Christianity Today is running a series of articles from world evangelical leaders on their views of what is needed in the 21st Century.

Rene Padilla’s column focused on a return to first principles, especially as it regards the first Lausanne Conference.

Padilla’s opening line:

A key problem of evangelical churches worldwide is the unilateral emphasis on numerical growth. For the sake of it, the gospel is watered down, church services are turned into entertainment, and Jesus’ commandment to make disciples is replaced by a strategy to enroll as many converts as possible.

Great observation. Now… what do we do about it?

I personally think we are too paralyzed to do anything about it. We’ve sold ourselves out to a monster we can no longer control. Some things may just need to collapse on us for anything good to come out.

This comes from observations over the years of ministries that simply get so big they can’t step away from the success they’ve built, even if that success is about to come crashing down around them. One in particular with my own denomination was a huge ministry and the head of the ministry was clearly warned by very caring people to put a halt on things. Take a sabbatical! Get away! Renew!

His response was chilling. He couldn’t step away. It was taking in too much money.

My guess is there are so many churches and ministries so entwined with financial and numerical success that halting some of the foolish pragmatic practices has too high a price. Some things will just have to come crashing down.

And then the question still becomes, “Will we learn anything?”

In the case of this huge ministry 20 plus years ago, I honestly don’t think anything was learned. We’re as gullible as ever on some of those personality driven ministries. Maybe this time it could be different. Maybe.