Why Church Leaders Are Egocentric Unlike Jesus
- Brother Pastor
- 6 hours ago
- 7 min read
Let’ face it; we need to answer the question why church leaders are egocentric unlike Jesus Christ who is humble.
The egocentric church leader is possibly the most dangerous person on the planet because they affect the eternity of others. I have written many articles profiling various aspects of church pastors so read from this list of topical resources:
And those are far from all! As a church pastor and anointed watchman from God, I was sent to rebuke and encourage these people in their calling.
It is difficult to articulate the righteous indignation stirring within me at this moment. As my regular readers know, I have long observed a troubling trend: the eyes of God’s people have been diverted from Him and fixated on those who claim to be His messengers.
Here is a list of all the places a preachers face is shown:
Church Bulletin
Tithe and Offering Envelope
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X)
Multiple photos hanging on church walls
Church Fans
Event Marketing Posters
Livestream
T-Shirts
Where is there room for showcasing the object of our supposed adoration, Jesus Christ (Isa. 42:8, Rom. 1:21-23, 1 Cor. 1:29-31).
Furthermore, where is the shame in such lack of humility (Psa. 44:15, Pa. 51:1-11, Rom. 6:21, et al)?
More plainly, certain Black preachers have shamelessly stolen God’s glory, placing themselves at the center of worship. King Herod did this very thing and it cost him everything (Acts 12:21-23).
As Ezekiel 34:2 warns, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks." Their demonic ego is fed and in the meantime, the people are famished.
Since I became a Believer in 1998, it has been hard not to recognize that the church is a place of divided loyalty (Matt. 6:24, Jam. 1:8, et al). On one hand is the preaching and worship of Jesus but on the other, worship of the pastors under the guise of “honoring the man of God" (Heb. 13:17, 1 Tim. 5:17 et al).
It seems we are intent on chipping away at the glory of God and transferring it onto ourselves (Rev. 4:11).
Sometimes I lament because it seems as if I am knit picking on things which do not matter. However, I am reminded that the greatest sicknesses devour us because the smallest symptoms are ignored (Jam. 1:14-15, 1 Cor. 5:6, et al).
While designing tithes and offering envelopes for our church, I stumbled upon a website offering free templates. Pressed for time and seeking a quick solution, I browsed a site called Poster My Wall for examples.
To my shock and horror, I discovered that Christian leaders have plastered their face on the envelope. Sorry for the shock but I had never seen this level of egocentric behavior (Prov. 16:18, Jam. 4:6).
It is no longer enough for these demi-gods image to market 'their brand' using traditional means—but it has extended into every nook-and-cranny of church life.
To some, this may seem trivial but allow me to explain the gravity of this issue.
The power of the gospel lies in keeping the focus on Jesus Christ, not the preacher delivering the message (John 3:30, Heb. 12:1-2). As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
When you see street preachers wearing masks, driving by in vehicles, or engaging in seemingly eccentric behavior, it’s not because they’ve lost their minds.
Their unconventional methods are intentional, designed to shift attention from themselves to the Lord God of hosts, whom they serve. This is embodied in an earlier referenced text, John 3:30, with the Prophet John the Baptists' words; "He must increae and I must decrease."
Furthermore, Jesus said which one never hears preached concerning this very thing. On more than a few occasions, Jesus performed a miracle and told the recipients to tell no one (Matt. 8:4, Mark 5:43, Mark 7:36, et al).
Yet it seems that the negro preacher wants everyone to know who he is and what he claims the Lord is doing through him (Jam. 4:16, 1 John 2:16).
I have featured Prophet Gino Jennings on this website and love this Man of Yah! However, even he says "I" in his sermons every week and an excessive amount of times. I am prayerful on this judgment I am not hypocritical boasting of myself also (Rom. 1:1-3).
Paul spoke of others “glorifying God in Him” as opposed to him, personally (Gal. 1:24).
The negro preacher who plasters his face on every bit of ‘marketing material’ has no desire to shift the focus away from themselves! Instead, they have become spotlight whores (1 Cor. 1:12-13, Rev. 19:10).
There have always been, as represented above, some anonymous family on black church fans. However, that was just the point, they were unknown and the image was representative of a family worshipping and not the ‘personality’ leading worship.
