In Search of Kingdom Living

Disordered Vision: Battling the Consumer Balrog

In this chapter, Metzger explores 3 issues that have blinded the American (and Canadian) evangelical church: consumerism, upward mobility, and homogeneity in the church.

First, our consumerism has led to the treatment of people as commodities, and not as persons in communion (p. 46).

Human value is based on usefulness and likability. The same holds true for churches: churches provide religious products, and their value depends on how many people are attracted to the religious goods and services they provide. Many churches find that the best way to grow is to ‘target’ a particular niche audience or demographic and determine what religious product best scratches that group’s itch. The omnipresent and omnipotent stature of the free-market enterprise has influenced the evangelical church in how it approaches and pereceives church growth (p. 46-47)

In this chapter, Metzger uses the phenomenon of the megachurch to fill in the holes of the other two examples. More specifically, he takes a look at Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church model. I found this section to be especially stimulating as a few years ago, almost every Chinese church in the GTA readily adopted the purpose driven model as a cure-all for the local church. I’m certain it worked in Warren’s context, and it may even work in some contexts in Toronto (*cough* Richmond Hill *cough*), but I have to question whether the assumptions in this church growth model has caused even greater issues.

For one, this megachurch growth model has largely worked for the upper-middle class. It is RARE to see the purpose driven model intentionally invite the orphan, widow, or the poor. It has also practiced the ‘homogenous growth principle’ – basically, you will grow your church most quickly when everyone is like you. Once again, it is interesting to note that the megachurches are mainly of one social-economic class (largely white, upper-middle class). There has also been an interesting trend in Saddleback and Willowcreek, where they are trying to be purposefully multicultural now. We should be excited about these changes, but cautious that it does not become ‘just another program’.

Lastly, I appreciated Metzger’s warning for the ’small groups and emergent-church gatherings’.

Despite the emergent-church gatherings, what will these churches do to help overcome the barriers…? Despite the emergent churches’ particular commitments, including a vital concern for the poor and for intergenerational and multicultural dynamics, is there not a real though unintentional possibility that such churches will further erode the fabric of civil society? Might they not, like fudamentalism, foster another means of departure from multicultural and class inclusion and integration? Why should we raise these questions? Because both small-group and emergent-church arrangements are often based on a preference for affinity groups. (p. 65)

My personal struggle through this ecclisiological journey is whether I should remain in a specific expression of church where I will constantly bang my head against the proverbial wall or let loose in some another church that shares the same struggles/values/and vision that I have been developing?

I’m not sure yet, but I have a feeling I will have to answer these questions within the next year in order to move on after graduating from Tyndale.

Once again, check out the reviews (2 differing perspectives) from

Darryl Dash – Blind to Sinister Forces

Scot Mcknight – Chapter 2 Review