Who is Steven Furtick, and are his teachings biblical?
Steven Furtick is an American pastor and songwriter who founded Elevation Church based in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006. He was born on February 19, 1980 in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. He is married to Holly Furtick and they have three children together.
Furtick earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications from North Greenville University and a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. After college, he moved to Charlotte and started Elevation Church with just 8 families in attendance. The church has since grown to over 20,000 members across several campuses.
Furtick is known for his dynamic and unconventional preaching style. He often wears casual clothing during his sermons rather than traditional ministerial robes. His sermons use modern references, technology, and attempt to connect with young audiences. This style has brought both praise and criticism from Christian circles.
Some of the key teachings of Steven Furtick and Elevation Church include:
– Emphasis on the Great Commission – Furtick encourages evangelism and outreach as a core component of the Christian life. Matthew 28:19-20 states that Christians should “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
– Experiential faith – Elevation Church focuses on passionate worship services with modern music, lighting, and arts. Furtick believes faith should be about experiencing God’s presence rather than just intellectual belief.
– Generosity – Tithing and sacrificial giving are strongly emphasized at the church. Malachi 3:10 says to “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse” and 2 Corinthians 9:7 states “God loves a cheerful giver.”
– Outreach to young people – Furtick tailors his preaching and the church’s programs to particularly appeal to youth and young families. He engages pop culture references in sermons and uses social media to connect.
– Empowerment – Furtick’s preaching seeks to build confidence in people to achieve their God-given potential. He cites Bible verses like Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
While many appreciate Furtick’s passion and innovation, some take issue with aspects of his ministry approach and question whether all his teachings align with Scripture. Here are some of the key criticisms:
– Lack of theological depth – Some say Furtick’s sermons are motivational speeches rather than deep teaching and exegesis of Biblical texts. They criticize a perceived lack of formal theological training. 2 Timothy 2:15 states ministers should “rightly handle the word of truth.”
– Self-promotion – Critics accuse Furtick of arrogance and placing too much emphasis on his own stardom rather than on Jesus Christ. He published a memoir about his life at age 30.
– Prosperity gospel – Since Furtick emphasizes tithing to the church and God’s blessings in return, some categorize his teaching as prosperity gospel which focuses more on health, wealth, and blessings than sacrifice and suffering.
– Music choices – The rock, pop, and hip-hop influenced music at Elevation Church services is controversial to some who argue simpler, more traditional hymns are more appropriate for church.
– Lack of accountability – With Furtick as the founder and lead pastor, some wonder who provides accountability, spiritual covering, and checks and balances on his leadership.
So in summary, Steven Furtick is a popular American pastor who founded Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC which has grown rapidly under his leadership. His modern, youthful preaching style has been praised for engaging culture and driving evangelism. However, critics argue aspects of his teaching and ministry approach lack depth, promote questionable theology, and may not align with some interpretations of Scripture. There are good faith arguments on both sides of Furtick’s impact and legacy. As with all human teachers, Christians must test his words against the whole counsel of God’s Word (Acts 17:11, 1 John 4:1).
Here is some further analysis of a few key Furtick sermons and teachings to assess their biblical accuracy:
“The Scandal of Jesus” – In this 2019 sermon, Furtick preaches on Matthew 11:2-19 where John the Baptist, who is in prison, sends his disciples to ask Jesus “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Furtick asserts we often want a “kinder, gentler Jesus” who conforms to our expectations rather than embracing the radical Jesus of the Bible. He states Jesus was controversial and offended people because he hung out with sinners and challenged religious hypocrisy. This teaching generally aligns with Scripture’s portrayal of Jesus’ ministry and Furtick makes valid points about being willing to follow Jesus even when his teachings are hard. However, some argue he goes too far in creating an extreme dichotomy between his view of Jesus and other interpretations. Respectful debate about how Jesus interacted with society is still possible among faithful Christians.
