Christian Famous

Recently, the gifted Evangelical writer and pastor, Francis Chan, after writing two best-selling books (including the New York Times bestseller, Crazy Love), and helping his church in California grow to over 4,000 members, resigned and move to Asia.

Unlike some pastor prominent Evangelical leaders, though, Pastor Chan's resignation was not prompted by a moral scandal of any kind. In fact, his resignation came about because, in the words of a recent article reporting the story, he was becoming "Christian famous" -- meaning that his fame in Christian circles was becoming enormous. Becaues of this, he felt that he was hearing more about "Francis Chan" in his church than he was hearing about the Holy Spirit. So, Pastor Chan announced his resignation, packed up his wife and children, and moved to Asia for awhile, desiring to get out of the spotlight and refocus his ministry perspectives.

While not every "Christian famous" Evangelical leader has been corrupted by their fame, I believe Pastor Chan's message and emphasis in his resignation are admirable. His actions remind us that the focus of any kind of ministry can easily become more about human gifts and personalities than about Jesus Christ and the movement of the Holy Spirit. Isn't it ironic that the One who came to us so long ago in Bethlehem came not as a "superstar", but as a baby hidden away in a simple village? Jesus's birth, life, teachings, and death were real life demonstrations that God's vision of greatness and power are very different from those of the world. When Jesus "suceeded," virtually no one was seeking Him out as a "church growth" speaker. When Jesus demonstrated power, it was in order to point people to the saving vision of the Father, and it was not the kind of power (i.e., brute force) that the "powerful" of His day or of our day would pay much attention to. But, the results were amazing!

Jesus' unwillingness to grab the spotlight after His baptism (see Mark 2, for instance, where the Spirit of the Lord "casts" Him into the wilderness "immediately") resulted in a lesson that all believers strive toward: resisting the temptation to earthly power by allowing God to be the Source of our peace and provision. Jesus' insistence upon turning away from forceful intervention (see the arrest scene in the Gospels where Peter draws the sword and others seem willing to do so, too) demonstrate a lifestyle and the creation of a community that fights from its knees instead of seeking to bring its enemies down with violence. The most vivid descriptions of Jesus in the Bible are not about His great power or fame, but about His great humility and willingness to allow love to conquer hate, and the glory of God to transcend human ideals of glory (See Phil. 2, for instance).

My prayer is the Francis Chan will continue his journey deeper into the humility and integrity that Jesus wishes for all of us. Now that Pastor Chan has many more temptations, may he find the current "wanderings" to be filled with the presence of God and with messengers of God who will help restore his strength and focus. And may we all be able to point to more servants of Christ who would rather point to the One born in a lowly manger than to themselves. Jesus could have been famous -- not just "Christian famous" -- in His day. He could have had power -- real political and military power. Instead, He pulled away from the limelight and more deeply into the will of the Father.

May God's agenda of peace, humility, grace, and love be the defining characterstics of Christmas and of those of us who have fully experienced the joy of the Christmas message and its Messenger.

-- Charles W. Christian, Seattle, WA.