By Prof Oyewole Sarumi
In the present age, the global Christian environment has witnessed a concerning trend—a shift from a Christ-centered focus to a culture dominated by larger-than-life personalities, prophets, and apostles.
The rise of celebrity church leaders who are bigger enough to cover their members from seeing the person of our Master and Saviour Christ Jesus! This shift has been particularly evident within certain segments of the charismatic movement, where leaders, often characterized by their theatrical presence and vast online followings, have come to occupy platforms that exceed the bounds of their spiritual influence.
These figures possess captivating charisma, yet beneath the veneer of success and popularity lies a deeper problem: a growing disregard for the sufficiency and authority of Scripture.
The problem isn’t simply the presence of powerful leaders within the church; it is the culture that surrounds them, where authority is often not grounded in sound doctrine but in personality-driven, emotional experiences.
This culture undermines the authority of God’s Word, leading to a generation of believers more enamored with the “prophet” than with Christ. Last year, I wrote a piece in this magazine on The Picture of a Cultlike Churches Today, and challenged readers to critically considered those coltlike characteristics in the write to see if there are some in your present worship centres.
As we explore this issue in this first part in a two part series, we will confront the spiritual dangers of celebrity Christianity and consider how the Church can return to a more Biblically grounded, Christ-centered path.
The Cult of Personality: A Threat to the Church
In today’s church culture, many prominent figures are revered not for their adherence to the Word of God but for their ability to command large audiences and perform sensational acts. These individuals often present themselves as modern-day prophets and apostles, claiming to receive direct revelations from God.
Their message is frequently framed as “new,” providing fresh revelations that supposedly transcend what is written in Scripture. For many believers, these leaders are elevated to a status that borders on reverence, with their words being treated as gospel truth, often above the Bible itself.
The Bible warns of this very phenomenon. In 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, Paul reminds us that no leader is to be worshiped, stating, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” The focus here is not on the leaders but on the message of the gospel itself. Unfortunately, this teaching has been overshadowed in many circles by an increasing obsession with the messenger rather than the message.
The Dangers of Unchallenged Authority
One of the most troubling aspects of the celebrity Christianity phenomenon is the lack of accountability within these movements. Prophetic figures, many of whom present themselves as infallible vessels of God’s voice, are seldom challenged or corrected. Their status as “untouchable spiritual authorities” places them beyond the reach of biblical scrutiny, creating a culture of fear where questioning their teachings is often seen as a sign of spiritual immaturity or even rebellion.
However, the Bible calls us to a higher standard of accountability. In Acts 17:11, the Bereans were commended for examining the Scriptures daily to test whether the teachings of the Apostle Paul were consistent with the truth.
This Berean mindset—marked by a willingness to search the Scriptures and question the teachings of even the most revered spiritual leaders—is the model we must follow today. The absence of such discernment in modern-day ministries leaves many believers vulnerable to deception.
The Perils of Emotionalism Over Truth
The rise of charismatic personalities has also contributed to the dominance of emotionalism in many church services. There is a growing emphasis on dramatic encounters with God—whether through prophecy, visions, or miraculous signs—while doctrinal teaching and biblical instruction are often relegated to secondary status.
The pursuit of emotional experiences has led to a situation where feelings, rather than Scripture, are often treated as the litmus test for spiritual authenticity.
This trend is deeply concerning. The Apostle Paul warns in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
The problem with this culture is that it elevates personal experience above objective truth. When emotional experiences are separated from the Word of God, they become a dangerous source of deception. The resulting environment fosters an atmosphere where believers are manipulated by charismatic personalities, rather than being grounded in the truth of Scripture.
The Reversal of Biblical Order: Signs vs. Truth
In the ministry of Jesus and the early apostles, miracles were meant to confirm the truth of the gospel message, not to replace it. Mark 16:17 tells us, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” The signs and wonders followed the preaching of the gospel, confirming that God’s message was true.
However, in many modern ministries, the focus has shifted. Miracles and supernatural experiences are pursued as ends in themselves, with little regard for the foundational truth that should precede them.
The pursuit of signs and wonders, devoid of sound doctrine, has led to a generation that is intoxicated by the supernatural but ill-equipped in biblical understanding. This reversal of priorities has bred a form of spiritual entertainment where the manifestation of the supernatural is seen as the ultimate goal, rather than a confirmation of the gospel’s truth.
The Consequences: A Spiritually Malnourished Generation
This imbalance has given rise to a generation of believers who are spiritually immature, despite their external zeal. Many Christians today are well-versed in the language of prophecy and are adept at navigating the emotional highs of a worship service, yet they are spiritually malnourished because they lack a solid understanding of the Bible.
This is not a mark of spiritual maturity; it is a symptom of a deeper problem. The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 4:14, warned that immature believers are “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”
The lack of sound biblical teaching leaves believers spiritually vulnerable to false doctrines and deceptive practices. This vulnerability is especially dangerous when combined with an excessive dependence on external experiences rather than internal transformation through the Word of God. Emotional highs cannot replace daily sanctification and obedience to God’s commands.
The Solution: Returning to a Christ-Centered Ministry
God is calling His Church to return to a Christ-centered, Bible-based approach to ministry. This means that our faith must not rest on the personalities of men, no matter how charismatic they may be, but on the unchanging Word of God. Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Church, and it is His Word that must govern our lives and ministries.
In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus teaches us the importance of building our lives on His words: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” This rock is not the latest prophetic personality; it is the eternal, unshakable Word of God.
In this time of spiritual deception, the Church must return to its roots: a commitment to sound doctrine, a passion for Scripture, and a commitment to making Jesus Christ the center of all things. We must teach believers to be like the Bereans, who searched the Scriptures daily to see if what they were being taught was true. Only by grounding ourselves in the truth of God’s Word can we resist the dangerous allure of celebrity Christianity and remain faithful to the gospel.
Conclusion: A Call to Discernment and Spiritual Maturity
The rise of celebrity Christianity presents a profound challenge to the Church today. As leaders and believers, we must reject the cult of personality that has overtaken much of the modern Church and return to a biblically grounded, Christ-centered ministry. The church’s focus must be on the message of the gospel, not the messenger, and on the Word of God, not on emotional experiences.
As we seek to build a strong and faithful Church, we must prioritize sound doctrine, biblical discernment, and spiritual maturity. Let us follow the example of the Bereans, who tested every teaching against the Word of God. By doing so, we will guard ourselves against deception and ensure that our faith remains rooted in the truth of Scripture.
May God help us return to a faith that is founded on the unshakable rock of His Word, and may He raise up leaders who will point others to Christ, rather than to themselves.
I come in peace 💯❤
