Francis Chan's Response to Critics Who Called Cornerstone Megachurch a Cult
In a sermon re-posted online, New York Times best-selling author Pastor Francis Chan answered critics who called the Cornerstone Community Church, which he and his wife founded, a cult.
We all would like to be part of the early church, as described in the book of Acts, Chan, the founder of Radius International and then teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, said in the message, posted last week by SermonAudio.com but originally from April 2009.
Chan read out Acts 4:29-35: "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. 'Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.' After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.
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"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the Apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the Apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need."
Chan said three thoughts come to his mind as he reads the passage. One, that's not like us. Second, I want it to be us. Third, it can be us.
While all would agree that the early church was not like us, some might say they are not sure if they would like to have a church like that and some could think it's not possible to have a church like that in the culture today, he added.
Going to a church doesn't make us a Christian, Chan continued. The Church is the Body of Jesus and those who are part of it consider themselves to be members of one another, he said.
Chan said he had heard three negative statements about the church, and wanted to respond to them one by one.
One, "I know it's biblical, but I don't know how you're going to make them live like that in this culture." Two, "A lot of people have had their lives changed in our services and I want to bring my friends to make them hear what Francis speaks and I love singing with the congregation, so I'd hate it if you get rid of services." Three, "It's starting to feel a little like a cult, you know, meeting in homes, sharing our possessions."
Responding to the first question, Chan told the congregants, "I think you're forgetting about the power of the Holy Spirit."
He added, "I can't talk anyone into that," but are we pursuing things that are possible in the flesh, or do we believe there's a power higher than ourselves?
The book of Acts doesn't talk about 12 brilliant people who got together with a plan, but a bunch of people who prayed together and then the Holy Spirit of God started moving and things began to happen.
He asked if the Holy Spirit had changed, or had He lost some power? "Why have we set the bar so low?" Maybe, we are looking at ourselves in the flesh too much, he said.
On the second question, Chan said the church hasn't decided to do away with the services. However, he added, that the congregation should stop making or calling the service the church. We should stop making things sacred that aren't sacred, he said. "Our priority needs to be on gathering together and caring for one another and praying for one another."
Chan also said the congregation should not put too much emphasis on one person, referring to himself. "It should be about the power of Jesus. … We have to love the message and not the way the message was presented."
Responding to the third question, Chan said, "This is not the first time that Cornerstone has been referred to as a cult. And it isn't the last time."
But it's a "very sad indictment of the Church, the state of the Church in America.," he added. "Whenever I talk about a certain level of commitment, that's when the word 'cult' comes out."
He asked, "What's the definition of a cult?"
The worldly, or secular, definition of a cult is all that denotes worship, ritual, emotion, liturgy and attitude — which allows you to say every belief system is a cult, Chan said.
The traditional Christian definition of a cult, on the other hand, is "a religious group that denies one or more of the fundamentals of the biblical truth," he added.
"Where in that definition of cult is this commitment level we are talking about?" he asked. "I'm saying, we can't be a church if we don't love one another," he said, reminding the church that Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. "That's pretty fundamental."
He asked how can we say we are followers of Jesus without actions that show our faith?
In conclusion, Chan said, "I consider myself very simple-minded. … It's not rocket science to me. … When God asks me to do something, I say, 'OK, I'm gonna do that.'"
Chan resigned from the Cornerstone Church, which he and and his wife, Lisa, had founded, in 2010, saying he wanted to pursue what God had laid on his heart. In 2011, the couple moved to San Francisco and launched a nationwide discipleship movement, among other ministries.
