Is the Costa Rican Church Narcissistic?
Clarification: The intention of this article is not to generalize about the Costa Rican church, but rather, by reading this document, you, as a leader or pastor, can answer this question. This article does not refer to or allude to any church that I know of.
To speak of narcissistic, it is necessary to mention its primary meaning: in love with oneself.
Most churches meet in homes, event halls, buildings rented month-to-month, or in their own buildings. Within these spaces, and according to their capacities, they develop activities that specifically involve the growth of ministries for adults, youth, and children.
And what about the senior pastor and his investment of time?
If he is bi-vocational, his time is limited to evenings and weekends. If he's full-time, he divides his time between preparing weekend sermons, counseling, Bible studies, visiting with church members and meeting with their leadership, as well as with his core group and meetings with pastors from the conference or alliance to which the church belongs. I write this because this is how many pastors think: ministry first, family last. This is very wrong, because every pastor's primary ministry should be his family. I suggest including seven very important ministries that are often underserved because so much time and resources are invested in what happens within the four walls that what happens outside is forgotten:
Orphaned Children: (Defend the cause of the fatherless and the helpless... Psalm 82:3a)
Imprisoned Persons: (Hebrews 13:3a Remember the prisoners as if you were their fellow inmates...)
Hospitalized Persons: (Is any of you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, that they may pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14)
Poverty: (If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give the money to the poor... Matthew 19:21a)
Widows: (Give due recognition to widows who are truly helpless. 1 Timothy 5:3)
Inhabitants of The street: (He will rescue the needy who cry out for help, and the poor who have no one to help them. Psalm 72:12)
Nursing home: (Leviticus 19:32a Stand before the elders. Respect the elderly...)
There are churches that probably began serving one of these ministries and find it easier to engage with others due to the sensitivity they generate. I mentioned the meaning of "narcissist" at the beginning, but there is a more dangerous connotation: so much internal activity develops narcissistic personalities from the leadership that radiates out to the parishioners.
Symptoms of narcissism:
A person hungry for praise.
A person who always wants to be the center of attention.
A manipulative person.
A person who doesn't accept correction.
A person who directs the conversation to themselves and their achievements.
A person who doesn't allow contradictions.
It's also possible that some churches carry out many internal ministries and manage to be involved in all seven external ministries, yet a narcissistic character can still be identified within the church. This could happen because we are human, although few churches allocate their budget to these external ministries.
I fully understand the structure of the local church. Maintaining a soup kitchen, having a foster child, visiting the sick, imprisoned, elderly, and hospitalized, or rescuing a woman from prostitution represents a significant challenge, not only because of the budget, but also because of raising the congregation's awareness that the gospel is for everyone, not just those who can sit comfortably every weekend listening to the Word of God while their children attend classes.
The serious problem in understanding this question is that, in some ways, the concept of the gospel has been distorted, constructing and restricting its essence within four walls. The invitation is to participate in services and live the experience, which is not a bad thing, as long as we remember that the gospel is meant to reach those most in need and that this blend will allow the church to understand its purpose in the world.
I hope this article can help you gain a broader view of the local Church and its enormous challenge of transforming lives.
Forward in Christ Jesus!
