As
Calvary Chapel pastors across North America
prepare to attend this year's annual pastors
conference starting Monday, many in the
church at large are watching and waiting
to see if Calvary's recent position
paper on the emerging church movement
will have a meaningful impact. The position
paper, issued after evidence surfaced
that some Calvary Chapel pastors were
endorsing and promoting the emerging church
movement, stated that Calvary Chapel was
rejecting the emerging movement including
the contemplative and mystical aspects
of it. The paper said that those Calvary
churches that were teaching and/or promoting
emerging should no longer be affiliated
with Calvary Chapel.
The decision to issue such a position
paper was not easy, according to sources
we spoke with. Chuck Smith Sr. (founder
of Calvary Chapel) is the "spiritual father"
to many Calvary pastors and such a severance
would have significant consequences. For
instance, his own son, Chuck Smith Jr.
(a Calvary pastor), is among those who
have apparently turned toward the emerging
church. According to statements made recently
by Chuck Smith Jr, his Capo Beach Calvary
Chapel is no longer a part of Calvary
Chapel: "Officially, we have withdrawn
from the Calvary Chapel affiliation."
It is expected that other Calvary Chapel
pastors may follow suit because of the
new position paper.
Lighthouse Trails Publishing has done
extensive research on the contemplative
and emerging church movements and found
that most ministries and Christian organizations
that are promoting these New Age belief
systems (contemplative and emerging) are
not turning away from them even after
they have been made aware of the concerns
and dangers. While a few Christian leaders
such as John MacArthur have stood firmly
against these mystical movements, Calvary
Chapel may be the first large ministry
that has been directly influenced to actually
denounce the false teachings of these
movements. If Calvary Chapel stands firm
on defending the gospel message and rejecting
these heretical doctrines, it may be setting
a precedent for other Christian ministries
to do likewise. With organizations such
as Purpose Driven, Zondervan, NavPress
publishers, Willow Creek and Renovare
all promoting contemplative spirituality
and with many other ministries appearing
to head that way, it is becoming less
and less popular to do what Calvary Chapel
has done. But it is a time in history
when compromising the integrity of the
gospel could actually help to unfold the
greatest spiritual deception Christianity
has ever seen. May God help Calvary Chapel
pastors and the pastors of the body of
Christ at large to stand, not for the
false christs and false doctrines of this
world, but for the Savior and Light of
the world, Jesus Christ.
May
the apostle Paul's exhortation to the
church be ours also:
"And I, brethren, when I came to you,
did not come with excellence of speech
or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony
of God. For I determined not to know anything
among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified." I Corinthians 2:1-2
IMPORTANT
REPORT BY UNDERSTAND THE TIMES, ROGER
OAKLAND
Roger Oakland, of Understand
the Times, has been ministering to
Calvary Chapel pastors around the world
for 20 years. As Roger has observed the
growing influence of contemplative and
emerging in both Calvary Chapel churches
and the body of Christ, he believes what
we are witnessing in much of evangelicalism
today is a subtle return to Roman Catholicism.
Roger has counted the cost as he has continued
to speak up and warn the church, often
being criticized for his stand. On the
eve before Calvary Chapel pastors head
to California for their annual meeting,
Roger has written a powerful and important
report that we are presenting to you now:
The
Emerging Church: Another Road to Rome
For more information on contemplative
and emerging,
please refer to Lighthouse Trails Research
Project |
