Megachurches are often the target of criticism. Common concerns focus on whether their size, production, and leadership models make deep discipleship, personal community, and accountability harder to sustain.
On this episode of “Live Free,” Josh Howerton, BlazeTV host and pastor of Lakepointe Church — a megachurch in Dallas, Texas, — speaks with fellow megachurch pastor Joby Martin of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Florida, to confront some of the biggest myths surrounding megachurches.
Myth #1: If the senior pastor doesn’t know you personally, he’s not really your pastor.
Some megachurch critics argue that true shepherding requires a pastor to know his congregants personally and be able to shake their hands, for example, but Howerton and Martin argue otherwise.
Martin points out that in the Greek, pastor and shepherd are the same word.
“Jesus says He is the good shepherd, and David says in Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, so have you ever shaken Jesus' hand?” he asks.
But there’s an important caveat. “Although I don't personally shepherd all the people, all the people need to be shepherded,” says Martin, highlighting the crucial roles of supporting pastors, care teams, and other staff members.
“We accomplish the roles of the shepherd. We're not caught up in the title of who gets the badge.”
Howerton notes how the apostle Peter in the first four books of Acts led a church of 5,000 strong. “We literally got a Bible verse that says the opposite of this,” he says.
Myth #2: Instead of getting bigger, large churches should be planting more churches.
Another common complaint about megachurches is that they grow bigger instead of planting more churches.
“Please don’t fall into the tyranny of the ‘or.’ God always works in the genius of the ‘and,'” says Martin, “because guess who all the church plants come to? The big churches.”
And the reality is, many megachurches are planting other churches.
“By the end of 2028, we will have planted 1,000 churches around the world. There are more people that attend the churches that we have planted today than how many people attend Eleven22,” Martin adds.
The same is true at Lakepointe Church, says Howerton. “We have literally personally funded, coached, and planted … over a hundred churches in the hardest-to-reach urban centers in North America by the end of this year.”
“News flash: When we plant a church, thousands of people don't magically stop trying to come to my church,” he adds, emphasizing how church planting does not necessarily correlate to a megachurch’s numbers.
Myth #3: Because of their scale, megachurches are shallow in their discipleship.
Megachurch skeptics are quick to accuse large churches of compromising deep discipleship for numerical growth.
“I would love to introduce you to our thousand or so disciple group leaders and let you tell them that to their face,” Martin counters, noting that he’s currently preaching “verse by verse” through the book of Matthew.
“What else do you want me to do?” he asks, “and honestly, I don't care what you want me to do. I'm not doing what you want me to do because I'm not trying to live my life for the approval of man but for the approval of Christ.”
“Galatians 1:10,” Howerton adds.
Myth #4: Megachurches are just big personality cults hyperfocused on the lead pastor.
Because megachurches are often pastored by widely known charismatic preachers, critics will accuse them of being personality cults.
Martin acknowledges that sometimes this is a real issue, but it’s not because of the size of the church but rather the failures of the pastor leading it.
“Are there some bad actors and some guys that have been terrible stewards of platforms that God has given them? Man, sadly the list is long,” he says.
“What you don't know is the list is also long of churches that you've never heard of because they just don't make the news,” he continues, “and like you've said a million times before, planes that land safely, they don't make the news.”
After “[wrestling] through the parable of the talents,” Martin says he’s not sure if he’s a “two-talent guy or a five-talent guy,” but he’s certain he will not be a “a one-talent guy.”
“I got one and only life,” he says. “What do you want me to do? Preach less or tone it down or cap it?” he asks.
When people complain about the church getting too big, the question he asks is: “Who do you want me to un-invite?”
Martin notes that every time Jesus’ disciples tried to “cap it” by turning children away or attempting to control the size of the crowd, they “[got] in trouble.” But when they embraced the “feeding of the 5,000,” for example, they “[got] a high five from Jesus.”
Myth #5: Behind the scenes, megachurch pastors are greedy, abusive hypocrites.
One of the biggest accusations hurled at megachurches is that they’re pastored by men who are charismatic and engaging outwardly but greedy and abusive off the record.
“Can you go find some bad ones? Man, there's no doubt. There's no doubt about it. And man, it puts a blight on the name of the bride,” says Martin.
“And I fear for that man when he stands before the Lord,” adds Howerton.
However, both men, who know all the famous megachurch pastors, can also testify that the opposite is also true: often these pastors are different behind the scenes but in the best way possible.
Howerton says there are so many stories they’re “not allowed" to tell about sacrifices and generosity these megachurch pastors have demonstrated that would stun their biggest critics.
To hear the full episode, check out the video above.
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