Steven Furtick is apparently pastor of a really big church. He’s also denigrating the word of God.
As Matthew Paul Turner noted in a recent post, Mr. Furtick’s church has developed (with his approval) a disturbing Sunday School resource. A look at its pages shows they are extremely concerned with indoctrinating the children of their church into allegiance to Mr. Furtick.
Mr. Turner’s post focused on the indoctrination in general, but there’s one aspect of it that I think needs our attention. Mr. Furtick elevates something he calls his “vision” above Scripture.
Notice the size font used for the Scripture, how small it is in comparison to everything else on the page. The point of these pages is simple to see. It’s right there on the bottom of that first page:
Elevation Church is built on the vision God gave Pastor Steven. We will protect our unity in supporting his vision.
Notice what’s missing:
These coloring books do not teach children that the church is built on Jesus.
These coloring books do not teach children that the Bible is the source of sound doctrine and guidance for God’s people.
These coloring books do not teach children that no person but Jesus should be seen as the source of God’s revelation.
No, they are teaching that the Bible is secondary to Pastor Steven’s “vision”. They are teaching their children that Pastor Steven has a relationship with God no one else has and that anyone who does not support the “vision” he espouses is out of unity with the church.
What a horrible thing to teach children.
Jesus had strong words for people who did this to his little ones:
If anyone causes one of these little ones — those who believe in me — to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:6.)
Shame on Mr. Furtick and his leadership team.
***
Tim, yesterday my son totally unexpectedly came out with the expression “That’s crazy talk.” I think that applies really well to your post. It would be funny if it weren’t so NOT funny.
Jonathan’s quote applies perfectly, Jeanie. It is crazy.
Another cult in the making….so sad.
That’s the way it’s looking to me too, Sarah.
I was thinking the same thing… cult much? SMH… this makes me sad….
“Cult much” – Robert, I’m using this on Twitter as the Comment of the Day!
Seriously, though…this is one of the dangers of a church focused on prosperity and the charisma of the leader and not on the things of God…
Totally serious, Robert. That church is involved in the types of things God sent his OT prophets to deal with. And if John wrote Revelation today and in modern America, would Elevation be one of the seven churches?
Sad and slightly creepy. I’m praying this gets cut off before it grows too big to manage.
Creepy is right, Erica. Furtick’s “church” is already huge, but I know that God is huger.
Good job, Tim!
Oddly enough, I'm actually looking at this from an even more common, or mundane level which leads me to ask:
What the hell kinda Sunday School lesson is THAT?
Shouldn't they be learning about the books of the Bible, beatitudes, baptism, and the blood of Christ?
That's weird even for adult parishoners. The visions that immediately appeared to me were those of the old WWII propaganda posters, and other foolishness of that day.
"Pastor Steve smokes Chesterfields! He's a Chesterfield man! The Apostle Paul was also a Chesterfield man! What's YOUR excuse, soldier?!"
Propaganda is truly the word for it, Patrick.
I never heard of this Steven Furtick pastor, but I have read a Matthew Paul Turner book. I’ll go see about it.
It is odd to me that there are coloring book pages based on the pastor and not on Biblical happenings.
I know, right? What pastor does that?
This has been so disturbing. It seems like these coloring books would be enough to turn people away from the church, and yet he has thousands of followers. I just don’t get it.
I didn’t get Jim Jones either.
BINGO!
Kind of triggering for me, I’m afraid; this is spiritual abuse just waiting to happen if it hasn’t already. I vividly recall being part of a congregation in which the leadership decided God’s call wasn’t what they wanted to be doing and so they changed it (several times). We heard things over and over again from the worship leader about “not raising your hand against God’s anointed” and “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft” etc. Usually trotted out when one of us questioned just “what in the Wide World of Sports is going on here?” (Thank you Slim Pickens.)
The crayon scribbles all over the pages amuse me, though. Scratch paper is about all these things are good for . . .
Well, I can think of a type of paper it might be equated too, but it’s not for writing on.
And here I was trying to be polite for a change . . . 😉
You showed admirable restraint, MA. I could learn a thing or two from you!
You are right on target Tim! This man is not a man of God and is about as godly as Jim Jones was. Leaders like this are experts in their ability to detect weaknesses and unmet needs often from childhood inside individuals. They are quick to fill them with their narcissistic selves and parade it as the will of God.” May this guy’s crown and kingdom be removed from him with “holy fire” from God and leave his soul naked for all to see the fraud he is.
Your insights borne of your own experience in the clergy is really helpful, Carlene, thanks.
