Not loaded at all. I'm wondering if anyone making such observations has actually experienced what they are speaking about first hand, or are sharing judgments based on something other.
I travel in the US and internationally ministering and training pastors and leaders. While there are certainly some churches that are like what is being portrayed in this thread, there are perhaps three times as many that are nothing like what is being described.
I'm wondering if I am speaking with people with actual experience, or armchair quarterbacks. Mr reply is different or each.
Converted in the Lower Hutt AOG in 1966
Relocated to Wellington AOG 1967. The pastor was an traditional Pentecostal from the North of England. Expository preacher
Moved to an independent fellowship 1968
Relocated to Palmerston North and joined the Open Door Mission, an independent Pentecostal church. The pastor was ex-Methodist Holiness. Very strict in his discipleship.
Got married in 1974, and moved to my wife's church (which in hindsight was a mistake) - an ex-Baptist church that became Charismatic. Run by a board of elders. The senior elder was a very controlling ex-Exclusive Brethren. He left the church early 1980s and took half the congregation with him.
1978 - left that church. Became disillusioned because of its narrow theme preaching. I had discovered Puritan theology and discovered that there was more to be gained than listening to sermon after sermon on how to be a better Charismatic. Attended healing meetings run by every international ministry who came to the city. In the 11 years I was involved in those meeting, after hearing all the claims made, not one person actually got healed. That's when I became skeptical about the "healing ministry".
1978 - Join All Saints Anglican church in Palmerston North. Discovered a whole new breed of Anglican Charismatics who, in my opinion, were closer to Christ than the ones I left. Enjoyed being in a church not run by personalities, but by professionally trained evangelical ministers. The church was not high Anglican.
1982: Got promoted in my job back to Wellington. Attended a suburban Anglican church for around a year. Didn't get really bonded into it, because the following year I entered Canterbury University in Christchurch.
1983: Found a housegroup of Baptists, and enjoyed it so much I joined their church and became a deacon.
1987: Graduated a BA in English and started a teaching position in Dunedin. Got board with a Baptist minister. He was a Bible believing pastor so I joined his church. Remained there until 1990.
1990: Gained a teaching position in Hamilton. Didn't attend church until moving to Auckland in 1996. I decided to have a rest from church life, although I attended some services from time to time.
1996: gained another teaching position in Auckland. Didn't want to travel to church, so I started at a Presbyterian church five minutes walk from home. Ended up becoming an elder, then Session Clerk (senior elder) after our minister left and wasn't replaced. Participated as treasurer, worship leader, and preacher.
2018: The church employed a Mission Enabler who was a very controlling person who wanted to make big changes to the church. I got bullied by him in the process, so I withdrew all my involvement with the church and stayed home for six months.
Then I was invited back by a guest preacher friend, and so I went back and made peace, and re-established contact. These days I am content to sit on the back row with the backsliders and just enjoy the ministry (which is good expository Bible preaching) and the fellowship with the church family.
In my experience with the different churches and fellowships I associated with, I saw all types of people, and saw all the reasons why people go to church. I am glad that I sat under the ministries of two excellent pastors in the Pentecostal churches I went to, because they put Jesus first and loved the Scriptures. The pastor in Palmerston North said that to be an effective believer one had to be a man of prayer and of the Word. His ministry basically spoiled me for any other ministry that did not have his calibre, and after all these years, 1970-2019, his teaching stood the test of time for me, while others fell by the wayside.
I found that many in the Charismatic church where I was a deacon through my being on the leadership team of Palmerston North Teen Challenge (1970-78) from 1973-1978 had one foot in the world as well as in the church. Many didn't seem to have a love for the Word of God, and the gospel of Christ didn't seem to feature in the preaching. Also, I found that the standards of holiness that I learned from the Pastor of the Open Door Mission, were not reflected.
What I also discovered, which was different to what I was brainwashed with as a Pentecostal, was that Christians in the Anglican, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches were just as faithful to Christ and as filled with the Spirit. Of course, in these denominations, I did not see the manifestation of many of the gifts of the Spirit, but that didn't seem to make fellowship with the people any less encouraging and upbuilding.
So, for what it is worth, that is my experience with churches.