(OPINION) Former megachurch pastor Francis Chan, who founded the We Are Church house church network in 2011, recently shared the reasons behind his decision to leave the megachurch model he led for nearly 16 years.

Chan, who started Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, in 1994, discussed his journey in an interview with Christian rapper Lecrae on the podcast “Deep End with Lecrae.”

Chan explained that a key factor in his departure was a troubling realization about the size and influence of his church.

“I remember one night telling my wife … I said, ‘Honey, I feel like if the Apostle Paul or Jesus had a church in Simi Valley, mine would be bigger, and that is bothering me,'” he told Lecrae.

This thought led him to question whether his ministry was truly reflecting the humility and love emphasized in Scripture.

He expressed concern that his church might have more followers than Jesus or Paul would in today’s American Christian culture, prompting him to reevaluate his approach.

Another driving force behind Chan’s shift was his belief that the megachurch model limited the use of spiritual gifts among congregants.

He noted that in the early church, every believer was described as having a supernatural gift for the benefit of the body of Christ. However, in his megachurch, he observed that many of the 5,000 attendees were primarily there to hear his sermons, leaving their own gifts unused.

“There’s 5,000 people with some sort of gift, and I don’t know any of these gifts, and they’re not being used in the church,” Chan said. This disconnect between Scripture’s vision and the megachurch structure fueled his decision to step away.

Chan’s departure from Cornerstone in 2010 was not due to a single issue but rather a “perfect storm” of biblical truths converging in his mind.

He felt compelled to create a model that aligned more closely with his understanding of God’s Word, focusing on fostering deep relationships and encouraging every believer to exercise their spiritual gifts.

This led to the creation of We Are Church, a network of house churches in San Francisco, where small groups meet in homes to study, pray, and care for one another without the need for large budgets or paid staff.

Reflecting on his new ministry, Chan admitted that the house church model is not without challenges. “There was some idealism in my head; I thought this will be easy.

They do it in China. There’s 100 million of them in house churches,” he said. However, he found peace in the smaller, more intimate setting, despite it appearing less successful by megachurch standards.

“It may not look as successful having a bunch of homes everywhere with small groups that are loving each other … but I feel peace about it,” he shared.

Chan values the deep relationships and the active use of spiritual gifts he sees in these communities, which include a diverse mix of people, from former prisoners to professionals.

While Chan occasionally feels the urge to preach to large crowds again, he believes the megachurch model is increasingly difficult to sustain in a way that fully aligns with biblical principles.

His focus remains on living out a simpler, more intentional faith, rooted in love and community, as he continues to lead the We Are Church movement.