This whole thing about giving away houses and cars to lure people into showing up for church has really got me thinking…

A couple of months ago the Western Recorder, the state newspaper of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, carried a front page story by Ken Camp of the Texas Baptist Standard entitled, “Baptist Leaders Voice Concern About Prosperity Gospel’s Influence.”

Camp’s article provides a brief critique of the so-called, “health, wealth, and prosperity gospel,” otherwise known as the “name-it-and-claim-it” gospel, and its apparent growing popularity in North America. This theology, in summary form, states that God wants us all to be healthy financially blessed.  Indeed, some would teach that where there is not health and wealth, there must be a lack of faith.  All one needs to do to have this health and wealth is to “name it and claim it” in faith, then God is obligated to oblige.
The article includes the view of the oft-maligned Pastor Joel Osteen, who wrote in his best-selling book, Your Best Life Now, “The Bible says, ‘God takes pleasure in prospering His children.’ As his children prosper spiritually, physically and materially, their increase brings pleasure to God.”

His view is countered by Suzii Paynter, director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, who said, “…the prosperity doctrine…limits God. it makes Him into a behavioral psychologist who resorts to external rewards to manipulate rat-race human beings.”

The possible impact of this “prosperity gospel” is something that I have decided to investigate. I’ve mentioned before that a church from a nearby community has recently sought to plant a satellite congregation in my community. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the “franchising of the church” and multiple locations, though I do recognize that such is a valid strategy for planting new churches in some instances. But I am a huge advocate of church planting. There are plenty of unreached people in our community. A new church is welcome. I received a mailer from the new satellite church that promoted its first sermon series. The series was entitled, “King Solomon’s Secrets of Success.” A message series designed to unveil the secrets of a successful (and obviously wealthy) king sounded hauntingly like a “prosperity gospel” approach. But, since I didn’t attend, I can’t be sure. But I an quite sure that something resembling this theology can be found in most of our communities.

Of course, this “health and wealth” phenomenon is nothing new. We all remember the “glory days” of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. So-called “evangelists” have been broadcasting their emotionally manipulative programs and convincining the poor and working people to “call in” or “mail in” their hard-earned money (and also affecting their local churches) so that they can “receive a blesing” for the past thirty years or so.

But what is the current impact of this theology? What are the implications of this approach to sharing the message of Christ? Is it truly a message of Christ? Is it, indeed, the true Gospel? Who actually responds to this kind of message? Is it just a sick reflection of the spoiled, selfish, self-indulging, comsumer state of our culture? Or does God really want us to have riches beyond our wildest dreams?