http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/24/AR2007092401853.html?hpid=topnews
 
My family left a Southern Baptist metro-church last year to attend a small (32-family) Southern Baptist Church.  The reason we left is multi-faceted.  It is one of those very large (thousands of members) churches with plasma screens in the lobby, the fancy stage lighting and elaborate sound and video equipment.
 
1.  The church/senior pastor wanted to merge with a non-denominational church and "God was leading in this."  It fell through.  The other congregation didn't agree with the merger and merged with an even larger program with telecampuses all over the USA.
 
2.  Nepotism was actively practiced with the senior pastor's sons being placed in ministerial positions immediately after college, not seminary, and the pastor's wife was also on payroll as well as daughters-in-law.  Salaries were hidden in a lump sum in the budget, no individual salaries are posted.
 
3.  The church decided the building was too small and built a mega campus on the outskirts of town and when we moved to the new facility, they had decided not to put "Southern Baptist" on the sign.  Some of the high rollers (gift givers) in the church objected and the phrase was added.  The senior pastor felt if that was left off the sign more people would be drawn to the church.
 
4.  The church did away with the church library which was really well-used by adults and children and teens.  I had donated a lot of books myself and it was very well stocked with Christian novels, Bible studies, reference books and movies and DVDs.  My daughter later told me that as we were moving from the building and she was helping to move, she was told by the pastors to throw away boxes of books from the library.   She took them to the Metropolitan Library and donated them there.  I was told by one of the volunteer librarians the decision to get rid of the library stemmed from the plans to put a bookstore in the church.
 
5.  The church did away with courtesy coffee in Sunday School classes and opened up a cafe in the church where breakfast foods and lunch and drinks could be purchased.  It was manned mostly by volunteers and was called a "ministry".
 
6.  Someone donated a $million + health club to the church to be sold or to be used in ministry.  Yeah, the church is now in the health club business and charging high dollar even to the members of the congregation for memberships.  One of the benefits of being a pastor is a free family membership.
 
7.  The church elders decided that baptism should not be a requirement for church membership even though the Southern Baptists say it is.  We believe the Bible teaches baptism by immersion after receiving Christ as Savior.  Baptism does not save anyone, it identifies the new Christian with the Body of Christ.  The Convention came down hard on him for that one and the issue was dropped suddenly and an announcement was made in church that they felt the need to pray about it more before making a decision.  I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back for us.
 
Now we have learned the following:
 
1.  Pastors are forced to resign and find other "jobs" if they do not affirm the senior pastor's decisions.  One case in point was when the senior pastor wanted a certain young man hired as an intern even though he was barely out of high school and there was not money in the budget for an "intern".  We saw several very qualified, sweet spirited men of God leave the church suddenly without any notice.  One Sunday they were just no longer there.  No, these men are not gossips and no one except their families know the reasons for their departure.
We left after the pastor we considered "our pastor" (sort of like the family physician) suddenly left without any good-byes to the congregation.
 
2.  One of the deacons (I don't know if he was an elder) was in charge of the Starbucks cafe in the church.  The church received complaints of sexual inappropriateness (touching) and sexual harrassment from 10 different women before finally taking action and removing him as deacon and "ministry" leader.
 
3.  A secret party is thrown each year for the big spenders.  Most of the pastors and the congregation are not aware of this event.  Only a privileged few are allowed to attend.
 
4.  The church is getting into the extended campus business and tele-campusing.
 
5.  Outreach to the poor as in Thanksgiving dinner, etc. were discontinued.  Members in need of financial assistance with heating, rent, etc. are afraid to approach the elders and deacons for assistance.
 
I am not rejoicing about this.  I had prayed for God to give me discernment many years ago and He has.  I do rejoice that we are no longer a part of this sham.  I am saddened by it because this was a great church with tremendous possibilities to be used of the Lord.  I came to it 12 years ago with high expectations because I had heard such great things about it.  But just before I moved, the senior pastor came with high aspirations of grandeur.
 
Everything is done in the name of God and they are quick to point out that God is directing them to do all of these things.  Oh, they send mission teams all over the world but the cost is exorbitant for most so only the elite or teens get to go (I know we sacrificed to send my teens on trips).
 
When we stopped attending, no one from the church called on us or checked to see if we were ok - not our Sunday School class teacher, a pastor, an elder.  And my husband has a heart condition, diabetes, severe arthritis in his knees and ankles, high blood pressure, chronic asthma.  And I have had my share of illness in the past couple of years.