The above image, as well as the envelope person, is the height of self-aggrandizement and theft of God’s glory. Where is their shame?
Black folk went from bowing before the image of ‘white church jesus’ to ‘black church pastor.’
Recently, I began laying the groundwork for a drone-based ministry by attaching a speaker to it and flying to locations where I remain unseen, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This isn’t born of fear—though I’ve faced physical attacks, police interference, and demonic opposition—nor is it because we’ve been banned from certain places (Act 18:9-10, 2 Tim. 1:7-8).
Rather, it’s a deliberate choice to ensure the message is a voice speaking on behalf of the Lord, not a spotlight on the speaker (Col. 3:1-2).
In stark contrast, narcissistic and sociopathic preachers plaster their social media handles and images on everything from church tie clips to offering envelopes.
It shames me that God’s people sometimes look to me as if I’m special because of the gifts God has given me. Paul understood when he wrote: “although I preach the gospel, I have nothing to brag about because I am compelled to do it. Sorrow will live with me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16).
Yet, as one of the few preachers who shuns the limelight, I echo Jesus’ rebuke in Luke 11:43: “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.”
No spiritual gift is superior to another in God’s kingdom, as 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 teaches: “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit… the same Lord… the same God who works all in all.”
To elevate ourselves above others or allow it to happen is an eternal mistake which will be judged (Eccles. 12:14, Heb. 4:13, Rom. 2:16).
Preaching is simply sharing the gospel of Jesus with another, leading them to Him, and, if called, baptizing them (Mark. 16: 15-16, Matt. 10:5-7). It requires no special clerical anointing or title (Acts 9:10-18, Acts 11:19-21, Acts 18:24-26).
These envelope-faced, social media-obsessed glory hogs want you to believe they are the veil through which God’s people access Him, despite Hebrews 10:19-20 declaring that the veil has been torn through Christ’s sacrifice.
A dear brother and true preacher once corrected me when I called these false leaders wolves devouring God’s flock.
He reminded me, with bold conviction, that such preachers aren’t merely deceiving people like wolves; they are God’s judgment on those who crave personalities over the truth (Rom. 1:24-28, 2 Tim. 4:3-4).
As 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 warns, “God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
By God’s grace, I oversee the top Black church-focused, non-gossip blog on the internet. This platform surpasses the social media presence of most preachers you know and likely outranks your church’s website.
Praise the Lord!
Yet, I’ve been intentional about keeping my image absent from the site, even in the “About Us” section. A small, barely discernible avatar accompanies my articles, included only to optimize search engine rankings so the truth can reach those who seek it.
My focus is on the message, not the messenger.
In the past, I taught denominational Sunday school lessons weekly and ran one of the most-subscribed Sunday school channels on YouTube. Those lessons remain online, but I’ve stopped producing them.
Why?
Because video shifts the focus to the personality rather than the message. When people ask, “Pastor, why did you say this?”—even when I’m clearly quoting scripture—it becomes about me, not God’s Word.
This mirrors the sin of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:5, when the serpent tempted them with the lie that they could “be like God.” The allure of stealing God’s glory was so enticing that they turned their backs on Him.
Yet, as Genesis 50:20 assures us, what man means for evil, God uses for good. Paul modeled this in 1 Corinthians 9:22: “To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
I know godly men who reluctantly use posters or social media because that’s what some churchgoers respond to. My dear brother, a sold-out servant of the gospel, does this not for personal gain but to reach souls within the framework of church culture.
However, his image is hardly plastered everywhere, at all times, screaming; "don't pay attention to the Lord, look at me!"
Those who insist on being omni-present, have a darker motive. Beyond stealing God’s glory, they manipulate psychology to extract what they truly love: money.
It’s harder to withhold an offering when staring at the face of someone you admire, respect, or adore.
This is why unscrupulous leaders like Pastor Marvin Sapp (as you mentioned) lock people into churches, squeezing every dime from them through emotional manipulation.
Such tactics exploit the will of God’s people, as 2 Peter 2:3 warns: “By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words.”
In conclusion, I stand as a watchman on the wall, called to sound the alarm against those who elevate themselves above Christ. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), and reject the self-glorifying antics of those who would steal His glory.
May we, as God’s people, return to the purity of the gospel, where the message—not the messenger—reigns supreme.
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