James P. Needham
Should we think it strange that people still have this disease? There are some very severe cases of it. One sister said, “For all I care, they can shoot all the preachers except brother _______________.” Others feel no obligation to attend the assemblies unless their favorite preacher is preaching. If the preacher is out preaching to people who need it worse than does his “home congregation,” attendance and contributions often decrease until he returns. Then, there are congregations that can hardly conduct a service unless a “properly ordained minister” is present. A brother once said to the local preacher, “What do you mean by being gone in so many meetings? Do you not know that you are our preacher, and that you get paid for preaching to us?” Some church members seem to think they will be judged by the words of their favorite preacher rather than by their own deeds (Romans 2:6).
We have all known of situations where “firing” the preacher was like burning the building! Changing preachers is sometimes the next thing to disbanding. We hear expressions like: “I just cannot get over brother Blank’s leaving,” or “Brother Newcomer is a good preacher, but he will never take Brother Oldtimer’s place” (As if he wanted to). It goes without saying that a religion that is built around a man is not built around Christ. If it is preacher-centered it is not Christ-centered, and therefore, is vain (Matthew 15:9).
(2) Spiritual immaturity: Paul said preacheritis is a sickness of spiritual babies: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto BABES in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able… For while one saith, I am of Paul…” etc. (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). These Corinthians were milk drinkers rather than meat eaters because their spiritual constitutions were so delicate, and diseased. Preacher centered religion is baby religion, because it cannot get weaned from a preacher. One version represents these people as saying: “I belong to Paul …” etc.
(3) It is carnality: “For ye are yet CARNAL: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul …”, etc. Paul said, “to be carnally minded is death …” (Romans 8: 6). Hence, preacheritis is a fatal spiritual disease; preacher religion is a death religion; it cannot bring eternal life. Carnality signifies that which is fleshly; that which is of the world. Paul said the Judaizers wanted to “glory in your flesh” (Galatians 6: 13). Preacher religion is a fleshly religion; it cannot bring spiritual rewards.
(4) Human: To the Corinthians, Paul said, “you walk as men, for while one saith, I am of Paul…”, etc. (1 Corinthians 3:3-4). Preacheritis is walking “as men,” not as Christians. It is a human religion, not a divine one. It is therefore, a “vain religion” (James 1: 26), and brings one no closer to heaven than any other human religion, though it may parade under the name of Christ.
- (a) Iron-fisted dictatorship: Paul said to the Corinthians: “Not for that we have lordship over your faith, but are helpers of your joy” (2 Corinthians 1: 24). There are many preachers who are anything but “helpers of your joy.” They are LORDS over the faith of the congregation. The church, therefore, is made up only of those who are willing to knuckle under to the preacher’s iron-fisted rule. Everyone must either believe everything just like the preacher does, or keep his mouth shut, or get out. The preacher fills the “eldership” with henchmen and hatchetmen. The preacher is chairman of the “central committee,” and always holds the balance of power in its decisions. Anyone who goes against the establishment is quickly excommunicated, and banished from the congregation. If a member of the “central committee” gets crossed up with the chairman, he is immediately castigated and excommunicated lest his manifestation of courage arouse the rebellion that sleeps within the hearts of others, and a revolution be spawned. One such preacher was heard to say, “The only way to keep peace in a congregation is to clean out your eldership every year or two.” Members of such congregations are always quick to jump to the defense of their preacher overlord. They are often sincere in denying that he is such. They have been brainwashed to think that all who oppose him are just jealous of his success and position. They think the voice of the preacher is the voice of God, and opposition to him or his ideas is blasphemy.(b) Martyr complex: Preachers sometimes build up churches around themselves by playing the role of a martyr. They constantly sing a song of woe to those members who will listen. They are constantly supposed victims of a vicious plot, and the elders are always seeking opportunities to take advantage of them. Most people favor the “underdog.” Hence, the members begin to feel sorry for the poor helpless preacher, and the elders are branded as “lords over God’s heritage” and nothing short of their resignation will be acceptable.
