Mega Churches and the Old Church

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God founded by billionaire Protestant bishop Edir Macedo.

Hillsong NYC, a church that resembles a club, draws thousands of young New Yorkers.

Hillsong NYC is attracting more than 6,000 young, attractive urbanites every Sunday with a simple approach to religion: A hot pastor covered in tattoos gets onstage to a rock introduction to preach an anti-Kennedy gospel: Ask not what you can do for God — ask what God can do for you.

“We don’t use the word ‘religion,’ because it’s hard to get people excited about religion,” says Carl Lentz, 35, the pastor of this megachurch for millennials. “Religion is dead. I don’t know anything about religion, I couldn’t help you. Religion has no power. But a relationship with God is a superpower.”

Hillsong was founded by Brian and Bobbie Houston in Australia in 1983 as an evangelical chuch to spread a Jesus-died-for-our-sins message. The church also includes Pentecostal baptism — which explains why Justin Bieber reportedly journeyed around Manhattan with Lentz this year to find the perfect hotel pool for the spiritual shvitz.

Iglesia ni Cristo is a unitarian church founded by Felix Manalo, registered in 1914. They do not believe that Jesus is God, although anointed by God. Manalo, too, is considered the prophet from the east.

There are Catholic mega churches like Bo Sanchezes' Ministry with weekly meetings called "the Feast". There is also the El Shaddai Catholic Charismatic Renewal led by Brother Willie Velarde.

My old, old Church is decimating.
In the West, the Catholic Church is being destroyed from the inside. Many old heritage Church buildings are being sold. It continues its self-destructive trajectory with Liturgical abuse, sexual abuse, corruption, and giving in to the pressures of societal culture of death.



In the East, she is being destroyed from the outside. Convert or else get jailed, killed, taxed, and driven away.



In this Old Church, I will remain. She holds the fullness of Truth. She could only be instituted by God, our Creator who knows and loves His creation.

What can be more personal than the Holy Eucharist, who is Jesus Himself. The Holy Mass, minus the Liturgical abuse and experimentation, is the most welcoming Sacrament of love. I can just be me, sad or happy, broken or complete, young or old, sick or healthy. There, Jesus waits with love. There, Jesus is, was, and will be. There, through Jesus, with Jesus, and in Jesus, we can transcend time and space. We can rise above our human tendencies, moods, and interests. The Catholic Church is about Truth and Love, in spite of, its members. I couldn't leave it.

In the Churches' beauty, she embraces the darkness trying to transform it with its Light. With the sinners, she gives healing. With those in bondage, she gives freedom. If only we would allow her to embrace us rather than trying to change her with our decadent humanity; We will find our true humanity. We will find the true WAY of LOVE.