"We simply believe the mega-church model may have played a role in the unspooling of Perry Noble"

Good thing there wasn’t a bat in the house when the worship band covered “Crazy Train.” Or maybe Noble needed something to wash it down? (j/k)

Seriously, it’s interesting to see a fan of hard rock coming down hard on the “rock star” mentality of many in mega-churches. And yes, bad things do happen to people when they get the notion that they are a rock star. They tend to lose connection with their peers, and there’s also some correlation with mental illness—Noble evidently suffers from depression.

The combination could be related to his outing as having a drinking problem; antidepressants plus alcohol have a number of nasty side effects.

Total cause? No, but it is an interesting thought about how crucial it is for pastors to be held accountable by the flocks they serve.

The site is run by a former spokesman for former Governor Sanford, a guy named “Will Folks” or “Sic Willie” who has, shall we say, something of a colorful history himself.

Total cause? No, but it is an interesting thought about how crucial it is for pastors to be held accountable by the flocks they serve.

If you still think these Perry Noble types are pastors who need accountability, you’re misunderstanding the situation. Groups like NewSpring are non-profit organizations and religion is their commodity. It’s a christianized version of Cirque de Soleil with a celebrated ring leader surrounded by starstruck clowns, followed by mindless sheeple.

Assessing/Critically Analyzing their “theology” or “worship style” or “ministry models” or “campuses” is futile. You might as well assess/critically analyze the Blue Man Group, or U2, or the NFL. Mass entertainment + brand + celebrities + pundits. These “churches” have simply adopted a modern fan based entertainment revenue machine and integrated “Jesus”. Non-taxable and protected by the constitution. Genius.