2 /5 Kinzington McElvain: Short version: Its a good church for someone who doesnt desire growth or depth. This church looks like a hospital, but no one is being cured. They seem to worship the pastor more than God, and they create a "pumped-up" experience each Sunday that is more similar to a business conference than a church service. Their number one priority stated in the lobby is "Giving: You give through a church not to a church." This is the most unavoidable statement written throughout. The people are not friendly to visitors, and they are spectator-forward. For the people who want to watch church, not be the church.
When we attended here, we came to the 9am service. We got there at 8:15am, and there was a line waiting outside the sanctuary to get in. By 8:30, it was nearly out the door. When the doors opened, people RAN inside to save seats and it was one of the oddest things Ive seen at a church. We were not greeted by anyone, there was no welcome team or guest service experience. It was baptism Sunday, and they rushed the baptisms behind the stage, so it didnt even seem like a special moment for those folks.
The coffee shop was good and at $4 per latte, was a reasonable price. The bookstore had things that created a grey space between Biblical and worldly.
The worship was standard Bethel/Hillsong rotation, playing the top Christian hits. The pastor, Dr. Ed Newton, gave a sermon that mentioned scripture briefly throughout, but didnt dive into anything in particular. It also seems as though he doesnt really make himself available to people. He seemed to be leaning toward acting rather than preaching or teaching. My wife noted that he does not wear a wedding ring, but has the ring tattooed, stating that if hes able to wear chains and other jewelry, he should be able to put a ring on.
This church also has 3 campuses and counting, and has a "board of directors" rather than a board of elders. Theres not a lot of historical context or depth to this church, but they do claim to help the community. Personally, I dont understand the campus method when they could be planting churches. When a church is centered around one person, its not a great plan for the future.
This is an honest review of the church experience we had at CBC. Yours may vary. Make your main goal to follow Jesus and point others toward God. Find a church that works for you and get involved.
