When the Church Goes to Burger King

 When the Church Goes to Burger King

by Bart L. Denny, PhD

"Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce. Special orders don’t upset us. All we ask is that you let us serve it your way..."

If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember that jingle from the old Burger King commercials.

Even decades later, I can still hear it echoing in my head. And really—who doesn’t like a hamburger fixed just the way they like it? Light on onions? Easy on the ketchup? Coming right up.

Preferences aren’t a bad thing. We all have them, and most of the time, that’s perfectly fine.

But not always.

When I joined the U.S. Navy back in the 1980s, I quickly learned that military life wasn’t built around my preferences. In boot camp, our instructors made that clear. Rookie sailors who tried to "have it their way" often found themselves wearing a paper crown straight from the local BK and chanting for all to hear, “I’m a Burger King!”

Why? Because self-centeredness and personal preferences don’t build strong teams. And they don’t build strong churches either.

Unfortunately, the same "have-it-your-way" mindset can creep into our churches. You’ve probably heard of Rick Warren’s classic The Purpose-Driven Church. But some congregations might be better described as The Preference-Driven Church.

What is a preference-driven church? It’s one where members insist on having things their way—whether it's the style of music, the length of the service, the color of the carpet, or the time worship begins. Tradition trumps mission. Comfort outweighs community. And change, even for the sake of reaching new people, is off-limits.

That’s a dangerous path.

In his book Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Dr. Thom Rainer studied fourteen churches that had closed their doors for good. All of them had something in common: inward focus. Their decisions were shaped not by a desire to reach the lost but by the comfort of their core members. Chapter 7 of Rainer’s book is titled—no surprise—"The Preference-Driven Church."

It’s not that these churches didn’t love Jesus. But over time, they confused preferences with principles. They elevated personal taste to the level of doctrine. For example, singing only hymns on an upright piano became a matter of orthodoxy, while introducing a new worship song—or, heaven forbid, changing the service time—was treated as theological compromise.

But biblical truth and personal preference are not the same thing.

The Apostle Paul modeled something very different. In Philippians 2:5–8, he wrote that Christ “made himself nothing... taking the very nature of a servant... he humbled himself.” Christ didn’t come to have it His way. He came to serve.

Paul also shared his own ministry mindset in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23. He explained how he became “all things to all people” for the sake of the Gospel. He adjusted his cultural approach—not his core convictions—in order to reach more people with the good news.

In short, Paul didn’t cater to himself. He sacrificed his preferences to advance the mission.

So here’s a tough but vital question:
Is your church preference-driven or purpose-driven?
Are you more concerned with reaching the lost or preserving your own comfort zone?

This isn’t a call to compromise the truth. It’s a call to evaluate what’s really driving your church. If it’s not the mission of Jesus, then it’s time for repentance. Time for humility. Time for a renewed passion for the people outside your walls—your neighbors, your community, the very ones Jesus died to save.

Remember, the Church isn’t Burger King. It’s not about having it your way.
It’s about having it His way.