I received the video below a few days ago with this pretext:

"I would ask why does it matter if someone leaves your church and starts another one in the same city, the same part of town even?

Is he trying to harm the pastor and the church he came from? Is he being obedient to God's leading? Was he frustrated about the church he was in? Trying to minister to a group of people not reached by his former church (nor any other churches)?

When is it appropriate, and inappropriate, for someone to leave a church to start another church? And, when is it appropriate to call such a person a church 'pirate', and when is it harsh to do so?"

Before watching the video, I responded with the following:

1) I would be that at least half (and I am being very conservative) of US church growth post-1980 has been from people leaving one church and going to another. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just making a guess.

2) Research shows that churches of less than 100 are faster growing and their people go deeper in their relationship with the Lord, the more churches the better.

3) I don’t believe the culture or context of the New Testament speaks to this topic. I often hear that in the NT there were city-churches, not like we have now. I can’t disagree as I wasn’t there, but you also had a plethora of house-churches with their own issues on this matter, i.e. “What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ.”

4) I am inexperienced in this matter, but I have never encountered one situation where a person started and church and then “robbed” another church of their people. I have seen people leave one church or another for various reasons, good and bad, but not be “stolen.”

5) Jesus was the ultimate sheep stealer, and that was one issue that got Him crucified.

Then I watched the link:



Then I responded with the following:

Who does this guy think he is?

Why is he talking on this topic?

He sure wants to play the part, nice little suit, no tie, sitting down, etc.

He really turned me off and I didn’t agree with what he had to say at all. The corporate world would be in jail? It happens every day in the corporate world.

I added that I thought he was arrogant and everything I've seen about him or his church has been about him. I don't like the guy.