Those celebrating a mega church meeting without social distancing or masks or other precautions, saying that everyone there has freedom to stay or go, likely doesn’t understand the mega-church culture.

I went to Harvest Bible Chapel when I attended Moody Bible. I’ve seen this.

Do you have any idea what it’s like to hear an amazing orator preach every Sunday? A person wrote books that have changed your life? You get all the feels of conviction and understanding during sermons. You start to believe this man is the very voice of God.

I remember I disagreed with MacDonald once. I was a single college student, but in the announcements he chided families who brought the children into church, and didn’t bring them to children’s church. There was much shame. “You are defying the will of the elders.” I was angry.

I brought it up to someone, talking about freedom for parents to choose if their children sat with them. I quoted scripture. Shame quickly fell on me.

Leadership holds mega churches together. They were ordained from God, not me. How dare I question it?

When the authority of the church leadership has been drilled into your mind for so long, questioning their judgment even in small things feels like you’re questioning the gospel itself.

I do believe in the authority of pastors and elders. But in my small church, the goal isn’t control or power. It’s shepherding. I’ve heard them apologize. I’ve heard them confess sin. They see me questioning as digging in to understand. Questioning isn’t shamed.

When a pastor has spent a lot of time explaining that only qualified men can make decisions for a church, and the goal of a Christian is to submit to the authority of the church then no...no they don’t feel freedom to come or go. Even if they don’t realize it.