In a certain church, some of the most influential and able members of the congregation protested when the well entrenched preacher aligned himself with certain false teachings. In a business meeting some of them went into a detailed exposure of the false doctrines the preacher had embraced. When they finished, the preacher arose and said, “I am just like Jesus before Pilate. These men are determined to crucify me, and like Jesus I am not going to answer a word.” That carried more weight with his deceived followers than any scriptural defense could have. Who could refuse to come to the defense of the poor, crucified preacher?
(e) Alignment with the weak element: Some preachers gain personal following within the congregation by aligning themselves with the weaker members. These people usually have some complaint against the congregation, or the eldership. They are constantly looking for an opportunity to “get at” the church or the elders. They usually do not attend business meetings, and very few assemblies. They contribute almost nothing to the program of the church. Frequently their complaint is that the church is run by a clique, or that the elders are dictators. The preacher champions their cause, and starts a revolution. When it is completed, the congregation is made up of another “clique,” the weakling worldings who have contributed almost nothing to its existence. Those who sacrificed time and energy to make the church possible are driven out in disgust, or by excommunication.
(2) The members: Preacheritis cannot be imposed upon any person against his will. This is one disease one must be willing to catch! It is self-inflicted. But, as in the case of physical disease, preacheritis is brought on by weak resistance. The spiritual constitution is unable to fight off its invasion. The preacher’s personality, domineering spirit, or political prowess are more than some members can stand. They either knuckle under to power politics, or are overwhelmed by personal attachment. They “with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the preacher, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the preacher” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18, with apologies). Indeed, with some people it is hard to distinguish between the glory of God and the glory of the preacher!
Most preachers are godly, dedicated men, but unfortunately, some few are otherwise. The dedicated ones must constantly carry the reputation of the bad ones as a millstone around their necks, due to the tendency of people to generalize on specifics and identify all groups with the misdeeds of a few members thereof.
Preacheritis has been spiritually fatal to many because the preacher they idolized turned out to be morally bad. We should just face reality and frankly admit that we have human preachers who, like some other church members, are first class hypocrites and who are or have been guilty of just about every sin in the catalog. We have known preachers who fornicated, beat their debts, used and peddled dope, forged checks, murdered, robbed, stole, broke up homes, lied, embezzled, mistreated their families, etc. The discovery of such in some preachers seldom causes their followers to become more godly, but rather more ungodly. Their attitude is that if preachers cannot live righteously, why should others even try to do so.
(2) Easy prey for false doctrine: One of the great dangers of preacheritis is that it makes the individual easy prey for false doctrine. If the preacher gets “led away with the error of the wicked” and falls from his own steadfastness (2 Peter 3:17), his followers usually go with him because their main concern is the messenger, rather than the message. Many new denominations have been started in just this way. Many congregations have been divided in this manner.
It is unfortunate, but true, all of us have not learned from mistakes of the past. We can look back and see where the love for man exceeded the love for God and brethren were thereby led into apostasy. We can study our Bibles and see where it condemns the lifting up of men (1 Cor. 3:1-4). However, when it comes to modern times and events, we ignore such strong examples and warnings. There are people even now who would rather “stand by their man” than “stand…in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths…” (Jer. 6:16). There are those who believe that grace and truth came by brother so-and-so. There are preachers who join the chorus and sing “How Great Thou Art” to their number one man (or themselves).
While preacheritis cannot always be controlled by the preacher, that is, some brethren will just be that way, let us be determined not to lend a hand in our own exaltation, nor that of another. Let us all look to the one Head of the church, the one Author and Finisher of our faith, the one Apostle and High Priest of our profession, the one Lamb of God, the one Alpha and Omega–the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; Heb. 12:2; 3:1; Jn. 1:29; Rev. 1:8)!
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:34-37).
