What is the "Chief end of God"? Redefining the Church's Great Commission

The Church's mandate to carry the gospel around the world has been dubbed "the great commission." It is my contention that the net effect of that outlook has been that the Church's main concern has shifted radically from God's glory to man's comfort, in the name of a passion for souls. That the Church in large measure has identified the conversion of man as its great commission is disconcerting enough; but the manner in which that commission has been implemented is even more objectionable.