Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Why?
Tim Challies has done some amazing research indicating that Rick Warren has used his influence in the publishing industry to kill a a book about marketing that used PDL as an example. It's quite the read and it asks the essential question -- Why? Tim's conclusion:
Alternately, he may believe that what he is doing and has done is genuine ministry and such revelation will hurt the ministry. But to my way of thinking genuine ministry will win out regardless. If what he is doing is absolutely genuine ministry, what is there to fear?
Not knowing Warren or his organization, I lack the information to really know the motivations behind the actions -- but the actions are damning. It is clear that the success of PDL lays in marketing, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and frankly this level of success demands intention, if not on Warren's part, then on the part of those in his organization. Further, efforts to guard the revelation of the role marketing has played in that success, whether intentional or unintentional, points even more to to the importance placed by the organization on image -- a close relative and key component of marketing -- which really gives me pause.
If they believe in what they are doing, then they should not fear revelation, which leaves only the huckster option. Now, I doubt anyone set out to be a huckster, but they seem to have ended up there, not out of evil intent, but because success breeds the fear of failure.
Let me explain what I mean by that. If the Saddleback and PDL ministries fail somehow, there is much at risk. The faithful will be disillusioned, and people, in this case many people, will be put out of work. Herein lies the ultimate trap of the mega-movement. It's very size forces ethical considerations on it's practioners that I am not sure Jesus ever intented His church to confront.
As Paul point out in I Corinithians
I don't think God ever meant His institutions to get too monolithic and those whose visions are such are generally looking in the wrong places for inspiration. Such monolithic power leads to too many problems that hinder the gospel.
But why does Warren fear this book? From all I could find, Stielstra has never written anything negative about Rick Warren or The Purpose Driven Life. If anything, he has praised both the book and the author and appears to respect Rick Warren as a pastor and as a church leader. After two rounds of changes that were subsequently approved by Warren's agent it seems clear that the book will be likewise positive in tone. What would cause a person to knowingly risk interfering with a contract made between two other parties? Based on the comments made by his representatives, it would seem that the explanation lies in Warren's fear that his critics will misinterpret the book and twist Stielstra's words to prove that Warren is not a pastor, but a marketer. He feels that people will come to view The Purpose Driven Life as a marketing success rather than a ministry success.Warren has been working pretty hard lately to specifically state that the success of Saddleback does not lie in marketing, but in ministry. The fundamental question I have is why would Warren have this fear? Is he really a huckster and revelations to that effect are against his best interest?
Alternately, he may believe that what he is doing and has done is genuine ministry and such revelation will hurt the ministry. But to my way of thinking genuine ministry will win out regardless. If what he is doing is absolutely genuine ministry, what is there to fear?
Not knowing Warren or his organization, I lack the information to really know the motivations behind the actions -- but the actions are damning. It is clear that the success of PDL lays in marketing, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and frankly this level of success demands intention, if not on Warren's part, then on the part of those in his organization. Further, efforts to guard the revelation of the role marketing has played in that success, whether intentional or unintentional, points even more to to the importance placed by the organization on image -- a close relative and key component of marketing -- which really gives me pause.
If they believe in what they are doing, then they should not fear revelation, which leaves only the huckster option. Now, I doubt anyone set out to be a huckster, but they seem to have ended up there, not out of evil intent, but because success breeds the fear of failure.
Let me explain what I mean by that. If the Saddleback and PDL ministries fail somehow, there is much at risk. The faithful will be disillusioned, and people, in this case many people, will be put out of work. Herein lies the ultimate trap of the mega-movement. It's very size forces ethical considerations on it's practioners that I am not sure Jesus ever intented His church to confront.
As Paul point out in I Corinithians
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.At this point, virtually anything that happens in this issue will "hinder the gospel." Either because PDL will be shown as hucksterish or because sincere peope will be hurt in an effort to straighten the mess out.
I don't think God ever meant His institutions to get too monolithic and those whose visions are such are generally looking in the wrong places for inspiration. Such monolithic power leads to too many problems that hinder the gospel.
