Celebrity Christianity & Our Pathetic Failure to Confront It

Ministry scandal after ministry scandal. Accusation after accusation. Who are we to believe, and how are we to handle these things?

First, we must change our perception and definition of the word “leader.” It should not mean superstar, rockstar, entitlement, and privilege while charging people exorbitant fees to see us perform – whether that “performance” is delivering a sermon, singing a song, or anything else.

Let us never forget that ministry is not a performance with all eyes on the lead actor. We are not “performers,” but worshippers — broken people who have been repaired by God. We point others to Him, not ourselves.

Brokenness Over Exaltation

The biblical definition of leadership emphasizes brokenness rather than exaltation, and humility over haughtiness.

Leadership is not about the person who has risen the highest, but the one who has gone the lowest. Leaders must repent of the “touch not God’s anointed” mentality and humble ourselves to be open to constructive criticism: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1).

Many Christian leaders do not have a good name because they’re more concerned with reputation than repentance. But we need iron to sharpen iron in order to sharpen our character.

Lead by Going Low

Secondly, ministry cannot be about building a platform or a following — it must be about leading people in humility and brokenness (Psalms 25:9). Lead by going low.

Sadly, Michael Tait, former lead singer of The Newsboys, demonstrated more humility and deep repentance recently when his years-long pattern of drug-fueled homosexual behavior was exposed than most Christian leaders who are currently being called out.

Some people tend to blame everything on demonic opposition instead of recognizing that this may be an excellent opportunity for personal growth and character transformation: You can’t expect God to change you while you tolerate what’s killing you.Yes, I’m aware that some arrogant and judgmental people use unsubstantiated accusations as weapons. Still, it’s equally alarming when so many shift blame and dismiss allegations of wrongdoing as “spiritual warfare” when it’s just the opposite. It’s not the enemy, but God exposing us because He wants to do a deep work in our character.

Confrontation Is Not Always Spiritual Warfare

When lovingly confronted about serious character flaws, we need to humble ourselves before God does it for us (James 4:6). Not everyone is trying to take you down. Sometimes God is trying to shape you up, not necessarily ship you out. And that means it’s not spiritual warfare — it’s internal warfare that must take place for a person to change.

Without deep humility and tremendous brokenness in the leader’s heart, it becomes more about protecting our image than demonstrating the Gospel lived out. Self-focus and self-preservation are both dangerous and damning.

Elevation without Preparation

Granted, some accusations and storylines are more difficult to discern (as is the spirit behind the allegations), but the blame-shifting, half-truths, and “conditional” repentance we’ve been seeing lately are getting ridiculous.

When the foundation of our character is broken, the worst thing that can happen is for the ministry machine to elevate leaders and celebrate their status. That fuels ambition rather than brokenness. No wonder foundations are crumbling.

Let’s be crystal clear here: The Worship Industry and the Ministry Machine driven by highly paid pastors and leaders who are more concerned about their image than God’s and their pocketbook more than His Book are causing a lot of damage, not only to their own souls, but also externally to the world’s perception of Jesus and His Church.

Friends or Enablers?

One of the biggest reasons why these people are not repenting is that they have too many fans and not enough true friends. Lovingly confronting our brothers and sisters in the Lord is a biblical process for growth. So why do so many people avoid loving confrontation? Here are a few reasons that stand out:

1. We often protect people because of the “if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” mentality. In other words, we don’t want to challenge others because they might turn around and challenge us.
2. Many have ulterior motives. They believe this “superstar leader” might promote their own ministry someday (or is currently doing so), so they cannot say anything or call a leader out, as it would hurt their chances of success. How sad. Doesn’t God do the promoting?

However, I want to clarify this again: Our heart attitude should not be one of accusation and fault-finding. We must maintain a position of humility and gentleness while erring on the side of grace whenever possible. But grace can easily be abused when we remain silent.

3. Some leaders serve on each other’s boards, so they are not open to really digging deep and hearing the facts. Or the person in question is in a position of oversight in their friend’s ministry, and instead of doing the hard thing by lovingly confronting the person, the friend avoids conflict.
4. Many wrongly assume that being someone’s friend means protecting them at any cost. That’s actually being an “enabler,” not a friend. When accusations come from multiple witnesses (some of whom are humble and gracious) we must sit up and take note.
5. People who don’t confront say that they are “trying to exercise a gracious heart,” but often, it’s really not grace — it’s cowardice, which always quenches and grieves the Spirit.

Consider this: You might be the person that God wants to use to confront a certain leader.

“Looking out for number one” is very dangerous: “A proud and haughty man … acts with arrogant pride” (Proverbs 21:24). Take time now and repent if you need to. If you’ve been skirting conviction and excusing actions, remember that God truly knows what’s going on. Repentance is the only cure.

However, on the flip side, if you have a hard, judgmental heart fueled by criticism that loves spilling dirt on others, you also need deep repentance. God is not pleased with division and dissension within the Body.

In either case, humble yourself before God does it for you!

Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California and the creator of the WCF Radio Network. His program, Regaining Lost Ground, points us back to God and reminds us that although times change, truth does not. His books, blogs, and sermons can all be found at ShaneIdleman.com.