Bestselling author and former megachurch pastor Francis Chan sat down with Lecrae to discuss the dynamic of the counterintuitive shift he made—away from the megachurch and toward the living room.
“I would have a bigger church than Jesus because I know how to keep a crowd,” admitted Chan.
My Church ‘Would Be Bigger’ Than Jesus’—Francis Chan Tells Lecrae Why He Left the Megachurch
Chan is no stranger to death. His introduction to death at an early age propelled him to not only contemplate eternity but also take full advantage of every moment.
“I had three parents die by the time I was in middle school,” shared Chan. Chan’s mother died while giving birth to him, and his stepmother died when he was seven years old. At just 12 years old, Chan also lost his father.
Later, Chan poured himself into the church, beginning with youth ministry. He went on to start a megachurch in Simi Valley, California, and became a bestselling author.
“You had a megachurch in Southern California. You had sold crazy amounts of books. Everyone was doing your Bible studies, your DVDs,” said Lecrae. “You walked away from it.”
Chan recognized that the scenario didn’t quite make sense to many, but it did to him. He vividly remembered a disturbing conversation with his wife.
“If the Apostle Paul or Jesus had a church in Simi Valley, mine would be bigger,” Chan admitted to his wife, Lisa. “And that is bothering me.”
Chan continued, “I would have a bigger church than Jesus because I know how to keep a crowd. They didn’t.” He looked further into Scripture to answer his own question: “Am I really being like Christ?”
Within the New Testament church, there was a significant emphasis on “loving one another as Christ loved us,” Chan said. He began to question the genuineness of his own love toward others.
“That’s not what I created,” realized Chan. “I got a bunch of people—thousands of people—playing church.”
Another aspect of the New Testament church that stood out to Chan was that everyone had “a supernatural gift for the body.” Chan had “5,000 people with some sort of gift” that he knew nothing about. “They’re not being used in the church,” he said.
RELATED: Wikipedia Cofounder Larry Sanger Talks to Lecrae About Going From a Skeptic to a Christian
Chan wrestled with God over how to “love one another” and how to get everyone using their gifts.
