The Grasshopper Myth
by Karl Vaters

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Christian nonfiction

The idea that small churches and pastors of small churches don’t need to feel that they’re doing something wrong because small churches are just as important as big ones was interesting to me because my husband is currently in the process of becoming a pastor and most likely will end up in a pretty small church. That is mostly because he doesn’t want to pastor a large church, though, so maybe that already makes me/us the wrong audience for this book, which is geared toward helping small church pastors and leaders not feel the need to work unnecessarily toward growing a church that might just not be meant to grow.

Some of the content of the book really is good info, and actually gave me some insight into my current church’s situation. We got a new pastor last fall after our long-time pastor retired, and one of the things that was brought up during our transition period is that we want to grow. Our church has averaged maybe 120 attendees on a Sunday morning for a long time now, though our biggest weak spot was younger people—both young adults and children. I certainly understand a desire to bring in more younger people and even a desire to grow the church (though I’m really not a big-church person personally, but we do have some room to grow before I’d be uncomfortable). But I’m noticing some things that were really highlighted by this book, namely that the new pastor has said and done some things that lead me to believe he thinks that thinking and acting like a “big church” are the key to growth. But big church thinking just feels unnatural in our position, at least to me (I am certain I’m not the only one). I also appreciated a comment made in the book that if a pastor is getting push-back from other leaders or even just regular congregants in regards to something he wants to do or implement, maybe he needs to re-think doing that particular thing, rather than just telling himself that those naysayers aren’t part of the “vision.” I’m feeling that strongly in a few areas right now too.

On other other hand, though, I felt like Vaters doesn’t necessarily believe some of what he’s saying. He venerates megachurches a lot. When he goes on vacation, he finds a megachurch to attend (because he knows he’ll get good stuff there rather than rolling the dice on a small church…more on my thoughts about the “good stuff” at a megachurch later). He talks about how needed they are, how they fill the spiritual needs of many. I was left wondering if he really had come to terms with being “just a small church pastor” or if maybe he was still wishing he could be more. The way that he capitalizes the phrase “Small Church” every time it’s used in the book, which is a lot (and often it’s “New Small Church,” which I don’t even get, because he never really explains what’s “new” about them…unless this is just a way to promote his brand) makes me feel like he’s trying legitimize small churches as being as important as large/mega churches, because his statistics and personal anecdotes aren’t enough.

Vaters basically implies that thinking badly of megachurches or their pastors (in general or even specific churches/pastors) is only ever due to jealousy or an “us vs. them” mentality. A few times he does admit that large and megachurches have some flaws, but overall, they’re good. They fill the spiritual needs of many people. I would have to disagree with most of this. The flaws he mentions sound pretty important to me, not just something to be swept under a rug. If the majority of the people who go to a megachurch sneak in and out just to check off the box that they went to church in the hopes that their checklist will get them into Heaven, but they’re not challenged or convicted by biblical preaching, have no fellowship with other believes who could hold them accountable, and vice versa, and don’t do anything at all to serve God because their services aren’t needed at that huge church and they can live the rest of their week as if God doesn’t exist, what kind of spiritual life can they possibly have. I know I’m generalizing here and that large/mega churches tend to have small groups within the church where those who desire it can get a more personal touch similar to what small churches have, but I have a difficult time believing that large and especially megachurches aren’t more harmful than they are helpful.

Add to that the megachurch pastors that he brings up and quotes and clearly esteems that I know are off-base theologically, even to the point of being false teachers, but it seems like Vaters doesn’t allow for that possibility at all. No, if we don’t like megachurch preachers, we’re just looking for a theological excuse to hate them. I’m sorry, what? The Bible is clear that people will come in God’s name but be speaking lies! (One example: Matthew 24:11) It’s a truism that what is popular is not always right, and sometimes that the more widely liked something is, the more incorrect it is (at least in regards to the Bible and Christianity). In other words, it’s easier to believe in watered down truth or truth that doesn’t force us to change our lifestyles than in a convicting truth that forces us to examine our lives and admit that we might be doing things we shouldn’t be doing, and that, in a nutshell, is a large part of why at least some mega (and even large) churches exist. Again, I’m generalizing, and I’m definitely not an expert, but at the very least, these are things to address, and Vaters just does not.

Now, all of that being said, would I recommend this book for the content that I did find useful? No. To be honest, I started off with higher rating, because of the parts I did appreciate, and then lowered it to 2 while I wrote the above paragraph. Because I realized that, like megachurches in general, this book might be more harmful than it is helpful.

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If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!