Furtick delivered his sermon Sunday to a packed sanctuary in Blakeney, while worshipers at seven other campuses watched via live stream. The church has a following of nearly 12,000 people.

The first minute was the most unsettling. Right before 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, the bright lights at Elevation Church Blakeney blacked out and the room rumbled as the sound system revved up with ...