There appears to be great confusion among American religious leaders between what is really happening among some of the younger generation’s expressions of their faith. Is there a difference between “Emerging Church” and “Emergent Church” groups? If so, what is the difference and what is the impact on local expressions of faith through the church and cooperative associational ministry?
Read the following news summary and then let’s ask a few more questions about this movement.
- Emerging Church Dangers Go Far beyond 'Style Issues'
OneNewsNow.com reports that John MacArthur believes most Christians are not aware of the dangers posed by the "emergent church" movement, which he says is counter to scripture in its underlying theology. MacArthur's new book The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, says while the emergent church talks of reaching people by appealing to the culture, emergent church leaders do not have a high regard for the unchanging truth of God's Word. And too many Christians aren't aware of the problems associated with that. (SOURCE: Crosswalk.com, Religion Today Summaries - June 21, 2007)
Do you have “Emergent Church” or “Emerging Church” leaders in your ministry area? Is there a difference? Are they deceived? Do they value the truth of scripture? Maybe they are on target trying to reach their culture and McArthur is off base? Which is it? Can it be both?
What must we do as associations to effectively minister to these young leaders? Do we defend them before other older church leaders in our area who do not understand this movement?
What should our position be in this movement?
bobby gilstrap, DoM
Huron & Southeastern Associations
Michigan
8 comments:
My understanding is that most emerging church leaders do not want to be linked with the "emergent church" who's views can be seen on emergentvillage.com.
Perhaps a new term is needed to differentiate emerging church from emergent church.
My conviction is that we must look beyond the labels and determine whether a church or movement is scriptural in their views or not. There are many, many labels flying around and many differing theologies and philosophies in our churches. One concern I think for associations is to make sure that our churches know who they are affiliating with when they join a network or affinity-based group of churches. But let's all be careful not to generalize or have a critical spirit. Let's get beyond the labels and the style and to the heart of the doctrine. Then we can determine how to proceed.
Lash,
I, too, have noticed a distance drawn by young ministers that I know. Maybe the new term just needs to be "young church leaders." That would be simple enough.
Roger,
You clearly note that labels can be a dangerous thing. Southern Baptist have suffered many a setback over its history as people have been labeled.
Having a strong and solid theological basis for our affiliations and actions is much more important.
That said, there remains confusion among many ... and some are entangled in the "emergent" terminology, who aren't involved in the heresies noted by McArthur.
I think Ed Stetzer's research sheds like on the thinking of young leaders in his book, "Breaking the Missional Code," written with David Putnam. On pages 188-189 he points our that currently young leaders fall into basically three camps: Those who want to explain the gospel in a way that is relevant to their generation, those who are trying to change methodologies to reduce the institutionalism of the established church, and those who are changing basic theological understandings. The first two streams usually hold to a strong position on the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. Only the third group is clearly deviating from biblical orthodoxy. Within these three streams are many variants, so even three labels is a dangerous taxonomy. So far, none of my Southern Baptist students (I teach church planting) have been of the third stream, and those in the second stream have responded to challenges to be for something instead of just against something.
My summary thought is that we need to be careful. To label them is to lose them. With regard to the the first two groups and their commitment to a high view of scripture, we can ill afford to lose their passion and willingness to go to the tough places with the gospel of Jesus Christ and engage the lost in creative and innovative ways.
Daniel,
Great comments. I agree that "to label them is to lose them." I got a chance to teach at and attend the churchplanters.com conference recently with Ed and David. Let me just say there could have been much labeling of the conference attendees: emergent, wearonlyblackent, oldguytryingtobehipandcoolent, and plantingachurchbecauseIhatetheestablishedchurchent and lots of other "ents." But that didn't happen, thankfully.
What did happen was some great dialogue, listening and prayer between a group of men and women who care deeply about the lost, deeply about the church, and deeply about God's glory. And they found out that having these things in common is enough to work together and pray together for the day when "the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth like the waters cover the sea."
Don't label. Talk, listen, pray.
And if you are an older, more experienced minister, invest in a younger guy and learn from each other, so that he might serve well after you have gone home to the Father. If you are a younger guy, listen, learn and share with those who have gone before you, who were serving well before you were born!
NOBA is all about this kind of dialogue and mutual encouragement and learning. So jump in and let's do it!
There is an interesting discussion thread on this topic of emergent thinking on the Missional Network website. To read the comments, go to:
http://missionalnetworkweb.com/forums/permalink/741/741/ShowThread.aspx
As associational leaders, we need to be well informed about such movements. I hope the links and discussion will challenge us to be informed.
Magda said....
I found this article fascinating.
Godly men are fast disappearing. Everyone decieves and flatters and lies. There is hardly any sincerity left.
Believers who were once persuing after Godliness have started in deception, flattery, and lies - to serve their own ends.
What does God seek from all of us is sincerity. If we are sincere with God He will do miracles in our lives. Some people know the Bible but they don't know God himself and so they can easily be deceived (need to be born again). Every cult are using the bible as its text book and have their proof texts to promote their peculiar doctrines. Because of this cults have mushroomed around the world.
It will be difficult in the last days to be a christian not because of persecution or opposition but because people will have a form of godliness without its inner power.
God promised that He will give us sheperds after His own heart who will feed us on a knowledge of Himself (not just a knowledge of the bible) and understanding of His ways (and not just understanding cold doctrine). Only where God can find a man who does not seek his own, can the Lord build His true church. One man who shares the concern of Gods heart is far more valuable to Godsheart than a 1000 believers who seek their own.
To be a true sheperd of Gods own heart will involve sacrafice, inconvenience, opporsition, riducule and slander joyfully.
And if such a sheperd is blessed enough to have a wife who also does not seek her own, their home will be open for the Lord to do whatever He wants, then there will be no limit to what God can do through their lives.
Are there still sheperds left in the world like that today?
To escape deception of the emergents we need to look at Jesus and see how today's preachers compare with him.
Do they have the same attitude?
Does he lead people to freedom from sin and genuine holiness as Jesus did?
Is a humble man - as Jesus was?
Do they have the same primary objective.
The very first promise in the New Testament is JESUS. He will save His people from their sins. That is the main purpose why Jesus came to earth.
A true spirit-led ministry will seek to free people from their sins. Everything else - including healing, prophecy, tongues, will be secondary.
Why do young leaders think that they need to think up of a new way to make the gospel relevant? The gospel has been and always will be relevant no matter what the culture or generation. Just go and preach the word! I think that due to being raised in a bunch of moralistic deist churchs, these young pastors come out not having true faith in the Lord and in His word. Thinking that they can do it better. So they think that they must out think God and make the gospel or the church relevant. Is there a problem yes, but I see a lot of men, with big degrees mind you, who are misdiagnosing the reasons for the problem and answer to the solutions. When we start focusing more on our own determination, reasoning, intellect, and will, then we move away from God and His word. What good is it to reach people, if in the end we've created nothing but false converts, who will only hear the words, "I never knew you" when they stand before our Lord Jesus Christ? Don't over analyze the problem or the solution. It's rather simple and it's all shown to us in God's word.
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