use to flock to church to listen the pastor, gain insight and a closer relationship with God, enjoy the sabbath as a day of rest, being with family, admiring God’s work and reflecting on all the blessings that God has given each of us.
Pastors would actually preach the word and not just read a prepared lesson from the district office. Pastors would step on toes when it came to moral issues and issues effecting America.
Pastors read from the word of God and told the congregation to have their Bibles in hand to follow. Instead of reading from the bulletin, the congregation was encouraged to have the Bible ready to follow the entire part of the service.
Reverence was taught when you entered the church—the casual greeting was a part before the church service began. Prayer and reverence began individually before the service to put you one with God.
Church hymns were sung with familiarity and usually went hand in hand with the sermon from the pastor. Communion was once a month for all to be partakers.
Church services began at 11:00 AM and many a time ran over an hour. The elders, staff and church goers were joyful to be in church and partaking in the spiritual food from the sermon.
Today, is the just opposite, as church has multiple morning services—8:00 AM, 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM or 10:30 AM whether it be for a contemporary or traditional service.
But let us not forget that the service must end promptly so it does not interfere with our afternoon activities.
The excuse, I did my one or two hours for God which includes Sunday School and now I can do what I wish to do for the rest of the week.
We, as people, can come up with plenty of excuses as to why we don’t go to church. My wife and I don’t go to church presently as we have not found a church who feeds us spiritually.
We have attended churches recently who, when I met with the Pastor after the service, disagreed with his sermon, gave me the cold shoulder and was not asked back.
I found out that Pastors don’t like to be challenged and I am not one to be quiet—I will challenge when the Holy Spirit moves me.
We are respectful and will agree to disagree, but I think the pastors that I met thought I was crazy. I told them that I write a column on the web and have a podcast and gave them the information.
The result, when I emailed them was zero response when I confronted them. Oh well, we will keep looking for a church, church family and Pastor who give us more than the milk of the word.
So why is church attendance decreasing—look at the youth, they are searching.
Unfortunately, our schools and colleges teach so many false religions that it’s mind boggling. Youth are looking for answers and they are bombarded with a cafeteria style of religion to meet the flavor of the day.
Are they lost and how do you get their ear? Fellow Christian, we have allowed and are allowing Satan to have his way. Look no further than the excuses.
Our children, look to us and see us treat Sunday as just another day of the week. How can they react any differently when we set the example before them?
Yes, these are OUCH MOMENTS—I am just as guilty as anyone else. But our ways have changed, because we want to live the way the Bible teaches and not the way man utilizes.
I love the song, “give me that old time religion” by Tennessee Ernie Ford—
Give me that old time religion,
Give me that old time religion,
Give me that old time religion,
It’s good enough for me.1 It was good for Paul and Silas,
It was good for Paul and Silas,
It was good for Paul and Silas,
It’s good enough for me. [Refrain]2 It was good for the Hebrew children,
It was good for the Hebrew children,
It was good for the Hebrew children,
It’s good enough for me. [Refrain]
I bet you haven’t heard that song sung in the pulpits lately—What a wonderful song.
For those asking the question as to why America’s churches are declining, have you looked in the mirror lately? Have we become so like-minded that we have become like water seeking its own level?
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)
We are seeing this very verse come forth for Christians are not putting up with sound doctrine and do not wish to hear God’s word. Pastors must water down the message to appease the congregation whims and must not offend anyone nor go over the specified time limit.
Points to ponder—God holds us accountable, each of us, 24/7, which includes Sunday. Churches are in decline and the one responsible is the pastor who shepherds his flock.
It is my hope that you find a church that preaches a sound doctrine, God’s commandments, laws, and statutes and the rest will take of itself.
Until next time, may you bless God in all that you say and do!
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
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