“Break Out!” – Preached in 2013, this sermon tells the famous story of Lazarus being raised from the dead in John 11:1-45. Furtick’s main point is that although Jesus waited two days before going to see Lazarus, the delay was because he wanted to build the faith of Mary and Martha. Furtick encourages listeners to see delays and disappointments in their life as opportunities for God to show his glory in amazing ways when the time is right. There is some biblical truth to waiting patiently on God’s timing and developing faith through difficult seasons of life. However, exegetes debate whether Furtick is reading too much speculation into the motives and psychology of Jesus and other characters in the text rather than focusing on the passage’s literal meaning and key doctrines about Christ’s divinity.
“The Politics of Jesus” – Preached just prior to the contentious 2020 presidential election in the U.S., this sermon addressed the question of whether Jesus was political and how Christians should think about political issues. Furtick argues Jesus was not political because he did not side with any one human government or seek political power. However, he says Jesus cared deeply about social issues that impacted people’s lives because the Kingdom he preached was in direct opposition to the agenda of the Pharisees and Roman authorities. He concludes Christians should focus on advancing Jesus’ Kingdom rather than putting faith in human leaders. This perspective lines up with many theologians who believe Jesus transcended earthly politics. Others argue the “politics” of Jesus’ day encompassed morality, social justice, and economics so his teachings did necessarily address political issues in that context. There is room for debate among Christians on this complex topic.
In reviewing Furtick’s sermons, his skill as a communicator is evident and he often makes thought-provoking points based on scripture. However, there is frequently a lack of depth in examining the full biblical and historical context. At times, he gives the impression that his perspectives on how to apply a passage are the unequivocal lessons rather than acknowledging a range of interpretations by bible scholars. As with all preachers, Christians should practice discernment and evaluate how Furtick’s words measure up to scripture as a whole (Acts 17:11).
Beyond preaching, Elevation Church’s ministry outreach and practices also provide insight into the biblical faithfulness of Steven Furtick’s leadership. Here is an assessment of praiseworthy and concerning aspects:
Praiseworthy practices:
– Generous outreach and ‘Love Week’ service – The church mobilizes significant resources and volunteers to meet needs within their community. They have donated thousands of dollars and volunteer hours to support refugees, the homeless, people with disabilities, single mothers and others in need. Galatians 5:13 says to “serve one another humbly in love.”
– Racial reconciliation efforts – Elevation has made efforts to promote diversity within their staff and congregants. Furtick has preached about racial unity and recognizing common identity in Christ across ethnic groups which aligns with Ephesians 2:14.
– Modern evangelism – Whatever you think of their methods, Elevation Church is relatively successful at reaching people who may never attend a traditional church and engaging youth. The Great Commission compels Christians to reach people from all walks of life with the gospel (Mark 16:15).
Questionable practices:
– Lack of financial transparency – Elevation does not disclose detailed financial records about spending and salaries. Other major churches like Saddleback are fully transparent. This opens them to criticism and questions about proper stewardship (2 Corinthians 8:20-21).
– Personality-driven culture – The emphasis on Furtick as the visionary leader versus Jesus or the Bible is concerning to some. Structures seem centered on propagating his prominence. 1 Corinthians 3:4-7 warns about elevating human leaders over Christ.
– Lack of denominational accountability – Elevation is an independent church so Furtick does not have elders or a denomination providing oversight. This appears inconsistent with examples of church leadership structures in the early church (Titus 1:5, Acts 15:2).
In summary, there are both positive and negative signs regarding the biblical faithfulness of the ministry practices at Elevation Church under Steven Furtick’s leadership. As with all churches, there are opportunities for growth to more fully align with scriptural principles.
Conclusion:
Steven Furtick is a gifted communicator who has built a hugely successful church. His passion, charisma and vision cast a compelling vision that resonates with many people. However, there are legitimate questions from bible-believing Christians about whether all aspects of his teachings and ministry are firmly grounded in scripture and historic Christian orthodoxy. There are good counter-arguments his defenders can make in response to criticism. Ultimately, Furtick’s legacy and impact are still unfolding. As with all human leaders, Christians should weigh his words against the whole counsel of God’s infallible and unchanging Word (Acts 17:11). Some caution and discernment is warranted, but there is room for debate within orthodox Christian theology on many issues raised.
