Some Thoughts about Celebrities Who Become Christians and Then…

TylerR
Church & Ministry
Celebrity Conversions

Roger Olson: I’ve heard it said many times over the years that evangelical Christians are the only army that shoots its own wounded.

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Discussion

Profile picture for user Bert Perry
Bert Perry
Mon, 10/28/19 9:47 am

Our culture of celebrity means that a lot of prominent people who appear to come to Christ are welcome to our pulpits and podiums, but not to our homes to talk over coffee. Then we are surprised when they act as if they’d not become part of our communities. I am so grateful for the pastor who, when I’d come to Christ, greeted me with “welcome to the family” and acted that out in his life.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

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Lee
Tue, 10/29/19 9:05 am

Evangelicals in general, and fundamentalists in particular, have had a long “love affair” with placing novices—either by the mere fact of age or by recent conversion—into positions of influence. The youth pastor phenom, or even pastor positions, for guys right out of college, barely married, and with no significant life experience should be all the evidence necessary to confirm our enamorization of novices with influence.

In our celebrity drunk culture when a “big” name is converted (whether truly or superficially) our penchant for granting influence to novices hits steroid-ville. When that celebrity is a musician he/she is instantly qualified as worship leader or similar, positions of tremendous influence. Same is true for exceptionally gifted adolescents.

Giving influence to the immature (spiritual or experiential) is nothing new. Our government has been doing it for years. Most recently think the likes of Greta Thornberg and that arrogant twit following the Parkland shooting. Bringing it into the church full force I link back to the “generation gap” mentality of the 60’s-70’s.

To be critical of some church leadership as unloving (“shooting the wounded”) if they wish to limit the likes of Kanye in influence in the body of Christ until there is some proof of spiritual maturity, true repentance, and a discernible spiritual gifting is patently unfair. It is loving, wise, and biblical for one to take such a stance.

I am beyond happy to consider Kanye, Justin/Hailey, Joe Average down and outer, or whoever as an equal brother/sister in Christ if they have responded to the Gospel in repentance and faith. I’m not willing to grant them unlimited influence within the body of Christ just because they say they’ve been converted. I think I am being biblical on this.

Lee