Earlier this week, Christian rapper and songwriter Lecrae shared his thoughts on the new FX docuseries The Secrets of Hillsong on social media.
“I [have] been minding my business and staying out of trouble and want to continue to do so. I just wanted to share a few thoughts I hope are helpful.” Lecrae wrote in the Instagram post. “I [am] not anti mega church. It can be done well. I’ve experienced it. But I am PRO spiritual growth. This doc reminded me how important it is to foster a community of people around journeying with Jesus,” the Christian rapper said of the documentary.
The Secrets of Hillsong, released last month, highlights the controversies surrounding the global megachurch in recent years and includes Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz’s first interview since his firing in 2020. The series further examines the scandal surrounding Hillsong founder Brian Houston, who has been accused of covering up his father’s sex abuse crimes.
“Let me give you my two cents,” Lecrae explained. “I think, personally, that megachurches create some crazy challenges for people in terms of spiritual formation, discipleship, and pastoral care.”
“I mentor a lot of younger believers, and right now, I notice that they are far more influenced off of the social majority, social media, and cloud culture – than they are from a consistent community of believers that are integrated into their lives,” he added.
“As long as they show up on Sunday…amongst 2,000 other people, it appears like they’re ‘good,'” Lecrae said. “The modern church follows the structure of an American business institution—more than it is a community shepherded by leaders and sharpened by a community.”
The rapper went on to describe the focal point of the megachurch is a having “great day of presentation, oratory speeches, and musical production.
“And, there’s nothing wrong with that—but it’s usually just that and not a consistent community of people who are walking through life together,” he continued.
“I don’t have anything against the megachurch,” Lecrae concluded. “I just think it presents some crazy challenges because, oftentimes, when you’re trying to build a business—the end goal is capital growth. But, when you’re trying to build a church, it’s spiritual growth.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Paras Griffin/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
