Looking forward to your thoughts.

I think we have to avoid the extremist approach to this issue, first of all. In other words, to chalk up all “successful” churches and/or pastors to strictly sociological or psychological factors is just as flawed as it would be to assume that its all up to God and has nothing to do with faithful living, hard work, and solid preparation.

By the same token, let me acknowledge that there are some instances where your sentiments are true. I was primarily referring to certain ministries whose fruit (changed lives) I have been able to observe or hear about firsthand.

1. We are, indeed, humans – and by nature we do value celebrity (your word).

Is this a bad thing? If simply being the loudest, most confident, and most visible blowhard makes one a celebrity, YES. However, if your “celebrity” comes by living the life God has called you to and embracing and developing the gifts God has entrusted to you, then no.

In fact, Paul could have been called a “celebrity” and he takes it a step further to say “I urge you to imitate me” (1 Cor 4:16). He embraced the leadership that God gave him to point people toward Jesus.

2. Sheep, yes. Scared and weak, most of the time. Dumb, not necessarily. Here I would like to distinguish between those leaders who build monuments to themselves and those who are actually pointing people toward Jesus.

If a particular leader or ministry becomes the focus, then one has lost sight of his or her calling.

Like it or not, part of being a sheep is trusting that the person you’re following will not lead you astray. This is also why scripture explains that teachers will be held to a higher standard (James 3:1).

3. Sometimes so-called celebrities are simply exercising a gift that scripture calls “leadership” (Romans 12:6-8)

In the end, I am more than sure that there are a number of “ministries” built on something other than the favor of God. However, I have no reason to believe that this is the rule, rather than the exception. Someday we will all have to give an account.

I’d rather err on the side of reaching, discipling and encouraging AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE to live a life of following Christ and living out His mission in the world.

Please don’t take this as me trying to shoot you down, Tommy, but I have big problems with this. There are several factors that explain this very phenomenon. I’ll be brief.
1. Christians are just as just as driven by celebrity as the rest of our culture is. It’s human nature. We may not want to admit that (especially those who have become ministry celebrities), but it’s true.
2. Human beings are herd animals. That’s why Jesus called us sheep. We are dumb, scared, weak people who want a figurehead through whom we can convince ourselves that it’s worth getting up in the morning.
3. Celebrities take advantage of this dynamic and justify it as “leadership”.
Bottom line: people are just too afraid to think for themselves and ask uncomfortable questions. We desperately seek concurrence, and that tendency overrides most people’s ability to think critically.
When a person comes along who is naturally confident (often oblivious to their own limitations), he automatically attracts a following. If he wins the favor of the right “gatekeeper”(s) and stumbles on the right followers to pimp him, that person is set for celebrity. What happens next is sheer herd mentality – a perception is created among the herd that generates a figurehead and the popularity just snowballs from there.
If we were to examine things a bit closer, we might be surprised at how little God actually has to do with celebrity-centered ministries. I think it’s a mixed bag for the mission; a lot of good is done, but a lot of bad is attached to it.