By Camden McGill

Set Fire to the Empires: Cracks in the Foundation

There have been months of heart-gripping thoughts, whispers, and promptings from Holy Spirit that have influenced this topic. But three things that have heavily influenced this particular writing were these:

• Reading from John 18 & 19, watching Jesus’ and Pilate’s conversation unfold
• A scene from Grey’s Anatomy that carried unexpected prophetic weight
• The haunting words made by a fallen leader more concerned with saving his “ministry” than saving his own soul

I was finishing John the Beloved’s gospel earlier this year and something captured my gaze in chapters 18 & 19 regarding Jesus and Pilate before He was crucified…

“Are you really the king of the Jews?” — John 18:33
“Pilate was greatly alarmed…” — John 19:8
“He went up the elevated stone platform and took his seat on the judgment bench…” — John 19:13

Later that night, while watching Grey’s Anatomy, Catherine Fox and her son, Jackson Avery, were having a conversation concerning their foundation and their empire. Jackson then makes a subtle, yet profound statement:

“I’m successful but nothing seems to change. If our foundation is so good at ‘fighting the good fight’ then why isn’t anything getting better? Maybe we are both wrong.”

This ignited a reflection: Why is the American church so “successful” on paper, yet America as a whole appears to be failing?
Could it be that we’ve built something for God—without God?

When Success Becomes Idolatry

The third moment came from a prominent Southern minister, recorded after allegations of moral failure. He pleaded:

“Don’t let it get out, it’ll ruin the ministry… I’ll just go to the woods and kill myself.”

No confession. No repentance. Just fear of the empire collapsing.

Friends, what have we gotten ourselves into?
Religion is the new leprosy—eating away from the inside.

Leaders are caving to crowds and forfeiting identity for influence. We’ve built judgment benches instead of mercy thrones. Why do we cling to systems that are obviously failing and imploding? And worse, why do so many want to be in those positions?

Ministry, at its core, is not supposed to be about platforms or power trips. But unless we’re willing to be challenged and reformed, we’ll continue sinking with the very ships we idolized.

A Re-Christing in America

We need a Re-Christing—a re-imagining of Christ and the Bride. The true foundation isn’t ministry empires but Christ Himself.

“You don’t build for Him, you build with Him.”
“Yielding to union will naturally produce proper production. But production will never produce yielding to union.”

Success, fruitfulness, growth—these are all byproducts of union, not the goal. We must stop measuring our impact by crowds and start measuring by Christ-formed hearts.

Set Fire to the Empire

In early 2025, the Father whispered:

“Set fire to the empires.”

I saw mega-church leaders raising white flags, souls collapsing—not in despair, but in sacred surrender. The mountain of ministry must burn so that the radiant city of sons and daughters can arise.

“The earth isn’t dark, your perspective is.”

Hope is now. Not in escape, not in the rapture, not in a destroyed and replaced world—but in the renewed cosmos birthed from the revelation of Christ in us.

Fold into Him

Let’s be clear: Religion doesn’t get a vote.
No platform or position will heal the inner turmoil caused by performing for love instead of living from it.

“The bigger the performer, the bigger the imposter.”

Let love disarm the imposter before scandal does. Let mercy meet you in surrender, not just in the fall. Let Jesus—not the crowd—define your Christology.

Come down from the platform. Let go of the empire dream. Climb no higher—Zacchaeus, come down. It’s time to see face to face, not from a pedestal.

Vision: White Flags and Sacred Surrender

I see white flags rising. Not in defeat, but freedom.

• Leaders weary of charades, marketing schemes, and performance.
• Souls collapsing into the embrace of Jesus, no longer propping up an institution.
• Ministries burning behind them—and no one looking back.

Even the desire for titles and honor must go. Let it all burn if it means finding the real Christ.
Let the empire fall if it means rising as beloved.

“Ministry isn’t bad, but we’ve done it terribly here in the church of the West.”

The answer is not to abandon the call, but to answer it according to the pattern of the Lord, not the traditions of empire.

Let’s set fire to the empires this year and waltz into the embrace of the One, inviting us back to the cosmic dance we were designed for. Let love be the usher. Let mercy be the throne. Let the flames of first love consume everything else.

“Let Him lead you. He isn’t interested in your performance. He’s interested in your belovedness.”

© Camden McGill — 2025
All rights reserved.

• Camden is a father, husband, writer and lover of Jesus. Camden is a contributing author in the newly released Resurrection Life, a collection of poetry calling you back to what’s always been true about you. Purchase this book on Amazon ⇒ HERE
• Connect with Camden McGill via Facebook⇒ HERE

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