Its sad to see this. I loved Steven’s story on how he started Elevation Church and the bold moves he did to lead the church when it was young (Easter Egg hunt where eggs were dropped from a helicopter!) This curriculum is focused on him and not Christ. Sad
Thanks, Rodney. Growing the church by preaching Christ is one thing. Using those numbers to elevate Furtick himself is idolatry.
Oh dear. The anagrams that come to mind every time I look at his last name knowing he Elevates himself above God’s word.
Now, now, Ellen. 😉
What? *innocent look*
Come now, Ellen, snark like that is usually MY department! 8-D
Great minds think alike?
Will you share your turf with me? Pretty please?
Hmm. I watched Furtick as part of the Global Leadership Summit in 2011, so I’m aware of his story. I would be very concerned if my child came home from Sunday School with something like that. But I just can’t imagine it. It is my considered belief that any church which does not allow questions (or elevates the word of certain people over the Word) is a cult. What kind of faith doesn’t stand up to questioning? Not a true faith. A true faith will have room for doubts and disagreements. Is the person who posted these photos certain that this has come from the leadership of the church?
This is off topic, but I am praying over and waiting for what God may be calling me to. I have had a ‘vision’ (it’s not clear what it means, yet) but I am quietly waiting to see where it leads. I don’t know if God is calling me to ministry. Right now I’m incapacitated and God is making me rest so it’s not going to be in the near future. But the thing that has bugged me is ‘how can God possibly be calling me?’ I am acutely aware of the need for leaders to be primarily servants – and of the temptation to want to be admired for oneself and to want to elevate oneself. I am acutely aware of this and of the difficulty in getting the balance right. Maybe Mr. Furtick has fallen into this trap. A nasty trap, but this is why leaders and people in positions of responsibility have to be so careful; they are responsible for all those souls
Here’s a screen grab from Mr. Furtick’s Twitter feed showing he is not only aware of the coloring book created by his children’s ministry team but is “blown away” that it is being used by kids in his church:
Your quiet patience in seeing where God is leading you stands in stark contrast to the crowing Mr. Furtick engages in with his own ministry, Sandy. I’m praying for God to use you mightily for his kingdom purposes!
Tim
What do people mean when they say God uses people ‘mightily’, or the like? It may be why idolisation of certain people happens – what I mean is that God always seems to do things in opposite ways to the world. If you want to find God, the enormity of our Great Big God, you have to start small, Smaller than small. But it is so so so tempting to want to be ‘special’, to want to be singled out and admired, to find your worth in your job, your role, the way other people view you, instead of how God loves – which is by grace alone. I don’t know if I’m making sense. It’s just so easy to fall into that trap. I don’t want to be used mightily if that means God making me seem bigger than somebody else. Someone always gets hurt that way (I know you didn’t mean it that way – why would you when you’ve just called someone else out on that exact thing – but I really do think that’s how it can start – with those kinds of words). I’m rambling – it’s nearly 10pm here and I need to sleep. Good night. I am enjoying this blog enormously 🙂
When I think of God using someone mightily, I think of the description C.S. Lewis gave for Sarah Smith of Golder’s Green in The Great Divorce. It’s God doing great things for his kingdom, even if those things appear puny to worldly eyes. God is the one being glorified.
Then I hope God will use me mightily too 😀
Happy to be puny! God bless.
Love this comment! 😀
I assume “code” is an acrostic for something, but it sounds sinister and those coloring pages are even more sinister.
I agree completely with your assessment based on what is shown on the pages of that book.
But…I’ve only watched about four of his sermons so far, and I have deliberately NOT looked up his “story” yet, because I am trying to formulate my opinion of him from what he says from the pulpit…not what is said *of* him by others who may or may not be truthful….
I have to say … this coloring book seems pretty far outside the range of what I’ve heard him preach so far. Am I just somehow managing to pick his “good” sermons where he’s “on-book” ? I rather question if this is an actual thing that I could pick up and find in his church, were I to show up one day (I don’t live nearby so I can’t test this).
I also wonder if it a real thing…but only because he’s become a bit absent-minded as an administrator. Has he *seen* this coloring book? Or did some underling with their own issues draw it up without oversight?
Or . . . are the sermons he’s putting up on Youtube a far cry from what happens “every week” in his church in person? Recruitment material is often very different from one one sees once *inside* a cult….
I need more data.
What’s disturbing in the coloring book is not just the point size of the Scripture, but that it applies Romans 13:1 to the pastor. Romans 13 is clearly about civil government, as it mentions rulers, taxes, customs and “the sword.” To apply that passage and its instruction about submission to a pastor is amateurish and scary. If Steven Furtick signed off on that use of Scripture, he has no business being a pastor. What else are his people being taught? What other mangling of Scripture are they feeding on? Is the genuine Gospel taught there at all?
