I grew up attending a church in Des Moines, Iowa, that felt huge. We were running 800 to 1,000 every week, and sometimes hit 1,200 or more. It's the only church I ever remember attending as a child. On the sign under the name of the church, it read: "Independent, Fundamentalist, Bible-Believing, Regular Baptist Church." So many adjectives, each loaded in its' meaning and history. 

When I graduated high school in 1985, I immediately took a job with a ministry that did revival services and large scale multimedia productions in churches and civic auditoriums all across America. I was still 17 at the time, and for the next nine years I had the privilege of growing up while working with more than 800 different local churches. 

That's when I learned of this thing called a "Megachurch." What made a church mega? According to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, a megachurch has 2,000 or more people attending on a weekly basis. Our ministry team would spend weeks working in these large (mostly Southern Baptist) churches that had big buildings, scores of staff, sports ministries, huge auditoriums, and a ministry for everything and everyone. I loved what these churches could offer for the people in the community. Every person in your family, regardless of age, could connect in an age-appropriate ministry led with excellence and intentionality.

Several years later, I began attending a small church in a little bedroom community outside of South Bend. When I joined the staff we had 200 people attending on a good week. We didn't have any bells and whistles, we didn't even have a building, but it was exciting and authentic and effective. This little church began growing, and for the next 18 years we experienced an average of 23% growth each year. We were effective as a little church and eventually became a megachurch. It wasn't our goal. It just happened. 

Sometime during this season, I learned that megachurches were bad. I heard so many things said about my church, and others like it, that I didn't recognize and had not experienced in my megachurch experience.

The following statement, which I pulled off an "experts" blog today, illustrates much of what is said:

"A preacher at a megachurch may call himself a pastor but he is not. He is a business man, that sell books, tapes, get paid to travel to other churches to make an appearance, and preach a sermon. He's on all the tv talk shows. He doesn't know your name, nor does he care. He only looks at the analytics/ numbers that bring profits. He only talks about things to make you feel good about yourself, and may not ever give you the truth of anything that will cause you to leave his church, or him. He loves to be looked up to by you. He will tell you, and make you feel as though you own the megachurch with him, but it's really his and his families business, and when he dies, it all goes to his son. You, and others just pay for their life of luxury."

I am sure this authors' cynical description of megachurch pastors is true in some places. But I've spent the past 35+ years working in, with, and around megachurches and their pastors, and I would suggest his description is not typical.

Here are a few megachurch myths I hear often-repeated:

Myth #1: Megachurches Only Care About Money

Critics often claim that megachurches prioritize financial growth over spiritual impact. In reality, while resources are necessary for large-scale operations, most megachurches are deeply invested in missions, community outreach, and charitable work. Typically, larger megachurches (especially those which are multi-site) spend a smaller percentage of their budget on staff compensation and benefits, and a higher percentage of their money leaves the church for local and global missional initiatives.

Myth #2: Megachurches Water Down the Gospel

Another misconception is that megachurches simplify or dilute their teachings to appeal to a broader audience. On the contrary, megachurches often invest in dynamic, high-quality teaching and innovative discipleship strategies to engage their diverse congregations. They can have multiple teachers on their staff, which gives each teacher more time to dive deep into the Scripture to mine truths, and then work on the craft of their delivery to make it compelling and memorable. Large churches can invest in technology to communicate effectively to today's culture through apps, podcasts, Bible-reading programs and more. 

Myth #3: Megachurches Care About Numbers More Than People

A widespread myth is that megachurches are overly focused on attendance numbers and metrics, often at the expense of individual care. The reality is that while tracking growth and engagement is important for logistical purposes, many megachurches invest heavily in pastoral care, counseling, and community support. Stories of personal impact, along with initiatives like prayer ministries and volunteer programs, illustrate their commitment to meeting the unique needs of their congregants beyond the statistics.

I would argue megachurches, due to their size, have had to follow the Scriptural mandate (Eph 4:11-12) that pastors are to equip the saints for ministry, versus do the ministry themselves. It begs the question, do churches stay small because pastors ignore this passage and try to do all the ministry on their own? Another way to ask this question, if every church equipped their people to do the ministry, rather than having pastors do the ministry, wouldn't the natural result be growth? Possibly even to megachurch size?

Myth #4: Megachurch Pastors are Building Their Own Kingdom and Can't Be Trusted

A frequent myth is that megachurch leaders are untrustworthy or solely driven by personal gain. This perception often stems from high-profile scandals, but the reality is that most megachurch leaders (and I've met hundreds) are deeply committed to their congregations and operate with accountability measures in place. Boards of elders, financial transparency, and third-party audits are more often employed than in smaller churches.

I know there are narcissistic, self-absorbed leaders who are pastoring large churches. I've worked with some of them. But I've also met plenty of narcissistic pastors leading small or medium-sized churches as well.

Yes, there is something unique that a large platform and bright spotlight can do to your psyche to convince you that you are exceptional, and that the rules don't apply. But I believe the vast majority of pastors of large churches are faithful to their call and committed to living a life congruent with the Bible they preach.

As is true with schools, corporations, small businesses, government agencies, non-profits and all human-led entities -- some of them are led by people who are self-serving and corrupt. The church is not excluded. A few scandals and suddenly we think every megachurch pastor is committing fraud or abuse, or at a minimum putting their own interests above that of their church.

I choose to believe the best. I choose to give the benefit of the doubt. I refuse to project the failings of a different pastor onto the motivations of my own pastor. I refuse to participate in spreading seeds of doubt about someones character based on information that is hearsay.

I also choose to not put my pastor on a pedestal. I choose to believe he is human and has weaknesses just like you and I do. 

I choose to trust until there is a reason I can't. I choose to pray for my pastors and their families. Rather than sit on the sideline and complain about my pastors, I choose to jump in and help carry their load.

Whether your church is large or small, I encourage you to consider these same choices. Skepticism and suspicion may protect your heart from potential disappointment, but you miss the opportunity to live an open and authentic life.