Death Of the Megachurch?
Ok so… This blog is about the “death of the megachurch” EXACTLY. *Laughs out loud* But I thought the title was catchy and that idea is a part of my overall premise. One thing I’ve noticed as social media has quickly taken over the world, is the decimation of the “supporter” and the rise of the “mover” in the Lexington, KY community. Large social media followings and presence have allotted platforms to the most unlikely, unassuming, and overlooked people in the community. More rappers, more models, more party promoters, and even more churches have popped up at alarming rates in the last 5-7 years.
I’ve seen this modern phenomenon as a “gift” as well as a “cure”. The gift being, that more “movers” creates more diversity platforms as communities continue to diversify, and more streams of income for more people. Instead of everyone choosing from the same pot (even when most of the pot isn’t to their liking) now there are much smaller but more relatable pots to choose from. I’ve noticed the era of mega churches slowly coming to a close as smaller churches have been able to form and connect with people that connect more with their way of worship.
The curse of the rise of “movers” in the community is that the rise of competition often leads to decrease in support. Instead of 2,000 people packing the same UK Homecoming party thrown by the most credible party promoter on campus, we now see 10 promoters, who are trying to capitalize off their social media presence, throwing homecoming parties as well. So instead of one super swole and epic homecoming party you have 10 small, and not so LIT homecoming parties. That type of gauntlet can also lead to a crab in a bucket mentality. Another negative is the decline in quality or impact hurting said market. It’s hard for quality independent musicians to book gigs or be taken seriously because of the huge influx of BAD artists that have infiltrated the scene there for hurting the reputation of the music scene at large. I suppose those pros and cons can be debated and it remains to see whether this recent trend is good or bad in the Lexington community. This is just something I’ve noticed! Would love to hear your opinions!!!