I’m Tired of Celebrity Christian Culture
We were never met for the pedestal – only Jesus is meant to occupy such glory.
I’m tired of celebrity Christian culture.
I’ve been to many conferences over the years and one thing I know for certain that is like cancer to the American church is celebrity Christian culture. Christians are elevating pastors and ministry leaders to a pedestal that was never meant for them. They are seeking out their favorite preacher, teacher, or speaker, and choosing which church they invest in based on how good the worship is – if the Apostle Paul were alive today, no doubt we’d be getting a stern letter.
Since I first stepped into full-time ministry, multiple big-name pastors have fallen due to sin or have walked away from the faith entirely. The pedestals they were elevated on are beginning to crumble from the weight of sin, pride, and a Christlike facade that’s not Christlike at all.
We were never met for the pedestal – only Jesus is meant to occupy such glory.
It’s so disheartening to see how we’ve drifted from the essence of our Christian faith. Our faith should be rooted in Christ alone, not in the charisma of human leaders. When we place our hope and trust in men, we set ourselves up for disappointment and pain. Let’s get back to what truly matters: following Jesus, loving God, and serving others with humility and grace.
I admire what Francis Chan published on the Crazy Love website:
“Based upon some recent convictions, I will not be taking any more speaking engagements in this season. This is for two reasons:
To focus on my local church in East Palo Alto. I want to care more deeply for the people right in front of me–to help those closest to me grow in their intimacy with Christ and calling in ministry.
I have concerns about celebrity Christian culture and want to reflect deeply on how I use my voice. America has plenty of voices but not enough people faithfully sharing the gospel and discipling in their everyday lives.”
I’ve always admired Francis Chan for his unwavering boldness in proclaiming the Word of God, but my respect goes deeper now seeing him make such a statement. He could go anywhere and speak. He could live the celebrity Christian life with zero problems. But he is choosing the lesser glory to bring more glory to our Lord Jesus – that speaks volumes!
Whatever we do for the Kingdom, may it be for God’s glory and not our own! That’s certainly my desire with everything I preach, write, publish, create, or anything I do or say!
PASTORS AND MINISTRY LEADERS ARE HUMANS TOO
We need to remember that pastors and ministry leaders are just as human as the rest of us. They face struggles, temptations, and challenges too. Putting them on a pedestal only adds unnecessary pressure and can lead to their downfall. Let’s get back to what truly matters: following Jesus, loving God, and serving others with humility and grace.
Imagine a church where every believer takes personal responsibility for their faith journey, leaning into the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. A community where we support and encourage one another, where our leaders are seen as fellow laborers in Christ rather than superstars. This is the kind of church that reflects the heart of Jesus.
So let’s stop chasing after the next big-name pastor and start chasing after the heart of God. It’s time to refocus, to humble ourselves, and to place Christ back at the center where He belongs.
IT’S KILLING THE CHURCH
The celebrity Christian culture is killing the American church and hurting our witness to a world that’s already infatuated with sin, sensuality, and evil. It’s frustrating to see how we’ve allowed our faith communities to mirror the very culture we’re supposed to stand apart from. Instead of shining a light in the darkness, we’re dimming our own lights by getting caught up in the allure of fame and popularity.
When our churches start to look more like entertainment venues than places of worship, we lose our distinctiveness. Our message becomes diluted, and our witness loses its power. People outside the church see the hypocrisy and the failures of our so-called “celebrity pastors,” and it pushes them further away from the Gospel.
We need to wake up and realize that our mission is not to build empires around dynamic personalities, but to build the Kingdom of God. It’s time to strip away the glitz and glamour and return to the simplicity of following Jesus. Our focus should be on loving God wholeheartedly, loving our neighbors genuinely, and living out the teachings of Christ with integrity and humility. Only then can we truly be the salt and light Jesus called us to be. Let’s aim to reflect Christ in everything we do and stand out as beacons of hope in a world that desperately needs it.
But to do that, we must nail the celebrity Christian culture to the cross, ensuring that Jesus is the main focus—not the pastor, not the famous speaker, not the worship team, and not anyone or anything else. We need to crucify our obsession with personalities and rediscover what it means to make Christ the center of our faith. Only then can we remove the distractions and let Jesus truly shine in our lives, our churches, and our communities.
THE DANGERS OF CELEBRITY CHRISTIAN CULTURE
The phenomenon of celebrity Christian culture has become a pervasive issue in many churches today. While admiring strong leadership and effective ministry is not inherently bad, placing pastors, speakers, and worship leaders on pedestals can lead to significant spiritual dangers.
Here are five Biblically solid reasons why this trend is hazardous to the health and integrity of the Christian faith.
1. IDOLATRY: ELEVATING MAN ABOVE GOD
The Bible clearly instructs us to worship God alone (Exodus 20:3-5). When we elevate pastors, speakers, or worship leaders to a pedestal, we risk turning them into idols. This diverts our worship and attention from God, who deserves our ultimate devotion.
2. HUMAN FRAILTY: LEADERS ARE FALLIBLE
Jeremiah 17:5 reminds us, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh.” Leaders are human and fallible. When they falter, it can lead to significant disillusionment and hurt in the community, undermining the faith of those who looked up to them.
3. PRIDE: THE DANGER OF EXALTING OURSELVES
Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Celebrity culture can foster an environment where leaders grow prideful and self-centered, losing the humility that Christ exemplified and taught.
4. DIVISION: CREATING US VS. THEM MENTALITY
The Apostle Paul addressed this issue in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, where people were dividing themselves by their allegiance to different leaders. This kind of division weakens the church, creating factions and undermining the unity that we are called to in Christ.
5. MISPLACED FOCUS: DISTRACTING FROM THE GOSPEL
Colossians 2:8 instructs us to not be taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophy. Celebrity Christian culture can distract believers from the core message of the Gospel—salvation through Jesus Christ. When the focus shifts from Christ to personalities, the transformative power of the Gospel can be diminished.
I’m just tired of the celebrity Christian culture and it breaks my heart what it’s doing to the American church.
The celebrity Christian culture poses several significant dangers that can undermine the integrity and mission of the church.
From idolatry and pride to division and distraction, elevating human leaders above their rightful place leads us away from the core tenets of our faith.
It’s crucial for us to return to a Christ-centered focus, where Jesus alone is exalted, and our devotion is directed solely toward God.
By doing so, we can preserve the unity, humility, and transformative power that characterize a true Christian community, ultimately reflecting the light of Christ to a world in desperate need of hope and redemption.
When we elevate Jesus, the church grows, lives are transformed, and God gets all the glory. Let’s get back to that!