Consumerism and the Church

By Christian McShaffrey

Pastor of Five Solas Church (Reedsburg, WI)

Many articles have been written that lament the negative influence “consumerism” has had on the church. Its negative affects are usually considered from two different vantage points: (1) individuals with a consumer spirit and (2) the churches who cater to them.

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction

Individuals who choose a church because it seems to meet their “felt needs” are exercising poor spiritual discernment and will probably never be fully satisfied. Churches do not exist to meet personal needs and when they fail to do so, people eventually leave and go looking for another. The next church may satisfy them for a season, but in the end, the cycle typically continues. Plenty of articles have been written about the church-hopping consumer.

If You Build It, He Will Come

This is the flip-side of the consumerist coin. Many ministries seek to attract to those who are persistently “between churches” by appealing to their felt-needs. They are happy to accommodate the never-satisfied consumer in order to secure his patronage (at least for a season). Everything from the architecture, to the coffee bar, to the praise band, to the Pastor’s pre-ripped jeans are intentionally packaged into an experience that will have maximum consumer appeal. Plenty of articles have also written about these “seeker friendly” churches.

Brand Loyalty Explored

Essential to understanding consumer economics, and also going a step further than the evaluation of fleeting felt-needs, is the concept of “brand loyalty” which secures repeat purchases due to personal commitment to a product. Once such “loyalty” is secured, even pricing becomes irrelevant. The “brand” has become part of the person’s identity.

When I was a child, for example, we were a Coca-cola family. My cousin’s family preferred Pepsi. I never understood how he could drink such swill. Similarly, my parents preferred McDonald’s and his, Burger King. Thankfully, such differences never rose to the level of a family feud, but the differences were very real and deeply settled.

I will leave it to the psychologists and sociologists to explain the causes for such personal and familial proclivities. The scope of this article is limited to how such allegiances over-flow into the ecclesiastical realm and how that can actually be helpful when it comes to understanding how people choose churches.

Have It Your Way?

That may be the most effective slogan ever used by Burger King, but it is definitely not how things work in the church. That restaurant chain has had its ups-and-downs over the years, but it has succeeded in convincing millions of people that the quintessential experience of hamburger consumption is found in the infinitely-customizable Whopper.

Let’s now apply that to the church. If a church has adopted more of a standardized Big Mac model of ministry, then the guy in the previous paragraph will never be satisfied with it. He may, over time, begin to acquire a taste for the new meal, but decades of brand loyalty can create very deep allegiances. The Whopper may always remain the standard in the back of his mind.

I’m Lovin’ It

That’s how I feel about Reformed worship. It is simple, reverent, and strictly-regulated by Holy Scripture. I love how it ignores many of my felt-needs and forces me to think more deeply. That sub-title, by the way, is McDonald’s slogan and the insight it offers into the consumer spirit is strikingly honest: People choose what they love.

Now, that is not to say that their love is always well-placed. Like I said, I still don’t understand how my cousin could drink Pepsi. Gross. I feel the same way about people who love the standard expressions of modern evangelical worship (i.e., swaying back and forth with hands slightly lifted as some effeminate song leader whispers sweet nothings about what seems to be his celestial boyfriend). Way gross.

You may disagree, of course, but what do you think accounts for these different preferences and allegiances? Is it simply a matter of personal taste? I don’t think so, but again, let’s leave that to the experts to discuss.

The connection here is this: Depending on a person’s background, he may never switch brands. That’s why you will find both a McDonald’s and Burger King on the same block. That’s also why you will also find a Baptist and a Presbyterian church in every town. I wish people were more thoughtful when it came to choosing between options, but most are not. That’s just the way it is and there is nothing we can do about it.

Satisfy Your Grown-up Tastes

While verifying all my sub-titles, I was very surprised to discover this one as an old slogan for Arby’s, as it was a not-so-subtle knock against the more popular fast-food chains. Maybe that’s why it only lasted a couple of years. Who knows. Regardless, and for the purposes of this article, I think I’m going to adopt it.

Peoples’ tastes evolve over time. That is perfectly natural. I learned from my father, for example, always to say, “Hold the pickles” when ordering a burger. It was only later in life that I came to realize how their tangy acidity and contrasting texture perfectly balances the richness of an otherwise fatty patty.

Reformed worship is not for everyone. I’ll admit that, but it is based on deep theological convictions and it has been thoughtfully developed over the past five hundred years. So please don’t come to our church and complain that we don’t offer Whoppers or Big Macs. Don’t ask whether we have ever considered adding them to our menu. And don’t even think about mentioning the pickles.

There are plenty of places in town that offer the basics, but we have chosen to offer something that will appeal to an admittedly smaller, but more sophisticated group of people. If that sounds like an insult, sorry. Maybe we can chat about it sometime over lunch? If not, that’s fine. You just keep having it your way, and we’ll keep lovin’ our grown-up tastes.