A North Carolina megachurch says they will not mention words like Calvary, resurrection of phrases like “blood of Jesus” to promote Easter Sunday services.
“I’m not going to say the word ‘Calvary,’ I’m not going to say the word ‘resurrection.’ I’m not going to say the ‘blood of Jesus.’ Right? I’m not going to say any of these words that makes someone feel like an outsider,” said Nikki Shearer, the digital content creator for Elevation Church. “This is really an important guiding principle.”
Elevation Church is pastored by Steven Furtick and has more than 25,000 members attending at multiple locations across the state. The podcast interview was first discovered by Protestia and Evangelical Dark Web.
Shearer said it’s vitally important that people feel super-chill when they receive an invitation to attend the church’s Easter services. As I wrote in my new book, “Twilight’s Last Gleaming,” this is what a wokevangelical church looks like. Click here to read my book.
“When we’re thinking about such a steeped-in-tradition holiday like Easter, and how we talk to someone who is not steeped in that tradition and how we get them to connect to it and come to it — that’s really important to us,” she said.
Pro Church Tools defended the watered-down messaging in a post titled, “Why Elevation Church Won’t Say ‘Resurrection’ On Easter Invites.” Click here to read it.
Elevation Church's Digital Content Director explains why they would never use words like "Resurrection" or "Calvary' or "Blood of Jesus" when sending out EASTER invites. "It makes someone feel like an outsider." To read the story: https://t.co/DZoDwg17Et pic.twitter.com/xGFNLP45Sp
— Protestia (@Protestia) March 18, 2024
Michael Bowman, the pastor of East Lumberton Baptist Church, said the posting is “why I have no use for Steven Furtick, Elevation church or it’s music.
“You come to ELBC and we will mention all of those words on Easter Sunday,” the pastor wrote on Facebook. “If the bars can mention beer, wine and spirits, the church can mention the blood, Calvary and the resurrection.”
Elevation Church seems to think that words like “resurrection” are dirty and offensive. And what sort of marketing ploy are they using to get people into attending services? I can only imagine…
“Hop on down to Elevation Church for a wicked Easter Eggstravana! Pastor Steve will deliver a three-point sermon on why we shouldn’t put all of our eggs in one basket. And he’ll be wearing a Bugs Bunny costume! Plus, you’ll get your bunny worship on with our Gen-Z worship band — runners-up in the 2022 regional American Idol auditions.”
Then, there’s the other extreme — churches that intentionally focus on the gore.
It’s mega-death Sunday at Elevation Church. Sixty minutes of blood-curdling mayhem. The crucifixion set to a heavy metal soundtrack. Performed on stage by our in-house thespians (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Guaranteed to scare the hell out of you. A nursery is provided.
An invitation to church does not have to be a theological dissertation or some sort of bait and switch.
Why not just be honest and upfront with people? Let them know what Easter is really about and why it’s important for them to hear the message?
I mean at some point Elevation Church does present the Gospel message to their unchurched visitors, right? At some point the non-Christians are told about the resurrection of Christ, right? And at some point, the visitors are made aware that the “blood of Jesus” was the price that was paid for our sins, right?
If not, the Elevation Church Easter service is nothing more than a self-help sermon accented with snazzy graphics and a so-so cover band.
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