Good points, Keith. The misapplication of Scripture is rampant from the things I’ve seen coming out of that church.
As a former member of a mega I think it is really difficult to see when you are in the midst of it. It’s group think to some extent and so “exciting” to be a part of it. When real need hits it becomes apparent it’s not about “church family”.
It also seems to be connect to the purpose driven church (Youth ministry) stuff (not that I think it was the intent of it). Ya know, defining the church’s (or ministry’s) purpose. We already have the definition of that . . . Jesus gave it to us: Love God, Love people.
Thanks for your thoughts on this!
Thanks for bringing it back to basics, Noel: love God, love people!
That’s where being “in” a place, but not “of” it helps one to keep that critical, discerning eye lest we get sucked into that hype and are unable to see our own weaknesses.
Good points, Pat. It’s about testing the spirits too (1 John 4:1) so we can discern what is of God both within us and in what’s coming out of others.
Reblogged this on Darian G. Burns and commented:
Not my work but worth reading. This is what happens when the church invest in “sucess” and numbers over wisedom, knowledge, and character.
Thanks so much for the re-blog. Much appreciated!
Always my pleasure.
Notice Steven’s hand gestures on the first page? Is he a Catholic saint now?
He’s very beatific, I’m sure.
This reminds me of the things they use to teach children in North Korea to teach total loyalty to the country’s leader.
Yes. Pastor as Beloved Leader reminds me of totalitarianism too.
Wow. I came to this page for information. I read all the comments, and wow, you Christians (“Christians”?) really do exemplify judging. I don’t know this pastor any better than I know any of you commentors, but I don’t care for the bitterness oozing from this page any more than I do for fake leaders. Good night!
Ilfring,
I’m sure Tim will respond to your post. These comments would make much more sense read in the context of what this man teaches. There are links in the post to what he teaches and when Tim responds he will likely provide more. The Scriptures tell us we are not to judge those outside the church, it is reserved exclusively for those inside the church and their works. Paul is pretty adamant in multiple places that false teaching/doctrine is to be exposed for what it is. He says to expose those to the light. Read 1 Cor. He went up one side of them and down the other. Those who are teachers of the Word the Scriptures tell us God will judge more severely because they should know better. As a preacher/teacher myself, I’m acutely aware of this and I spend generally an hour in preparation for every minute I preach. Even so, I will still encourage people to go and study for themselves as my teaching is not the end all be all. Like John the Baptist said “I must decrease so that He (Christ) can increase. That’s the difference. If a leader in the Church is making himself or herself into some kind of “door of salvation” whose teachings must never be questioned they must be exposed for the false teacher & false teachings for which they are and held accountable that they might repent and be reconciled to God. As a teacher of the Word, such people anger me because they abuse the very people who trust them, destroy lives and turn people away from God. Tim will have more to say.
There really is a lot of good stuff on Tim’s blog if you will stick around and get to know him.
Thanks, Carlene. You covered much of what needed saying.
Ilfring, I’m glad you came by the blog. The purpose of this post (and some others on the blog) is to expose false teaching. Have I judged Mr. Furtick’s teaching to be false? Yes, I have, and that’s because – as I showed in this post – it runs contrary to what the Bible says. Have I passed judgment on Mr. Furtick? No.
This is so sad. Let’s pray those kids learn discernment.
Amen, Carol. I just prayed for discernment for them and their parents.
I came here because I saw a short clip on YouTube were Mr. Furtick said. “If you are saved or accepted Jesus already, this “church” is not for you. He clarified and said. If you just accepted Jesus in your life last week as a result of this ministry, that is the last time this ministry is for you”
Now this clip was being used in a video exposing Schofield so I did not watch the original clip. But unless he was joking, there is no way to defend that statement. And here, I thought the Church was for believers all this time and that we were the Bride of Christ. Little did I know there was this secret “church” out there just for unbelievers. NOT!
That seems like an odd thing for a pastor to say, since the essence of the church is the gathering of God’s people.
Furtick has ignored the words of Scripture and his people aren’t discerning enough to figure it out.
I don’t understand how they are unable to see the hero worship going on.
OK, I’ll say it: could it be they aren’t converted? If this church is built on Steve Furtick, then it’s NOT built on Jesus…the consequences are dire.
I don’t know their spiritual status in the eternal sense. I do see a church that needs to focus less on the pastor.
Furtick is reminiscent of Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism.