Fariza

One time Joel Osteen, the world’s most famous prosperity gospel preacher, said, “I don’t really know what the prosperity gospel is. The way I define it is that I believe God wants you to prosper in your health, in your family, in your relationships, in your business, and in your career. So I do…If that is the prosperity gospel, then I do believe that.”

Looking at his life, I’d believe it too. Yet I can’t help but wonder, if prosperity is truly a sign of divine favor, why does God not grant it equally to all who believe in it? Maybe that’s why so many grow weary of the non-denominational church culture that equates faith with success and blessing with proof of God’s approval. It makes sense why so many eventually drift away from the church because people don’t feel so loved by this God.

Why Joel and not me, God?

The answer is simple. Prosperity gospel is pure garbage and has nothing to do with God. It is a man-made, late 19th century American invention. The prosperity gospel has probably led more souls to hell than any other heresy in the history of Christianity.

As a result of this widespread deception, many believers are now seeking a faith rooted in historical truth and enduring spiritual depth.

In recent years, a growing phenomenon has emerged in America. Christians across the country disillusioned by non-denominational churches are living in droves and turning to the Orthodox and Catholic traditions. People are tired of surface-level faith. They are searching for deeper understanding of the Christian faith, deeper theology, church tradition, historical continuity, and greater spiritual accountability.

This, in part, is happening because many Protestant churches in America today feel less like places of worship and more like personal businesses. Starting a non-denominational church is probably one of the easiest things a person can do in the United States. All you have to do is declare yourself a pastor, run a side business, and claim that God has called you to build a church. With tax benefits and loyal followers, running a church has become more of a career path than a spiritual calling. Sadly, many modern pastors seem more focused on money, fame, and success than on caring for people living humbly.

When pastors drive luxury cars, live in mansions, wear designer clothes, and vacation in exotic destinations while their congregation struggles to pay rent, it is a sign that something in the modern church is seriously broken. The modern Protestant church in America has turned the house of worship into a marketplace, a corporation with career ladders, and a stage for entertainment. It has become a place where Christians are fed a message that tastes like fast food. It temporarily delights our taste buds, but if consumed daily, it leads to spiritual sickness.

It is very clear that something has gone terribly wrong!

Let’s look at a few reasons why many non-denominational churches have become so problematic.

No Accountability

Most non-denominational churches do not answer to any higher authority. The pastor often makes every decision, controls the finances, and shapes the message without oversight. This type of freedom can easily lead to pride, abuse of power, and burnout.

Church history, the Bible, and the lives of the Saints teach us that God’s kingdom has a structure. There is hierarchy, order and harmony. When Jesus ascended into heaven, He left us the Church. The disciples passed down the faith to the Church Fathers, who taught and preserved this structure. Our two thousand-year Christian history has given us writings, teachings, and traditions that cultivate accountability, protect the church from heresies, and provide a blueprint for how Christians ought to live.

We don’t get to make up stuff just because we “feel” like it. It doesn’t work that way.

In the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we find the blueprint of our own salvation. The prosperity gospel preached in many non-denominational churches doesn’t really fit into this narrative.

No wonder we are not becoming more like Jesus each day. The Christian walk is not a path to a financially prosperous life. To live like a Christians means to look and sound like Jesus. We achieve that within the Church, within the body of Christ. God gave us the Church and its structure so that we could grow together and become like Jesus. And the path to that life is built on accountability.

No Standards For Leadership: Anyone Can Become A Pastor

In America starting a non-denominational church often used as a financial tool. Almost anyone can do it. Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the Kardashian business empire founded a church in Californian. That’s how low the standards are to start a church. On top of that anyone can call themselves a pastor in a non-denominational setting. There is no established training or review process, and many leaders have never studied theology or learned how to care for people spiritually. This is exactly why structure is so important. It holds pastors accountable and prevents churches falling into confusion, dishonestly, and scandals. God knows how many of those we have had in recent history.

Being a Christian is not easy. Being a spiritual leader is even harder. It is a path that not everyone is qualified to walk. There is tremendous responsibility tied to this calling. Paul writes in the book of Philippians that we should never forget that we face spiritual enemy who prowls like a roaring lion, seeking to devour believers. The devil hates the Church and he will do anything to destroy it.

We have to walk our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

Many non-denominational pastors believe that being a good speaker automatically qualifies them to lead a church. But being a pastor is much more than giving a 45-minute sermons every Sunday. It is about caring for people every day of the week. If God has truly called someone to be a pastor, their highest priority should be the people, not self-promotion. Caring for the needs of the congregation, the poor, and the marginalized is the heart of pastoral ministry. Anything that comes before that calling should never take priority.

Politics In The Pulpit

Aside from non-denominational churches looking like rock concerts with fog machines, many of these churches have also become more political, focusing on encouraging their congregations to vote for particular candidates rather than getting closer to God. I used to attend a church that talked about President Trump more than Jesus, a year before he was up for reelection. Trump was portrayed as the “chosen” one who has been, called by God to “save” America.

There are pastors in America who use their pulpits exclusively to promote political agendas, reject science, speak out against mental health, shove down our throats how bad feminism is, and how gay people are an abomination to the Lord. As a marketer, this might be the worst strategy to welcome new people into the kingdom of God. This approach has tuned many non-denominational churches into echo chambers — clubs with “pious” cliques rather than places where people can find healing and freedom from sin.

Misuse Of Spiritual Gifts

In some non-denominational churches, pastors and members claim to have visions or speak directly from God but rarely question or test those experiences. They often say ,”God told me,” to win arguments or push personal agendas. I’m not discrediting the gift of prophesy that many pastors have but in my experience most of these prophesies have nothing to do with God but with personal options and experiences.

These tactics can easily be used to manipulate people and control congregations. Just because a pastors says that God told him something, does not make it true. Speaking in the name of God carelessly is spiritually dangerous. Scripture reminds us that all will give an account before God for our words and deeds.

God is not an author of confusion. He will never contradict Himself by giving us contradictory information. God is a God of order, peace, and justice. Words of knowledge from the Lord should bring peace, order, and love into the body of Christ and not chaos or competition. Non-denominational churches may have good intentions, but too often they lose sight of Christianity’s simple purpose; to love God and serve others humbly.

Spiritual gifts are given to the Church for a reason, and not everyone possesses the same ones. When God gives someone a spiritual gift, it must be used wisely, and not to glorify oneself but to draw the Church closer to Him and encourage holiness. If spiritual gifts cause confusion or harm instead of bringing unity and growth, they are not being used in accordance with God’s will.

Misinterpretation of Scripture

Lastly, but most importantly is the misguided and flawed interpretation of the Bible. One of the biggest and most persistent problems in the non-denominational world is the tendency to interpret the Bible according to personal opinion rather than established tradition and context. In modern evangelicalism, many rely solely on their own interpretation of Scripture, which has led to countless theological errors and the creation of hundreds of denominations.

When there is no structure or theological guidance, the Bible can be used to justify almost anything. Many leaders twist Scripture to promote prosperity, political agendas, or personal success. Instead of helping people grow in faith, the Bible becomes a platform for self-promotion. Without understanding context, language, history, and audience, pastors interpret God’s Word however they please. No wonder there is so much division, disillusionment, and hypocrisy in the American church today.

The Bible was never meant to be weaponized and those who do it, will be severely punished. The Holy Scripture was given to humanity to transform us, to purify us, and to make us like Christ. When it is misused, it ceases to bring life and instead breeds confusion and spiritual decay.

God is merciful. He is also kind and very patient. But at one point His grace will come to an end and every non-denomination church that led people astray will take an account before the Almighty.

Let us not wait for that day and repent today.