"How Not to Garner Support for Your New Ministry" by Mac Brunson

In the next clip from Sunday 8/17, Mac decides to whip the sheep into submission. Instead of displaying the love, care and compassion of a shepherd, Mac likes to put his hands on the sheep so-to-speak. His sheep are concerned over his plans to start a satellite campus. How does he motivate? How does he encourage them to get involved?

Before the quote let me explain the plan for satellites. I've blogged about this plan before, and here's how it works: Mac is getting couples to commit to hosting "Life Links" in their homes - which are a re-hashed version of "cell groups" from the 1990's...but these cell groups will meet on Sunday night while church is held at FBC Jax. The people hosting these cell groups have agreed to allow the church to come in and inspect their home to make sure that it is suitable (including an inspection of their browser cache to make sure they're not reading the Watchdog). The cell groups, er I mean Life Links will be focusing on reaching "unchurched" people in their neighborhoods.

Then, after these Life Links are formed and we have new sheep, when they're ready for fleecing we'll be moving them to a satellite church or two...with the first satellite to host the inaugural service on Easter Sunday 2009! We can then teach them about tithing, introduce them to Mac's 501(3) website and Holy Land Trips, and we can start sheep stealing from the other church's in that area to build the FBC and Mac Brunson brands.

So that is how it works. Mac needs to motivate people to sign up to be a part of this ministry, so how does he do it? Well, only like Mac can do it, he decides to bully us. Instead of focusing on the positive, that he has a significant number already but that we need more...and that its an exciting ministry....no Mac decides to take the dark, negative road in motivation.

"We're desperately trying to get couples to come and sign up to be hosts for these Life Links. We're going into the southern part of Jacksonville....[then mockingly quoting his opposition]: 'Well I'm just not really for that'. You're not for reaching the southern part of Jacksonville for Jesus Christ? [again mockingly quoting opposition:] 'Well I just don't want our people to leave'. I'm not here to hold warm fuzzy meetings. So we can all be close, and all be tight, and all be wonderful. [screaming:] I WANT TO REACH PEOPLE FOR JESUS!! That's why we're here. This isn't a club. This is the church. The church exists to give God glory and to reach a lost generation. That's why we're here...."

Click Here to Listen to Mac Yourself

and

Click here to Listen to Mac Reprimand for Not Clapping Enough

Instead of lovingly explaining to us again the ministry (some still might be confused about what it is), instead of telling us the benefits of becoming involved...he instead decided to attack the motives of some who might have reservations! Instead of honesty, humbly, lovingly addressing some of his sheep's concerns over this major change that will greatly affect every area of our church, he decides to condescendingly belittle and mischaracterize and dismiss their concerns. In Mac's world, if you're not in favor of his new ministry, then you are out of God's will because you don't want to reach people for Christ. I might be opposed to his ministry, but still be in favor for reaching people with the gospel. Not in Mac's mind. You're either for his ministry, or against God's plan to win the lost in southern Jacksonville. What a jerk. These are not the words of a shepherd pastor. Shepherd's don't whip their sheep into submission.

Some people who are concerned about how this will affect our fellowship had Mac insult their intelligence by sternly saying "this isn't a club". We know its not a club. And because its not a club, its not to be used for fund raising for Israeli hospitals where abortions are performed when a couple of influential deacons decided to use our church for that last fall (with Mac's lame excuses like: "last time I checked the Old Testament is part of our Bible" and "Jesus was a Jew"). You ought to also realize sir that its a church, not a travel agency to be used by you to promote your own 501(c)3 Holy Land Trips!! Come on Mac! Can't you see what a hypocrite you are?

Let's just hope that Mac's plan for the satellite campus is to use some of our other preachers like Marcus Allen, Jr. and Rush Whitt to preach, and that it wont' be a weekly dose of bashing from Mac Brunson. However, based on Mac's explanation of satellites back in 2006, his plan is to drive and preach at each location until we get live satellite feeds. Now that's motivation: let's all work hard so Mac can whip the sheep via satellite.

One other option for those of you interested in reaching your neighborhood for Christ: instead of doing a "Life Link" and having your home inspected; instead witness to your friends by being a loving, helpful neighbor, tell them about Christ and what he's done for you and your family, and encourage them to go to a local church where they can be loved on by a humble, pastor-shepherd and congregation, and where they can be fed from the Word...and not subjected to the verbal abuses of Mac Brunson each week.