The Mega-Freeloader Church

In 2005 the Hartford Institute of Religious Research conducted a “Megachurch Report,” among 1210 “mega-churches” in the United States at that time (qualified by having an average weekend attendance of over 2000). This was double the number that existed in the year 2000. These churches had a total average attendance of 3612 people every weekend (most are 2000-3000, while a few are over 10,000).

How effectively are these churches making disciples? This is a notoriously difficult question for church leaders and observers to answer, but what if we took just one indicator; volunteer service. I think most would agree that serving according to your gifts through ministries like outreach, children’s ministry, admnistrative support, prayer ministry, counseling, etc. would be at least one obvious fruit of living in a covenant relationship with your community of faith.

Well, according to the report, a “sizeable” number of megachurch attendees are involved in volunteer service. These churches report that a total average of 284 members work as volunteers 5 hours or more each week.

284.

That’s almost 8%.

Think about that for a minute. The long-standing (and deeply-resented) cliche’ thrown about in church leadership circles is that only 20% of the people in church do 80% of the work. However, according to this survey, 20% is way overestimating. Interestingly, the authors of the 2005 report actually caste this figure in a positive light, even though the number is actually down from 2000. (A more recent survey was conducted in 2008 by Hartford, but unfortunately it did not measure the same indicators, so we cannot compare the most recent figures. However, the 2008 survey did indicate that only 16% volunteered “Often” – whatever that means – while 45% volunteered “Never.” So, it’s likely the numbers are relatively similar.)

My question is, why are the other 92% allowed to keep hanging around?

Seriously.

If someone came to your house as a guest you would likely serve them, feed them, and perhaps even give them a place to sleep if they really needed it. But how long would you keep doing that? how much time should pass before a “guest” becomes a “free-loader” who is taking advantage of your hospitality? How long would you tolerate a person sleeping on your couch, eating all your food, and hogging the television remote before you told them to get off their ass and start paying rent, doing the dishes, and cleaning up after themselves? Paul apparently didn’t wait very long:

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “Anyone who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

Take special note of those who do not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as fellow believers. (2 Thess 3:6-14)

Ouch! Those are some tough words. But don’t they make perfect sense? After all, being part of the people of God means becoming part of a new family, with its own economy of provision – an economy that requires the contributions of everyone. Whether those contributions are big or small doesn’t matter; everyone must give according to their means or measure of faith (Rom 12:6; 2 Cor 8:10-15). More importantly, everyone has something to give. Everyone. Those who aren’t giving are basically demonstrating their own exclusion from the community by way of their refusal to participate.

If you had a family of ten, would it be a healthy family if only one person did all the work while the other nine simply “showed up” to eat and watch T.V.? Isn’t that basically what “church” has become in the modern spectator model of worship? We’re free to come and sit and just watch the show without ever engaging, giving, or sacrificing in any way. Leaders hope we’ll do something – in fact, tens of thousands of dollars are spent cultivating marketing campaigns designed to induce us to do something (which, according to the figures above, may not be money well spent) but we don’t have to. Indeed, one of the often-cited appeals of a mega-church is that you can show up and remain anonymous, comfortably blending in with the walls and never really be engaged (or rebuked).

How is this healthy? Aren’t we merely enabling non-discipleship by perpetuating this sort of free-loader approach to church? Being part of a family means rolling up your sleeves and sharing in the work. At what point does genuine hospitality become enabling, and both destructive to the person as well as the whole community? If you refuse to contribute to the work required to set the table, then do you really have a place at the table?