Opinion essay by Greg Miller.

This essay, The Narcissistic Pulpit: When Self-Love Replaces the Glory of God, exposes a growing crisis within contemporary preaching—the quiet rise of narcissism in the pulpit. While modern ministry prizes relatability and authenticity, these values often conceal a deeper distortion: the replacement of divine revelation with self-referential performance. Drawing on a close reading of a sermon on Ephesians 6:18–24 as an illustrative case, the essay argues that narcissism functions not as a surface flaw but as a theological grammar that reshapes how grace, faith, and love are proclaimed. What begins as sincerity becomes self-exaltation; what sounds like testimony becomes autobiography.

Using the Reformed tradition as its main lens—and occasionally contrasting it with Arminian emphases on cooperation and affection—the study shows how this shift undermines the principles of sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and soli Deo gloria. The narcissistic preacher, convinced of divine approval, narrates God’s work chiefly through his own virtue and experience. The result is a congregation discipled not into worship but into admiration, dependent on personality rather than the Word. When such ministries face conflict or collapse, they often respond with manipulation or control, protecting image rather than pursuing repentance.

Ultimately, the essay contends that this culture of self-display represents not merely a pastoral weakness but a doxological theft—the stealing of glory that belongs only to God. The cure lies not in style or psychology but in theology: a recovery of the Reformed conviction that all preaching must disappear into the light of Christ. Where Scripture, not self, governs the pulpit, the church is healed. Where the preacher seeks to be remembered, Christ is obscured. True ministry therefore demands the courage to vanish, so that grace alone may be seen and God alone adored.

The Narcissistic Pulpit: When Self-Love Replaces the Glory of God

Introduction: The Urgency of Diagnosing Narcissism in the Church

Narcissism is one of the most dangerous yet least recognized sins in the modern pulpit. It does not always appear as pride or boasting. Often, it hides beneath warmth, sincerity, and good communication skills. Psychologists describe narcissism as a pattern of self-centered behavior marked by grandiosity, the need for admiration, and a lack of genuine empathy (DSM-5, §301.81). In spiritual terms, it is the habit of placing the self at the center of God’s story. It repeats the temptation in Eden when humanity desired to 'be as gods' (Genesis 3:5). When this spirit enters the pulpit, sermons stop magnifying Christ and begin to showcase the preacher’s experience, effort, and faithfulness. Across many churches, this subtle shift is leading believers to admire their pastors more than they adore their Savior. This essay explores the nature of narcissistic preaching, using one contemporary sermon on Ephesians 6:18–24 as a key example. The goal is not to attack individuals but to understand how the structure of modern ministry often invites the self into the spotlight. Through the lens of Reformed theology, with reference to Arminian ideas where relevant, we will see how narcissism replaces the grace of God with the charisma of the preacher.

1. The Age of the Self

Modern Western culture celebrates self-expression, personal growth, and authenticity. These values can enrich life but often seep into the church uncritically. Congregations now expect ministers to be emotionally open, relatable, and creative storytellers. While communication matters, this new expectation can quietly turn the pulpit into a stage for personality. Narcissism thrives wherever the focus moves from revelation to performance. Preachers begin to measure success not by faithfulness to Scripture but by engagement metrics, views, followers, and applause. In Reformed thought, the preacher’s task is to proclaim the Word with humility, allowing Scripture itself to do the work of conviction and renewal. When sermons become platforms for personality, the center of worship shifts. God’s Word becomes background music for the minister’s story. This pattern is increasingly visible across evangelical movements, megachurches, and even smaller congregations where influence is measured by charm.

2. When Experience Replaces Exegesis

One of the most visible signs of narcissism in preaching is the overuse of personal story. In the sermon on Ephesians 6:18–24, nearly half the content, roughly 40%, consists of anecdotes of the minister’s student ministry, his travels, his mentoring, and his family life. Each example is emotionally engaging but draws attention to the preacher’s faithfulness rather than to Christ’s. This is not unique to one individual. Many preachers, seeking connection, rely on personal narrative to make truth relatable. But when illustration replaces exposition, the Word becomes decoration.

Looking at the actual sermon from this minister, we see there is less than 15% of actual exegesis of the text. The exegesis is surface level only, consisting of defining grace, peace and love. This is not developed, though. There is no detailed engagement with the syntax, the context or the authorial intent of the passage. The minister uses the passage as a springboard for moral reflection and storytelling, not as the governing framework of the message.

Reformed theology insists that Scripture is sufficient, clear, and authoritative. The preacher must stand under the text, not above it. When the pulpit becomes a platform for autobiography, the line between testimony and self-promotion disappears. Grace becomes a story about the preacher’s resilience instead of God’s rescue. Listeners leave inspired but not transformed; they admire a life, not a Saviour.

3. The Grammar of Narcissism

Every sermon has an inner grammar. It is the logic that holds its ideas together. In narcissistic preaching, the grammar of grace is rewritten. God still acts, but His actions are described through the preacher’s virtue. For example, when this sermon praises God for 'firing faith into my heart,' the focus shifts from God’s initiative to the preacher’s readiness. This subtle inversion is the theological heartbeat of narcissism. In Reformed theology, grace is monergistic: it acts on the sinner without cooperation. In Arminian thought, grace enables cooperation but still begins with God’s initiative. Narcissistic preaching turns prevenient grace into divine endorsement. God is portrayed as rewarding human teachability rather than rescuing helpless sinners. This mindset appeals to modern sensibilities because it affirms the listener’s potential, but it leaves the listener’s soul starved of God’s mercy. It is theology shaped by self-esteem rather than by the cross.

