CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina megachurch minister remains under fire for his alleged practice of instructing volunteers to strategically respond to salvation calls in order to bolster baptism numbers.
Steven Furtick leads Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the largest megachurches in the United States, with weekly attendance above 14,000. According to reports, Furtick performed 3,519 baptisms in the first eight months of 2013 alone, and baptized 400 attendees during a ceremony just last month.
In addition to those taking note of the large number of baptisms, Furtick recently drew controversy when Elevation Church published a document entitled Spontaneous Baptisms How To Guide. The nine-page document outlines the baptism policy followed during one of its previous outreach events.
The baptism how-to guide features detailed instructions for volunteers, including directions on how strategically-placed members are to sit in the auditorium and “be the first ones to move” toward the baptism area “when pastor gives the call.”
“Sit in the auditorium and begin moving forward when Pastor Steven says go,” the church document instructs. “Move intentionally through the highest visibility areas and the longest walk.”
Speed and efficiency are important to the baptism process, according to the Elevation Church guide.
“The first people going into the changing rooms have got to be people who move quickly, they must be changed and out on stage in a few minutes,” the document states. “Pick young energetic people, not necessarily those who are there first. Think of the room in terms of a NASCAR pit stop, it has to be a quick in and quick out.”
http://christiannews.net/2014/03/03...re-for-allegedly-manufacturing-mass-baptisms/
Steven Furtick leads Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the largest megachurches in the United States, with weekly attendance above 14,000. According to reports, Furtick performed 3,519 baptisms in the first eight months of 2013 alone, and baptized 400 attendees during a ceremony just last month.
In addition to those taking note of the large number of baptisms, Furtick recently drew controversy when Elevation Church published a document entitled Spontaneous Baptisms How To Guide. The nine-page document outlines the baptism policy followed during one of its previous outreach events.
The baptism how-to guide features detailed instructions for volunteers, including directions on how strategically-placed members are to sit in the auditorium and “be the first ones to move” toward the baptism area “when pastor gives the call.”
“Sit in the auditorium and begin moving forward when Pastor Steven says go,” the church document instructs. “Move intentionally through the highest visibility areas and the longest walk.”
Speed and efficiency are important to the baptism process, according to the Elevation Church guide.
“The first people going into the changing rooms have got to be people who move quickly, they must be changed and out on stage in a few minutes,” the document states. “Pick young energetic people, not necessarily those who are there first. Think of the room in terms of a NASCAR pit stop, it has to be a quick in and quick out.”
http://christiannews.net/2014/03/03...re-for-allegedly-manufacturing-mass-baptisms/
