It is unfortunate that this survey on "denomination loyalty" views Christian church membership as a business. The survey misses the point on why many people choose a denomination. Certainly there are churches and denominations that exist on a business model. I have a problem with those churches, not the least of which is the severe problems that can be caused should that Pastor ever decide God has called him elsewhere, and also the impossibility of that Pastor to be able to minister to parishioners on a individual level.
I can't speak for other Christians. But I can speak for those who are members of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. We are hardly the largest Christian denomination; at one time, before the split that created ELCA in the 70s, we might have been around the Top 5. But LCMS is still very much alive and that is all that matters. We are far FAR less interested in superstar pastors and megachurch attendance than we are in making sure that our pastors are well-educated in Biblical studies (eight years--and exclusively taught by Lutheran-educated alum) and ensuring that our churches are preaching the Word of God in its purest form within the spirit of the Reformation. (Despite some minor differences, we count the Anglican, Methodist, and Presbyterian denominations as also maintaining Biblical integrity, strong education standards, and Reformation ties.)
As for superstar pastors and 1000+ member congregations--I just think there is too much temptation for a pastor to lose sight of what his calling is supposed to be; "building a brand" is not the purpose of a church. So many megachurch pastors have fallen prey to the luxuries and pressures of the CEO lifestyle, which hurts the Christian faith in the long run when it comes out in the media.
I know in conversation with Daniel on various religious topics (he is Anglican), there seem to be many common threads. I have noticed that a lot of our "differences" are in the actual "execution of a worship service" than in what we fundamentally believe.
Posted by: Dawn | 21 January 2009 at 14:29
Some of the differences are also political in nature. But yes, in the cases of the denominations listed, it is largely liturgy and doctrinal tradition that really separates us. For example, Presbyterian churches accept a different view of pre-destination than we do, while Anglican churches tend to view Revelation more as parable than prophecy.. neither of these prevent any major obstacle towards fellowship with each other.
Posted by: Josh Radke | 24 January 2009 at 09:22
The more I learn about the LCMS church the more I find in it to honor and appreciate. Both the high church Anglican and LCMS churches take seriously the scriptural mandate to worship God "in decency and in truth" and "according to the accustomed form," with a time-honored liturgy instead of overly-emotional, ad hoc "praise services." We also share a belief that the Church is God's creation and not man's invention. As I've shared with Dawn, coming to California I was mystified by how many churches have been founded by men with no connection at all to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. While they may have fame and large attendance (e.g. Calvary Chapel, Saddleback, Crystal Cathedral), in my mind they do not have any apostolic authority -- and because they are founded by charismatic men, their hold on traditional Christian doctrine is pretty tenuous.
Posted by: Daniel James Lula | 04 February 2009 at 12:46
You're last sentence is exactly right, Daniel.
I personally have a very high respect for the Anglican church. Two of my biggest Christian heroes, C.S. Lewis and Rev N.T. Wright, are products of the Anglican church (even though Rev Wright holds an interpretation of Paul's writings, specifically "justification", that is a bit too legalistic according to my ongoing Biblical and theological studies).
Posted by: Joshua Radke | 04 February 2009 at 23:11