4. Love Turned Inward

Love, the heart of the gospel, often becomes the most distorted theme in narcissistic preaching. The sermon under discussion spends long sections describing human love such as family devotion, pastoral care, missionary service, given as examples of spiritual growth. These stories are moving but subtly invert the order of grace. In Scripture, love flows from God to humanity, not from humanity upward. As the Apostle John wrote, 'We love because He first loved us' (1 John 4:19). When preachers centre sermons on their own capacity to love, even in gratitude, they risk making love a reflection of personal maturity. The Reformed tradition guards against this by emphasizing divine aseity: God’s love exists before and beyond our response. To turn it inward is to make the self both object and measure of affection. That is the essence of spiritual narcissism; it confuses grace received with virtue achieved.

5. Glory Shared and Glory Stolen

Perhaps the clearest mark of narcissism in preaching is how it handles glory. Reformed theology begins and ends with soli Deo gloria, glory to God alone. All creation, redemption, and sanctification exist to display His majesty. But in much of modern preaching, glory is shared. God’s blessings are celebrated as proof of the preacher’s faithfulness. The sermon on Ephesians 6 is filled with phrases like 'I thank God every day' and 'when I mentored this young believer.' Such phrases sound pious, yet they recast divine acts as extensions of human effort. The congregation learns to measure holiness by imitation of the minister rather than by dependence on the Spirit. Whenever the pulpit becomes a mirror for the preacher’s accomplishments, the congregation applauds the servant instead of adoring the Master. This is how a theology of grace becomes a theatre of self-display.

6. Congregations Formed by Personality

Narcissistic preaching does more than harm the preacher; it reshapes the church and robs God of His glory. A congregation formed under such teaching begins to depend on the minister’s approval. The preacher defines faithfulness, explains maturity, and models devotion, all in his own image. This creates a cycle of dependence. People measure their spiritual life by how well they reflect the preacher’s values. In Reformed ecclesiology, Christ is the only head of the church. The pastor serves as a steward of the Word, not as a gatekeeper of grace. When personality overshadows principle, the body of Christ becomes a fan club. Even well-meaning ministers can unintentionally create this dynamic when they make their lives the lens of the gospel. The result is a congregation that knows its preacher well but knows its Saviour poorly

7. When Things Go Wrong in a Narcissistic Church

When things go wrong in a narcissistic church, the collapse is often quiet but cruel. Because the ministry revolves around the minister’s ego, any challenge feels like a personal attack. Disagreement is not treated as discernment but as betrayal. The preacher who once seemed kind becomes defensive, manipulative, or punitive. He may shame the dissenter from the pulpit, question their loyalty, or accuse them of “a rebellious spirit.” Behind closed doors, he withholds affection, excludes them from ministry, or mobilizes loyal followers to isolate them. His aim is not reconciliation but control. When the church’s image is threatened, truth is managed like a press release rather than confessed before God. Fear replaces fellowship. Those who stay learn to appease; those who leave carry guilt and confusion. In Reformed terms, the problem is doxological: the glory of God has been traded for the survival of the leader. And what began as misplaced admiration ends as spiritual coercion—the church becoming a shrine to one man’s insecurity rather than a temple of divine grace.

8. A Reformed Antidote to the Cult of Self

The Reformed tradition offers powerful correctives to the cult of self. First, it insists on the authority of Scripture. Every knee must bow to the Word of God. The preacher’s duty is to proclaim what God has already said, not to craft a personal message. Second, it emphasises the sovereignty of grace. Salvation and sanctification are God’s work alone. Finally, it teaches that all of life, including ministry, exists for God’s glory. These truths should humble the preacher. They remind every minister that the pulpit is a place of disappearance, not display. The pastor must decrease so that Christ may increase. In an age that prizes visibility, the quiet preacher who disappears behind the text may be the truest servant of the Word. This humility is not weakness but worship, and it boldly declares that all sufficiency rests in God alone.

Conclusion: Recovering the Glory of God

The sin of narcissism in preaching is more than a personality flaw; it is a theological crisis. It trades divine majesty for human admiration. It teaches congregations to depend on charisma instead of Christ. The sermon on Ephesians 6:18–24 serves as one example of how even well-intentioned ministers can slip into this pattern. But the issue is far wider. Across the world, pastors are rewarded for visibility rather than for faithfulness. The only cure is a return to the Reformed conviction that all things exist for the glory of God alone. Preachers must recover the discipline of humility and the willingness to be forgotten if Christ is remembered. The church must hunger again for sermons where Scripture, not self, takes the stage. When Christ is once more the center of proclamation, the people will stop applauding the messenger and start adoring the Master. Only then will the pulpit become what it was meant to be: a window to grace, not a mirror of the self. God’s glory is not a commodity to be traded with. It is the radiance of His being, freely given and not to be scorned.

The sermon used for illustrative purposes may be view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhuOQbPSpyQ