VOLUME 22 - NUMBER 1 (April 1999)
THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT
[Image]
EVANGELISM VS. EVANGELIZATION
By Albert James Dager
Please support Media Spotlight with your donations. Send to:
PO Box 290,
Redmond, WA 98073-0290
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise; and shall show signs
and
wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. (Mark 13:22)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Lord's prophecy concerning the greatest end-time deception should
warn
us that things are not always as they seem. For a deception to be so
seductive that even the very elect would take pause to wonder if it
is of
God, it would have to have all the earmarks of a true work of God.
That
means it would come in the name of Jesus, it would have a great deal
of
solid biblical truth, it would affirm the Gospel, and it would be a
"good
work." And signs and wonders would accompany it. Those who might recognize
and expose the deception would be looked upon as divisive, hateful
and
deceived themselves. For the most part, the churches would go along
with the
deception.
Even as God is at work to consummate His purpose in the heavens and
on
earth, His enemies work behind the scenes, The greatest deceptions
come in
the name of Jesus to convince many into thinking they are serving God
when,
in truth, they are serving Satan. Working among Christians, the enemy's
ploys are veiled in biblical jargon and works couched in terms that
suggest
God's direction.
Just as the world follows after cleverly crafted words and philanthropic
endeavors that promise the betterment of mankind, so the Church follows
after clever but deceitful applications of Scripture and "good works"
that
promise the advancement of the Kingdom of God. One weapon utilized
in this
deception is semantics - changes in the significance of words.
In the political world, semantics have been cleverly utilized to condition
people into associating specific meanings to words that, in their proper
understanding, are opposite to the conditioned meanings.
Take the word "fascist" for example. In the United States today leftist
propagandists apply the name to constitutional conservatives - people
(believers in Christ or not) who abhor socialist-oriented governmental
programs, and wish a return to the limited federal government envisioned
and
instituted by the founders through the Constitution. While leftists
readily
accept that communism is on the "left," they also insist that fascism
is on
the "right." In truth, however, there is little difference between
the two.
The reason communism regards all opposition as fascism is historically
found
in the struggle in Germany between Hitler's fascist National Socialist
Party
(Nazism) and Bolshevism imported from Russia. Ever since that time,
Communists and their socialist sympathizers have lumped all opposition
under
the single derogatory term "fascist." The sympathetic media continue
to
propagate that falsity while applying the term "liberal" to the true
fascists.
There are many other examples, but this serves to illustrate how people
are
easily led to believe that something is the opposite of what it really
is.
In the churches today there are popular voices that are using Christian
terms to mask an agenda of global, ecumenical dimensions. The goal
is to
enlist the support of the majority of those who call themselves Christians
in order to advance that agenda under the name of "world evangelization"
- a
term originally coined by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization
in
1974.
World evangelization forms the basis of what has come to be called "the
World Christian Movement." The goal of the World Christian Movement
is to
evangelize the world by A.D. 2000 through social and political action
based
on a mandate to alleviate the world of its suffering.
Getting to the truth has led us through a labyrinth of study that has
revealed some of the most unlikely alliances. At the forefront of the
Movement are some of the most respected leaders and organizations involved
in evangelism.
Yet I believe that many of those involved do not understand the full
implication of the work to which they have given their allegiance.
Therefore, I must say that not everyone involved in world evangelization-
even among the leadership-is a deceiver. Many, if not most, especially
at
the grass roots level of the Movement, are brethren in Christ who are
working in the field of missions to lead individual souls to saving
faith in
Jesus Christ. We cannot but recognize the selfless efforts on the part
of
those who minister both the Gospel and comfort to the lost out of love
for
all men.
Yet just as most Americans are unsuspecting pawns in the scheme of
international politics, so most Christians are being used to further
the
global religio-political agenda of organizations promoting world
evangelization.
I only ask that the reader reserve judgment until he has had an opportunity
to see and understand all the facts. The journey to discovery will
not only
explain a lot of mysteries as to why certain things are as they are,
but
will be a liberating experience for those who are willing to place
Jesus
Christ and His Word above the political and religious aspirations of
the
Christian media personalities they have come to love and admire.
U.S. CENTER FOR WORLD MISSION
The World Christian Movement is not a single organization, but rather
a
network of organizations working toward the same goal. They use many
of the
same resources and incorporate the same buzzwords to define and implement
their mission.
Acting as a hub for these organizations is the U.S. Center for World
Mission
(USCWM) in Pasadena, California, founded by Ralph D. Winter. (A list
of some
of the organizations working in concert with the U.S. Center for World
Mission, or utilizing world evangelization techniques, is found in
the
Appendix at the end of this article.)
Besides its headquarters in Pasadena, the U.S. Center for World Mission
has
regional offices in other cities in the USA, and sister centers in
more than
fifty countries, each doing all-purpose, behind the scenes mobilization
for
the Movement.1
The U.S. Center for World Mission has developed a training course for
world
evangelization entitled Perspectives on the World Christian Movement.
It is
based on a compilation of messages gleaned from well-known Christian
leaders. The Perspectives course is used as a training manual by hundreds
of
missions organizations. Because of its far-flung influence as the primary
source of these organizations' missions philosophy, the course forms
the
basis for much of our research, and will be cited often.
Besides the Perspectives
course, the USCWM has several far-reaching
enterprises. Ralph Winter
states:
The USCWM is the backer and promoter of not
only the Perspectives
materials and the original and largest of
the Perspectives study
networks, but its relatively small number
of full-time mission
mobilizers puts out the Global Prayer Digest,
the Mission
Frontiers bulletin, the Vision for the Nations
curriculum, the
Global Countdown videos, the WorldView Video
series, the World
Christian Foundations curriculum (used by
various accredited
colleges and seminaries), and through the
William Carey Library
distributes mission books from eighty publishers
as well as
publishing a number of its own.(2}
The extent of the USCWM's influence is great,
yet the average
believer has been aware only of its influence,
not of its
presence.
A HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT
Before we progress too far into the details of the World Christian Movement
it is prudent that we address some history that has led to its formation.
We
will leave the World Christian Movement for the time being to focus
on how
world evangelization came about, and how it has managed to capture
the minds
of so many Christians. Keep in mind that while we will be dealing with
personalities involved in the movement, we are not judging motives.
In some
cases motives may become apparent, and even the faith of some may become
suspect. But we will leave judgment of the heart to God
The historical highlights that follow are not arbitrarily cited, but
are
found in the movement's own histories.
Until the middle of the nineteenth century missions were conducted by
denominations and individual churches with a vision to take the Gospel
to
heathen lands. Those going to the mission field took advantage of colonial
expansion of Western nations in order to establish footholds in those
lands.
At the same time, the colonial powers saw the missionaries as allies
in
their attempts to civilize the peoples over whom they established their
rule. The former were, for the most part, altruistic in their efforts;
the
latter, though offering some betterment in living conditions for less
developed peoples, had as their primary motive financial profit. Thus,
some
engaged in unspeakable atrocities including genocide and slavery. The
churches were either powerless to oppose those powers, or many chose
to
remain silent, seeking to provide spiritual blessings even if they
could not
provide hope for this world.
As the colonial powers began to lose their grip in some lands, missionary
efforts began to wane also. Even so, some remarkable accomplishments
adorn
the history of missions, although it is not our purpose to go into
detail.
At the turn of the century, notable Christian leaders such as D.L. Moody
and
A.T. Pearson, put forth the challenge to evangelize the entire world
by the
year A.D. 1900. Their appeal was not only to churches, but to youth
on
college campuses. Recognizing the energy and idealism of youth, they
sought
to mobilize them into an army of missionaries that would be willing
to
sacrifice their lives for missions.
Even before Moody, Pearson, et al put out their call to youth, campus
movements had been active in missions for some 75 years, even at the
turn of
the eighteenth century.
The Student Volunteer Movement
In 1806, five students at Williams College in Massachusetts met in secret
to
study Scripture, confess their sins, and pray for revival on their
campus.
Ordinarily they met under the branches of a large maple tree under
cover of
night in order to avoid ridicule from the students and faculty steeped
in
the academic skepticism of the day.
On this particular night a thunderstorm drove them into a barn where,
huddled under a haystack, they resolved that a Great Awakening should
take
place upon America's campuses. According to Christian historians, the
Spirit
of God moved upon campuses to sweep away the entrenched atheism and
skepticism that fueled academia. Yet, as with all "Great Awakenings,"
the
results were short-lived, and the campuses again succumbed to humanistic
philosophy.
In 1882, D.L. Moody spoke at Cambridge University in England. Out of
that
meeting seven students responded to Moody's message on evangelism.
Calling
themselves the Cambridge Seven, they connected with students at twenty
state
universities in the United States who had also been fellowshipping
together
on their respective campuses.
A few years later, in 1886, D.L. Moody and A.T. Pearson spoke to 250
college
students, igniting in them the desire to serve in foreign missions.
One
hundred of those students signed pledge cards to involve themselves
in
foreign missions. Eventually, some 100,000 college students committed
to
working in foreign missions to "win the world for Christ."
By the 1890s the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM) had developed as the
forerunner for other well-organized groups such as InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship and the Student Mission Association. The leaders of the
SVM had
as their slogan "The evangelization of the world in this generation."
Out of the legacy of the Student Volunteer Movement came five people
of
prominence whose influence would impact the modern world of evangelism.
The
first of these five was a woman whose influence over the other four
would
set the course for today's youth movement for world evangelization.
Henrietta Mears
[Image]
Dr. Henrietta Mears was raised under the ministry of W. D. Riley, a
Baptist
pastor from Minneapolis. In 1928, she left there to become Director
of
Christian Education at Hollywood First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood,
California. While there she founded Forest Home Christian Conference
Center
in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. She also founded
Gospel Light Press, which became Gospel Light Publishing, a division
of
which is Regal Books.
Mears became famous for developing Sunday School curricula, much of
which is
still in use today. Among her admirers she was dubbed "Mother of Sunday
School." Her methods, revolutionary at the time, included the use of
pictures to portray Bible stories, and the assignment of students into
grades.
In a Christianity Today article for September, 1996, Henrietta Mears
is
called "The Grandmother The writer, Wendy Murray Zoba, tells of the
influence Mears has had over the lives of millions of Christians through
her
Sunday school curricula:
Henrietta Mears has been called the "mother
of Sunday school." Her
revolutionary teaching methods (adding lively
pictures and
implementing grade levels) changed the landscape
of Christian
education in her day, and her imprimatur remains
on today's models
for curriculum. But I like to think of her
more as the
"grandmother" of modern evangelicalism. Her
vision for the
Christian life inspired a generation of young
leaders who, in
turn, inspired my generation.3
Mears was a stickler for planning. Her approach to Sunday school was
a
no-nonsense, well-oiled program that assured success at least in terms
of
numbers. Her zeal for missions was tempered by the belief that she
could
accomplish more for the Kingdom of God by training others than if she
went
herself.
Born to wealthy parents in Fargo, North Dakota, October 23, 1890, Henrietta
exhibited at an early age a remarkable intelligence and a desire to
know
God. At age 11 she taught her first Sunday school class to beginners
at the
Berean Mission in Minneapolis. She became a student of Bible, earned
a
degree in chemistry, and was a teacher and principle in public school
systems as a young woman. Her teaching methods were used to a great
extent
in formulating her revolutionary approach to Sunday school.
As a senior in high school, Mears was first filled with l for missions
while
attending a series of meetings on the subject in her church.
While studying at the University of Minnesota, she started a Bible class
for
university women, and was the sole teacher. After graduating in 1913,
Mears
took her first public teaching position in Beardsley, Minnesota, a
small
town of only 850 citizens. There she served as both chemistry teacher
and
principal, with speech and dramatics on the side. She also taught a
Bible
class at the local Methodist church, as well as one for the school
football
team. Her influence upon the youth of Beardsley preciated across religious
lines.
Before Henrietta's year in Beardsley was to
end, a Catholic priest
called on her to thank her for the amazing
changes she was
bringing about in the lives of the town's
young people and to
express the gratitude of the community. They
subsequently had many
long, interesting talks together on spiritual
matters.4
From Beardsley, Mears went to North Branch, Minnesota, where she again
served the local high school as both chemistry teacher and principal,
then
on to Minneapolis where she taught mathematics and chemistry at Central
High
School.
In 1927, Mears took a sabbatical from teaching in order to seek God's
will
for her life. With her sister Margaret, she went to Europe for a time,
then
decided to winter in California. Having met Dr. Stewart P. MacLennan,
pastor
of Hollywood First Presbyterian Church, when he preached at their home
church in Minneapolis, the two sisters decided to call upon him while
there.
MacLennon was delighted to see them and invited Henrietta to speak
on
several occasions. He then offered Henrietta the position of Director
of
Christian Education, which she accepted.
At the time, enrollment in Sunday school classes was 450 people. In
two and
a half years, the enrollment grew to 4,200.
While serving as Director of Christian Education at Hollywood Presbyterian
Church, Mears set out to publish her Sunday school curricula for the
use of
her staff. Eventually, due to the demand from other churches for her
materials, she founded Gospel Light Press.
More than anything, Mears's talent was in organization. Her pragmatic
approach to education spilled over into her duties as Director of Christian
Education. Her pragmatism is evident in these words:
The work of the director of Christian education
is too often
thought of in terms of output or activity.
It is to be admitted
that productivity is the logical end for which
a director is
secured by a church, and it is toward this
end that he must apply
himself. This cannot, however, be measured
by volume of action. It
is accomplished only through purposeful action.
Only that which is
directed toward definite goals, which in turn
are founded on sound
educational philosophy, can be ultimately
meaningful. The
principles must always precede the activities.5
What Mears said, of course, is true in practical terms. But it is only
sometimes true in God's terms. Human wisdom seeks organization, and
sometimes God uses learned skills for His purpose. But what has organization
done for the spiritual welfare of the Church at large? If organization
is
the answer to spiritual benefit, then the churches in America should
be
among the most spiritually mature. In fact, Roman Catholicism and Mormonism
are the most well organized religions in the world. Yet in the churches
suffering without organization in countries where they are persecuted,
the
faith is more vibrant and alive. It is God's Word, not organization,
that
wins souls and, with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, guides the
believer
to spiritual maturity.
So convinced was Mears that educational expertise was essential to
organizing Sunday school, one of her considerations for teaching positions
was whether or not one was a teacher in the school system. She reasoned
that
if one had teaching skills, one should be able to teach the Bible better:
Because Henrietta believed that God deserved
only the best we can
give Him, and because the best teachers are
trained teachers, she
kept an eye out for the public school professionals
in her church,
always assessing their potential for service
in her Sunday School.
Consequently, some of her most gifted associates
were instructors,
principals and counselors in the Los Angeles
city school system.
But being realistic, Henrietta knew she could
not expect that the
public schools through her church would supply
her with all the
trained teachers she would need for her continually
growing Sunday
School. So the training of teachers became
one of the great
compulsions of her life. And knowing what
made a good teacher, she
determined to translate the knowledge she
had gained herself
through public school teaching into the life
of her Sunday School,
so that her teachers might be adequately prepared
for their
tasks.6
We do not fault Henrietta Mears for her position on organization and
insistence upon trained staff; she learned it from organized religion.
Still, the contradictory nature of her work is found in this description
of
her convictions:
Henrietta also insisted rightly that Christian
education worthy of
the name must be Christian. And being Christian
meant that every
lesson must honor Christ. And that, in turn,
meant that every
teacher must be faithful to the Bible. "Christian
education
recognizes the inspired Word of God," she
would say, "not only as
its text and the sum of its message, but also
as the source of the
principles by which successful Christian education
must be carried
on."7
If one is to insist upon ministry in conformity with God's Word, one
must be
willing to resist the urging of one's own desires as well as the urging
others to take on a ministry contrary to His Word. That Mears took
authority
even over the elders of her church in directing their chores in Sunday
school as well as teaching men herself, is evidence that she did not
adhere
to the Word of God in her own work.
The results of this unbiblical position, regardless of the numbers of
adherents to her work, and regardless of the fame to which several
of her
disciples have attained, will, as we shall see, ultimately lead to
spiritual
error manifesting in the churches affected by her disciples.
Interestingly, Mears believed that the position of preacher is for men
only.
Her work was to teach men to be preachers. And the following excerpt
from
her biography attests to her influence over men:
Legion are the individuals who found Christ
under Henrietta Mears'
ministry, who entered into the highly charged
atmosphere of
dedication and service that she created at
Hollywood's First
Presbyterian Church and who went on to serve
in positions of
Christian leadership all around the world.
They preach from
hundreds of pulpits, serve in schools, speak
over radio and
television, lead choirs, direct Sunday Schools
and work on dozens
of campuses. Their feet have trod on European
streets, in African
jungles, on South America's high mountain
ranges, in the
sweltering cities of India and in all parts
of the globe.
Most important of all, they are reproducing
their kind wherever
they go, for they learned from their beloved
Teacher that the true
disciple trains other disciples to take his
place. The combined
ministries of her spiritual children extend
far beyond what she
did in Hollywood, continuing to the present.8
There is no question that Mears's work has touched hundreds of thousands
of
lives directly, and perhaps millions indirectly. Consequently, she
is at the
heart of the subject with which we are dealing, and this is why we
are going
into so much depth on this biographical sketch.
No doubt many of those whose lives she has touched have had true conversions
to the Faith. Nor should we judge Henrietta Mears's heart; she truly
desired
to serve God. But those who directed her early years into unbiblical
ministry are ultimately responsible for whatever errors have resulted.
In today's churches it would be blasphemy to question the use of Sunday
school, breaking up the family according to age and/or grades. But
organized
religion seldom sees the biblical model, which is for the elders to
teach
the men, and the men to teach their wives and children. Modern churches
are
too "enlightened" to follow that patriarchal system.
We hate to burst religious leaders' bubbles, but Christian education
is not
God's design. As I said, His design is for the elders of the assemblies
to
disciple the fathers, and for the fathers to disciple and educate their
wives and children. Were they to do so, the end result would ultimately
honor God, as would the elements of the progression to that end result.
But in most churches the elders (if they exist in some churches at all)
do
not disciple the fathers. The fathers, then, fail to disciple their
families. All have forsaken their God-ordained duties. What recourse
is left
but for the churches to usurp the fathers' authority in spiritual upbringing
by substituting their spiritual authority with that of Sunday school
teachers, often young girls
The churches have created the problem, and then they offer the fix.
Only the
fix isn't God's fix; it's religion's fix.
Today we have women's ministries to teach women the Bible, and we have
Sunday school to teach the children, but little if any biblical discipleship
for men.
Can the end result really honor God, even if, in the process, individual
lives are touched by the Holy Spirit Who will honor God's Word no matter
who
speaks it? No, the end result will be corruption-unbiblical applications
of
God's Word by people who mistakenly think they are serving God.
No one may question Henrietta Mears's devotion to her work, but had
she
obeyed God's Word, she would never have taken authority over men in
any
degree. Because she did not submit to God's Word, her influence, though
well-meaning, has today resulted in a misguided religiosity.
Forest Home
Mears also founded Forest Home Christian Conference Center in the San
Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. She was not always the
pragmatist, sometimes relying upon feelings or subjective applications
of
Scripture sought for guidance, not always considering the context.
When
trying to decide whether or not she should pursue the purchase of Forest
Home, her answer came to her in the following fashion:
The following days were spent in seeking divine
confirmation.
Henrietta finally received it when she read
the Lord's promise to
Joshua: "Now therefore arise, go over this
Jordan, thou, and all
this people, into the land which I do give
to them... Every place
that the sole of your foot shall tread upon,
that have I given
unto you" (Josh. 1:2-3).
In these words, she found her answer and the
assurance of the seal
of God's approval.9
Almost from the beginning Forest Home Christian Conference Center was
a
success. Today it is world renowned for its teaching conferences, and
many
well-known leaders in Christianity have learned and taught there. It
was at
Forest Home that Mears's greatest influence in the lives of certain
men of
renown came to fruition.
Mears became famous for her preaching at the Forest Home Christian
Conference Center to thousands of youth in the 1930s. These youth came
from
virtually every denomination. They were instilled with Mears's vision
for
"the Cause of Christ" and took that vision back to their churches.
Mears's fame was aided by a close friend, Charles E. Fuller, the second
person in the association that would impact today's evangelization
efforts.
Fuller promoted Mears and her Forest Home conferences on his worldwide
radio
broadcast of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour. Dedicated to praying for
revival, Fuller would announce conferences to which his listeners could
go
in order to work toward revival.
Mears's greatest impact upon the churches came through Forest Home Christian
Conference Center during the rise of neo-evangelicalism, when the organized
churches began melding the Gospel with the need for socio-political
action.
The desire to "win the world for Christ" burned in Henrietta Mears's
heart.
And that burning was not lost on her disciples.
The Fellowship of the Burning Heart
Henrietta Mears was completely sold out to what she called "the Cause
of
Christ." By "the Cause of Christ." she meant winning the world to Christ
and
establishing Christianity as the guiding force in society through
evangelization of the world.
Mears established the Fellowship of the Burning Heart, wherein she
encouraged her students to be willing to die for "the Cause of Christ."
She
laid her hands on them to receive her mantle. Thus they received within
themselves a "burning heart."
The third person within the association at that time was Harold Ockenka,
President of Gordon College and pastor of Park Street Church in Boston.
Ockenga was instrumental in forming the National Association of Evangelicals
(N.A.E.). As a very close friend of Charles Fuller, he met with Fuller
in
Chicago to assist him in developing the plan for Fuller Evangelical
Seminary. As a result, Ockenga became the first President of Fuller
Evangelical Seminary. Both taught the young people at Mears's Forest
Home
Christian Conference Center.
J. Edwin Orr, Professor at University, had experienced sweeping revival
in
Norway in the 1930s. He wrote many books and traveled to hundreds of
universities and colleges all over the world as an expert in awakenings.
In
fact, in 1948 he earned a doctorate in "Awakenings" at Oxford. As the
fourth
person in the association he, too, spoke at Forest Home Christian Conference
Center. It was his rule that he would only speak where there was an
ecumenical representation-a diversity of youth from all denominations.
Armin Gesswein also experienced the Norway revival in the 30s. Upon
arriving
in the United States after his tour there, he stayed with Orr for a
month.
Gesswein started Pacific Palisades Conferences, out of which came Prayer
Revival Fellowship. The purpose was to get pastors together to pray
for
their cities. Eventually Prayer Revival Fellowships were started in
every
U.S. city, as well as globally. These precipitated today's ecumenical
prayer
breakfasts. 10
These five-Mears, Fuller, Ockenga, Orr and Gesswein-worked together
closely
to establish ecumenical campus movements. As stated before, we cannot
judge
the faith or the motives of these people. Many have zeal without knowledge
-
or with misguided understanding- much as Peter did before Pentecost.
Whatever these people's motives, what they started has developed into
something that portends a global religio-political agenda operating
within
the framework of a loose form of ecumenical unity. This, too, will
become
evident as we progress.
Accepted Anointed Evangelists
In June, 1946, Henrietta Mears, as was customary, preached "the Cause
of
Christ" to the young people at Forest Home. Among those who attended
the
teacher's conference at Forest Home one day were Richard C. Halverson,
who,
at the time, was the assistant pastor of Hollywood First Presbyterian
Church. Louis H. Evans, Jr., the succeeding pastor's son, was also
there, as
were John L. Franck and William R.(Bill) Bright. Bright had become
a
Christian only four months previous to this time. After Mears's message,
these four, along with some of the youth, asked Mears if they could
go to
her cabin with her to pray. That prayer session continued through the
night.
In Dream Big.' The Henrietta Mears Story, a biography of Mears, the
prayer
meeting is described as follows:
As they knelt together, they were overcome
by a sense of
helplessness and inadequacy. They prayed on
into the late hours of
the night with much weeping and crying out
to the Lord, confessing
sin, asking God for guidance and seeking the
reality and power of
the Holy Spirit. At times no one prayed as
God spoke to them.
Then, the fire from heaven fell, for God answered
their prayer
with a very real vision. Before them, they
saw the college
campuses of the world, teeming with unsaved
students who held in
their hands the power to change the world.
Yes, the college
campuses-they were the key to world leadership,
to world revival.
Theirs was a world to conquer for Christ, and
the time for
conquest was now!11
Mears and her charges saw the college campuses as the key to world revival.
In order to accomplish this, it would be necessary to anoint "accepted
evangelists"-men and women who had Mears's vision to "win the world
to
Christ."12 The following are just a few of the many well-known and
influential leaders she touched.
Campus Crusade For Christ
After laying hands on Bill Bright to impart to him her mantle, and receive
him into the Fellowship of the Burning Heart, Mears took Bright and
his wife
Vonette into her home. There they lived for eleven years, being groomed
for
leadership. It was in Mears's living room that Campus Crusade for Christ
was
born. All the converts from Campus Crusade for Christ, as well as other
youth groups-the Navigators, Young Life, Youth for Christ, and other
streams
-are trained in the ecumenical doctrine and sent back into their churches
to
influence them for world evangelization.
Young Life
Jim Rayburn, director of Young Life, was also impacted by Mears:
"As a young man just out of college, and beginning
to work among
young people, I heard of Henrietta Mears'
ministry at Hollywood
Presbyterian Church and particularly at Forest
Home... .1 tried to
incorporate into my work everything I heard
about her way of doing
things.... she has had a great deal to do
with shaping the
progress and ministry of the Young Life Campaign.
13
A Senate Chaplain
Richard Halverson, also a member of the Fellowship of the Burning Heart,
became chaplain of the U.S. Senate, and a counselor and confidant to
the
senators of our nation.
At his funeral, several testified of his influence in the Senate. Halverson
was responsible for the Senate declaring a National Day of Prayer through
the National Prayer Initiative.
The Hollywood Group
Other organizations were begun in Mears's living room, such as Louis
Evans,
Jr.'s Hollywood Group, described in Mears's biography:
After the conference of 1947, the exuberant
young people returned
to tell their friends of what had taken place
on the mountaintop.
Louis Evans, Jr. shared his experiences with
Colleen Townsend, a
young starlet he was dating. A Mormon by choice,
she had completed
a year and a half at Brigham Young University
in Utah when
discovered by Hollywood scouts and catapulted
into the dazzling
heights of stardom. 14
We are told that Townsend dedicated her life to Christ as a result,
and we
assume she renounced Mormonism, although this is not stated. Mears's
biography continues:
Other Hollywood personalities were also being
influenced by the
effects of the revival. Among them were Roy
Rogers, Dale Evans,
Tim Spencer and Connie Haines. Henrietta had
long sought how to
reach the stars behind the celluloid curtain
for Christ, and now
the Spirit was bringing them to her. At one
time, some of these
Christian celebrities met in her cabin at
Forest Home to pray for
guidance as to how they could win their friends
in the film
industry to the Lord.15
Due to the celebrity status of its members, the Hollywood Group eschewed
meeting in churches in favor of private homes.
Since Henrietta and Margaret had a home that
compared favorably
with those of the Hollywood great, and since
it was located in the
middle of the stars' estates, the decision
was made to begin
weekly meetings there. 16
Billy Graham
Among the more notable things that transpired under the auspices of
Henrietta Mears's work was her influence upon Billy Graham. According
to
Graham, Mears was, next to his mother and his wife Ruth, the one woman
who
impacted his ministry the most:
Dr. Henrietta Mears.. has had a remarkable
influence both directly
and indirectly, on my life. In fact, I doubt
if any other woman
outside of my wife and mother has had such
a marked influence. Her
gracious spirit, her devotional life, her
steadfastness for the
simple gospel, and her knowledge of the Bible
have been a
continual inspiration and amazement to me.
She is certainly one of
the greatest Christians I have ever known!
17
D.R. Riley, Henrietta Mears's pastor in Minneapolis, and later President
of
Northwestern Schools, envisioned that his mantle was to be passed on
to
Billy Graham just as Elijah's passed to Elisha. Graham at first balked
at
accepting Riley's impartation. Near death, Riley called for Graham.
There
Graham accepted his mantle.18
Thus, Graham was named acting President of Northwestern Schools. At
the same
time, he was teaching at Forest Home Christian Conference Center. There,
one
evening, J. Edwin Orr met with Graham and was persuaded that Graham
had,
indeed, received Riley's mantle. Orr then laid hands on Graham to receive
his mantle. Thus, Graham became an accepted, anointed evangelist along
with
Bill Bright and Richard Halverson, all members of the Fellowship of
the
Burning Heart.
While Bright was able to start with a ready-made network of college
campus
meetings, Graham went into every major city under the auspices of Armin
Gesswein's prayer meetings. Almost from the beginning, Graham would
not
accept any invitation to preach where ecumenical representation-including
Roman Catholic clergy-was not present. That is still his policy today.
Fuller Theological Seminary
Many Christian colleges and universities have been influenced by the
World
Christian Movement. The most active is Fuller Theological Seminary
in
Pasadena, California. Fuller actually has three schools within the
same
campus: the School of Theology; the School of Psychology; and the School
of
World Missions.
The School of Theology
Fuller's School of Theology, although originally somewhat fundamentalist,
has gradually adopted a more mystical approach. Through the influence
of C.
Peter Wagner and his prodigy on church growth, the late John Wimber,
there
has been a leaning toward signs and wonders as an essential aspect
of
evangelism. Wimber taught a course entitled MC:510, which sought to
train
students in practicing signs and wonders. Inevitably, the supernatural
doctrines of the Manifested Sons of God - sinless perfection, spiritual
power, restoration of the offices of apostles and prophets, and dominion
theology- crept into the course. Wimber is on record as stating that
he had
achieved the stage of going for long periods of time without sinning.
19
The School of Psychology
Fuller's School of Psychology blends secular psychological theory with
Christian elements of counseling. The School of Psychology promotes
the
study of psycho-neural linguistics- the use of symbolic language as
a means
of persuasion. The concept of symbolic language is readily found in
the New
Age Movement. And psycho-neural linguistics is the basis for
contextualization of the Gospel-the new missionary efforts promoted
by
Fuller and by the World Christian Movement.
The School of Missions
In the process of mobilizing for world evangelization, the staff of
Fuller
School of World Missions went to Korea in 1995 to learn about the cell
church movement from David (nee Paul) Yongi Cho. The purpose was to
learn
how to plant churches in the same fashion and thus contribute to church
growth.
* * *
Truly Henrietta Mears's influence has been wide spread. Today's youth
evangelism movement is an outgrowth of her work, and is the motivating
force
behind the World Christian Movement.
All are working to present a united front against the evils of the world.
They believe that without the unity of all who name the name of
Christ-regardless of doctrine or practice - there is no power over
the evil
forces within the city or nation. Unity is where their power comes
from. The
first step to evangelizing the nation and, eventually the world, is
evangelizing the cities. At the heart of the Movement, again, is the
U.S.
Center on World Mission's Perspectives Course. Therein we will find
the
goals and beliefs of the Movement's leaders.
THE PERSPECTIVES COURSE
In Mission Frontiers Bulletin, the official magazine of the U.S. Center
for
World Mission, Billy Graham says of the Perspectives course:
There is no volume of which I know that will
inform, inspire, and
motivate Christians for world evangelization
like the Perspectives
course. 20
As of January, 1994, when Graham made this statement, over 22,000 people
had
completed the Perspectives study program.21
The Study Guide for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement is
the
textbook for the World Christian Movement. The Study Guide presents
outlines
on its messages, and for course material refers the student to the
Reader
for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. The Reader is nearly
1,000
pages in length. In it are found the messages about missions by notable
Christian leaders. Most are involved in the Movement, some are historical
leaders who have passed on.
Because the Reader is an eclectic mix of many writers from different
religious persuasions, some of the messages are truly inspiring, convicting
and solid their theology. It is not these with which we are concerned,
but
those that depart from sound doctrine and/or lead the student away
from true
service to Christ. In truth, the Perspectives course contains a good
deal of
conflicting material. Some, for instance, state that the saving of
souls
through the preaching of the Gospel is the fullness of the Great Commission.
Others -. those who seem to be adopted by the Movement as evidenced
in its
leaders' statements and plans of action-insist that social and political
action is as much a part of the Great Commission as is preaching the
Gospel.
This is one of several critical issues which we will be addressing.
As we address those areas of concern, we must also state that we are
well
aware that the World Christian Movement is having an impact upon souls.
But
the credit for that impact must be given to those individual missionaries
who are remaining true to the Word of God, and are working to save
souls.
The glory, of course, must go to God Who will honor His Word no matter
who
speaks it, and no matter the motive behind the speaking.
Evangelism vs. Evangelization
In the Perspectives course we find a distinction between evangelism
and
evangelization. The distinction is consistent with that of the first
International Congress on World Evangelization which came out of the
Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization in 1974.
Evangelism, of course, is a legitimate name and a legitimate endeavor
It is
the work of the Church to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order
to
bring souls into the Kingdom of God True evangelism follows the spreading
of
the pure Gospel with the planting churches and the discipling of believers
that will guard the biblical truths and practices vital to sustaining
a
viable relationship between individual believers and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Evangelization is the term used by the global, ecumenical World Christian
Movement to gain the support of churches throughout the world. It denotes
the "Christianizing" of all a world's "people groups" by means a work
that
combines social and political action as equal elements with the Gospel
of
Jesus Christ.
To the average Christian there is no distinction between evangelism
and
evangelization. But to the World Christian Movement there is a distinction.
Essentially, that distinction is that evangelism involves the saving
of
souls, while evangelization means the saving of whole nations or "people
groups spiritually and temporally through political and social action.
A major obstacle to understanding the true motives and goals of the
World
Christian Movement is the inability to discern this distinction. That
such a
distinction exists is openly acknowledged by the Lausanne Committee
on World
Evangelization, from which the World Christian Movement has sprung.
In an
interview prior to the first International Congress on World Evangelization,
Bishop A. Jack Dam of the Anglican Church in Sydney, Australia, who
served
as Executive Chairman of ICOWE, stated:
Lausanne is a Congress on evangelization, not
a Congress on
evangelism. [The World Congress on Evangelism
in Berlin, held in
1966] was the first of many congresses on
evangelism. But I think
now the present thought in the minds of many
leaders around the
world is that we need not only to think of
evangelism, that is,
the proclamation of the Gospel, but the whole
task given to us by
the risen Christ. This, I think more aptly,
is called
evangelization.22
The Lausanne Covenant, formulated at the International Congress on World
Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland, July, 1974, set the course
for the
agenda of the World Christian Movement. Article 5 of the Covenant states:
We affirm that God is both the Creator and
the Judge of all men.
We therefore should share the concern for
Justice and
reconciliation throughout human society and
for the liberation of
men from every kind of oppression. Because
mankind is made in the
image of God, every person, regardless of
race, religion, color,
culture, class, sex or age, has an intrinsic
dignity because of
which he should be respected and served, not
exploited. Here too
we express penitence both for our neglect
and for having sometimes
regarded evangelism and social concern as
mutually exclusive.
Although reconciliation with man is not reconciliation
with God,
nor is social action evangelism, nor is political
liberation
salvation, nevertheless we affirm that evangelism
and
sociopolitical involvement are both part of
our Christian duty.
For both are necessary expressions of our
doctrines of God and
man, our love for our neighbor and our obedience
to Jesus
Christ.23 (Emphasis ours)
Affirming that the task of world evangelization involves not only the
preaching of the Gospel, but social and political action to right the
wrongs
in the world, Dr. Billy Graham, Honorary Chairman of the Lausanne Committee
for World Evangelization, summed it up this way:
Since the Lausanne Congress in 1974, Christians
increasingly have
been called upon to provide leadership in
areas where they were a
small minority or almost did not exist before.
Evangelism has
taken on a new meaning. It is a time of great
opportunity, but
also a time of great responsibility. We are
stewards of our
Christian heritage. We must evangelize at
all costs where there is
yet time. World problems of poverty, overpopulation
and the threat
of nuclear war mount by the hour. The world
is in desperate need
of the gospel, now!24
If we start from a wrong premise, we are sure to arrive at a wrong
conclusion. In this case, Graham, stating that evangelism has "taken
on a
new meaning," infers that as Christians we have a mandate to infuse
into our
evangelistic efforts certain actions designed to stem the tide of human
suffering (including the threat of nuclear war!). But human suffering
is
part and parcel of the fall of man. God uses and even causes human
suffering
in order to accomplish His act of redemption. In order for the Gospel
to
have the effect desired by Graham and the International Committee on
World
Evangelization, not only would true faith in Christ have to permeate
virtually every individual on earth - certainly the greatest share
of the
world system's leadership - sinless perfection would have to characterize
everyone's lives.
Considering Jesus' words that few would enter into the Kingdom of Heaven,
and that we are destined for tribulation from the world system because
it
hates Him, where in His Word do we find the "whole task" of solving
the
world's problems?
On the contrary, Jesus said that the poor would always be with us (Matthew
26:11).
Does this mean that we should turn away from those in true need? Of
course
not. But while we may help individuals in need, we have not received
a
mandate to eradicate poverty from the earth, any more than we have
received
a mandate to solve the problem of overpopulation or the proliferation
of
nuclear weapons. These are personal agendas being foisted upon the
Church as
a whole by social activists. They are not part of the Great Commission.
There are enough causes to go around many times over. To require
socio-political action as a mandate is to steer the Church in a direction
not intended by Christ.
So pervasive has the Lausanne Covenant become among the vast majority
of
Evangelical churches that a Christianity Today article has stated,
"The
unifying question has quickly become: 'Do you subscribe to the Lausanne
Covenant?"'
Our question is, "Are we to be united in Christ, or united in the Lausanne
Covenant that forms the basis for the World Christian Movement?"
And why is evangelization called a movement?" The word movement connotes
an
organized effort by man with an agenda and a plan of action to meet
that
agenda. Proper evangelism is not a movement; it is a work of the Holy
Spirit
upon individuals to minister the Gospel to others.
But the World Christian Movement requires that a new meaning be applied
to
the term evangelism, which meaning encompasses social and political
action.
Yet it does recognize that evangelism is not, in itself, socio-political
action, Thus, a new word has been coined to encompass both evangelism
and
socio-political action: "evangelization." We will see as we progress
that
evangelization is a "Christian movement" that manifests itself in any
expression of Christianity, not in winning souls, but in maintaining
a
"Christian presence" among the world's unredeemed. Thus, Jesuit missions
of
the Roman Catholic Church are given equal standing with Evangelical
Christian missions as valid expressions of "evangelization," This is
why the
term World Christian Movement is used to describe this new "move of
God." It
is a movement that includes, but is not limited to, the preaching of
the
Gospel.
Evangelization does include evangelism, but not exclusively, and not
primarily to the unsaved in so-called Christianized nations. It promotes
evangelism to "people groups" who have not heard about Jesus Christ,
and
then only in terms that can be understood within the cultural context
of
those people groups. This will be addressed later on. In the meantime,
we
must understand that personal evangelism-although a part of world
evangelization is not the primary goal. Rather, the primary goal is
the
turning of whole people groups into Christianized organisms.
This is not to denigrate the aspirations of those involved in world
evangelization - especially those who do not understand the true nature
of
its agenda, and are seeking to win souls to Christ. It is merely to
delineate the distinction between what Christ commanded His Church,
and what
these people wish to force upon us as a mandate.
It is also to demonstrate the difference between biblical evangelism
and
man's plan for evangelization. Not everyone involved in the World Christian
Movement is aware of that difference. Thus, we find that, in the Movement,
the terms evangelism and evangelization are often used interchangeably.
A Simple Lifestyle Demanded
The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization has published what it
calls
"Occasional Papers" which address the Committee's position on various
issues
related to its agenda. Occasional Paper #20 addresses "An Evangelical
Commitment to Simple Life-style." In this Paper, Alan Nichols calls
for a
more equal distribution of wealth. We will quote several passages and
address the author's position:
The 1980 Simple Life-style Consultation was
one of the many
consequences of the Lausanne Congress on World
Evangelization
1974, at the end of which thousands of Evangelicals
signed a
Covenant which included this statement: "All
of us are shocked by
the poverty of millions and disturbed by the
injustices which
cause it. Those of us who live in affluent
circumstances accept
our duty to develop a simple life-style in
order to contribute
more generously to both relief and evangelism."
Thus, a primary
motive in the Lausanne Covenant for developing
a simple lifestyle
was "the poverty of millions" and "the injustices
which cause
it."...
This issue was very prominent in the minds
of the participants in
the Simple Life-style Consultation in March
1980. While starting
with the Bible, they were very conscious especially
because of the
presence of significant representatives of
the poorer parts of the
world-of the dramatic contrasts in both material
standards of
living and access to power which exist in
the different countries
of the world.
While recognizing that God still calls some
to voluntary poverty,
participants expressed the strong affirmation
that involuntary
poverty is an offense against the goodness
[of) God, and added
that it is related in the Bible to powerlessness,
for the poor
cannot protect themselves.25
No true believer in Christ would look upon those in poverty without
compassion and a desire to alleviate whatever suffering is in their
power to
address. What the Lausanne Committee is requiring as our "Christian
duty,"
as stated in Article 5 of the Lausanne Covenant, is that all believers
in
Christ deprive themselves of other than the basic necessities of life
in
order that their "wealth" may be redistributed.
This idealistic theory sounds magnanimous except for some pertinent truths:
1) Wealth is not static; it is created through industriousness and hard
work. To take from those who have in order to give to those who do
not have
will only result in nobody having anything. It is a Marxist principle,
not a
biblical principle. It is to kill the proverbial goose that lays the
golden
egg! Scripture lauds those who work in order that they not be a burden
to
others.
2) Wealth is relative. Rulers in some countries do not enjoy the material
benefits that the average citizen of the United States enjoys. Who
is to say
that one has too much? How much is too much?
3) Poverty is often due to government policies. The nations upon whom
the
Marxist-minded leaders in Christendom heap their condemnation have
created
their wealth through industriousness and hard work, True, there is
some
"exploitation" of the working class, if exploitation is seen as those
implementing the ideas of industry receiving a disproportionate share
of the
income derived from the resources they sell. But kings of old would
give
their all to enjoy the benefits that the average person in a First
World
country enjoys as a result of that "exploitation."
Does this mean that Capitalism has no problems? Of course not. But it
is the
fascist leaders of industrial countries wishing to lavish the fruits
of its
citizens' labors upon political allies that has created the disparity
in
scale of living between nations. We could deprive ourselves of every
possible amenity outside of a grass hut, grubs to eat and barely potable
water to drink, and we would not alleviate one iota of the world's
suffering
poor. Administration costs for the World Christian Movement would suck
up
the initial offerings and leave nothing for the future As far as
"redistributing the wealth through government, forget it. The wealth
we give
up in foreign aid through our taxes lands in the pockets of the rulers,
not
in the hands of the people. And that is true of socialist nations no
less
than in dictatorships.
It is true that the Lausanne Covenant recognizes the problem of governments
Thus it calls upon Christians to suffer with the poor, and to take
political
and social action to "call upon rulers to fulfill their God-appointed
role."26
Reality dictates that most rulers are not regenerate men; they couldn't
care
less about the poor. And this is why God's Word does not place upon
the
Church the burden of solving the world's problems.
However, we are commanded individual situations to help those who are
the
suffering, especially within the house hold of faith (Galatians 6:10).
4) Is it better to give to charity then to invest in enterprises that
create
wealth? The axiom that it is better to teach a man to fish than to
give him
a fish is true. They are misguided who deride the wealthy whose charitable
giving of hundreds of millions of dollars is a small fraction of their
worth. Were the wealthy of the world to give away their fortunes, millions
of people would be out of jobs, and the benefits realized from their
enterprises would vanish.
Let God judge the wealthy; and let God judge each believer for how we
handle
that with which He has blessed us.
But this is not the Lausanne view Rather, wealth is equated with greed:
Another of Jesus' sayings which to use Ronald
Sider's phrase - is
"largely ignored by rich Christians," is Matthew
19:23,24; "I tell
you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of
heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for
a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of
God."
The corollary is clear, as the Apostle Paul
taught (e.g., 1
Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 5:5): namely that
the greedy also will
be excluded from the kingdom.27 (Emphasis
ours)
Such a statement is inflammatory. It judges as greedy all who are rich
in
this world's goods. Yet it is wealthy Christians who give generously
for the
cause of the Kingdom. It is not wealth, but covetousness that is a
sin.
Covetousness has to do with desiring another person's possessions;
it does
not have to do with honest gain.
Greed, on the other hand, is an inordinate desire to possess things.
It may
or may not involve covetousness toward another person's goods.
To work hard in order to provide for one's posterity is not greed. Scripture
is full of examples of godly men who had wealth. But the Lausanne Committee
conveniently omits Jesus' concluding words that, although it is hard
for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, with God all things are possible.
The Committee wants Christians to strip themselves of material possessions
so that they can be given to those who do not have. Depending upon
how the
Holy Spirit works in individual hearts this may be God's will for some.
Yet
He often blesses His children with material blessings without such
a demand.
Or, He may demand it sometimes but not at other times.
Guilt Trips
Ralph D. Winter states that it is sin to be at ease with, and focusing
attention on, one's family. The world is at war, and it is unconscionable
for Christians to behave as if we were not in a war.
Bill Stearns, writing in Paraclete Magazine, relates a story from Don
Rodgers, a staffer at USCWM who tells of a time when Winter came into
his
dorm room at Penn State in the mid-70s:
"He insisted on doing the dishes. And we couldn't
get him a motel
room or anything. He said, 'Oh, I'll just
need a blanket and some
space on the floor.' Then he stopped by my
room to talk and looked
in my closet: 'How many guys live in this
room?' I told him two.
'Both use this same closet?'
"I couldn't tell what he was getting at," says
Don. "I told him
that the closet was just mine. 'How many feet
do you have?' he
asked. I shrugged, 'Two.' 'Then why do you
have 8ix shoes in
here?' It was my introduction to a 'wartime
lifestyle.'!"28
Such guilt trips lie at the heart of the World Christian Movement. But
why
pick on a hapless student? How many pairs of shoes does Winter own?
I doubt
the answer would be one pair. And why not rather put a guilt trip on
some of
his contemporaries in the movement whose lifestyles are far above that
of
the average Christian?
Movements such as this rely upon a hierarchy of controllers-generals
and
others of high rank - who issue the orders to the masses of troops.
The
hierarchy may enjoy the privileges of rank, while the troops must content
themselves with whatever scraps of pleasure the hierarchy allows them.
But,
then, how else could "God's generals" "win the world for Christ?" The
troops
must be deployed according to the strategies of those in command if
the
nations are to be subdued.
When religious leaders lay their personal demands upon all believers
at all
times it infringes upon our freedom in Christ and suggests that we
cannot be
led by His Spirit to do what is right. At the same time, those demands
engender in those who don't have many material possessions, a covetousness
which demands the taking from those who do have.
There is no more virtue in poverty than there is in wealth. In fact,
there
is probably more covetousness among the poor than among the wealthy.
It is
the condition of the heart that counts with God. And everyone, regardless
of
monetary standing, is greedy and covetous by nature. It appears as
if the
Lausanne Committee is quick to judge the hearts of those who have material
possessions beyond what the Committee feels they should have.
Self-deprivation is fine if giving is from a heart of love. Paul's
instructions on giving speak to this:
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall
reap also
sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully
shall reap also
bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him give,
not grudgingly, or of necessity.- for God
loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward
you; that ye,
always having all sufficiency in all things,
may abound to every
good work:
As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad;
he hath given to the
poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-9)
It is as each purposes in his own heart that one should give, not out
of
coercion or guilt. And God is able, regardless of how much is given,
to meet
the needs of all men. That some are not able to have their needs met
is
largely the result of their not knowing God. And generally it is because
of
the policies of unregenerate rulers.
To place self-deprivation upon the Body of Christ as a mandate fueled
by
guilt is unconscionable. Yet this is what the Lausanne Committee does:
Our Christian obedience demands a simple life-style,
irrespective
of the needs of others. Nevertheless, the
facts that 800 million
people are destitute and that 10,000 die of
starvation every day
make any other lifestyle indefensible.29 (Emphasis
ours)
If our Christian duty demands this of us, where is it clearly stated
in
God's Word? And how does the Committee define "simple life-style"?
What is
simple to one man is lavish to another. And note that this "demand"
is
"irrespective of the needs of others." In other words, even if there
were no
poor in the world, Christian obedience "demands" that God's people
not enjoy
anything beyond the basics needed to sustain life. If it allows for
more
than this, how much more? We are not told.
Yet how many of the leaders in this Movement are leading lifestyles
far
above those of their constituents? Listed among those attending the
Lausanne
Consultation are wealthy leaders in Christendom. I have not heard of
any of
them stripping themselves their own wealth to set an example!
The Cultural Mandate
In the Reader for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, C. Peter
Wagner, mentored by the late John Wimber, and so-called "expert" on
church
growth, calls social and political action "the cultural mandate" of
the
Gospel:
The cultural mandate, which some refer to as
Christian social
responsibility goes as far back as the Garden
of Eden. After God
created Adam and Eve, He said to them: "Be
fruitful and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion
over the fish of the
sea, over the birds of the air, and over every
living thing... -
Both the cultural mandate and the evangelistic
mandate are
essential parts of biblical mission, in my
opinion. Neither is
optional. There is a growing consensus on
this point in
Evangelical circles.
This was not true as early as twenty-two years
ago when the Berlin
World 'Congress on Evangelism was held in
1966. One of the first
Evangelicals to stress the cultural mandate
in a public forum was
Horace Fenton of the Latin America Mission
at the Wheaton Congress
on the Church's Worldwide Mission, also held
in 1966. Following
that, the social consciousness generated by
the social upheavals
of the 1960's brought the cultural mandate
to prominence until it
was given a relatively high profile on the
platform of the
International Congress on World Evangelization
at Lausanne in
1974.30
Mankind is in dominion over the earth, always has been, and always will
be.
But Wagner makes the assumption that God's instruction to Adam and
Eve has
not been accomplished because Christians are not in dominion over the
earth.
This argument is presented by dominionists of every stripe, from Manifested
Sons of God adherents to Christian Reconstructionists. (See my book,
Vengeance is Ours: The Church in Dominion, for an in-depth analysis
of
'Kingdom Now" or "dominion theology.")
The "cultural mandate," then, is the need for Christians to take dominion
over the earth by means of social and political action. And, according
to
Wagner, it was inspired by the "social upheavals of the 1960's." So
now we
not only have hippies in the White House; they're in control of world
missions, too!
Scripture tells us that God is over the nations and places in power
those
whom He chooses-men of base nature (Daniel 4:17).
Those who wish to change the world are in for a sore disappointment.
They
decry the awful condition of mankind, and feel that it is their duty
to
clean things up. They are with good reason horrified at the evil that
is
manifested today. And each generation perceives that evil as increasing.
The United States is especially marked for its sins. Cries abound that
crime
is epidemic, divorce is rampant, immorality pervades society, America's
inner cities are filled with anger and hopelessness, our moral foundation
is
weakened.
But that is how it is in every city all over the world. The United States
is
still the most civil country on earth in spite of its many shortcomings.
Yes, America is going to be judged for its sins, but so is every nation
on
earth.
Does this mean that we should not care? Of course not. But to decry
the
state of a fallen world for the purpose of mobilizing Christians in
the hope
of transforming that world is futile. Sin will continue to wax worse
until
Jesus Himself returns to judge the nations. And even then, during His
righteous reign on the earth, many hearts will not bend to him even
if the
knees do bend out of fear or force.
Therefore, this berating of Christians is unfounded when directed at
motivating them to action on behalf of these men's doomed efforts to
"win
the world for Christ." If the Church needs berating it is because we
have
ignored the Lord's command for holiness in lieu of seeking comfort
through
the world system, not because we have failed to conquer the world system.
Dominion
The dominionist agenda of the World Christian Movement is evident in
the
following Perspectives article by Edward R. Dayton and David A. Fraser.
Addressing the distinctions between those who stress the socio-political
mandate over the evangelistic mandate and vice-versa, they find agreement
with both:
Both sides have some areas of agreement. Both
argue that a more
humane and non-oppressive social order and
a more just
distribution of resources are important concerns
of the Church...
-
We are convinced that only a theology of the
Kingdom of God can
bring coherence and order to the debate. Jesus'
proclamation of
the good news of the Kingdom of God is the
basis and content of
mission. God is bringing about the extension
of his rule over an
unruly world. The Missio Dei is the Kingdom
of God and the
integrating aim of mission.31
Dayton and Fraser criticize the "traditionalists"-those who believe
that the
Gospel is the sole mandate while voluntarily involving themselves in
relieving the suffering of those to whom they minister. At the same
time,
the authors affirm the dominionist mandate of Johannes Verkuyl:
The degree to which they [traditionalists]
have stressed a
personal-social salvation to the exclusion
of the political-social
dimensions of the Kingdom is the measure to
which they have
narrowed the nature of the Kingdom and made
it less than what
Jesus proclaimed.
Johannes Verkuyl is right in the way in which
he sketches the
various elements of mission as implicated
in the Kingdom of God:
The Kingdom to which the Bible testifies involves
a proclamation
and a realization of a total salvation, one
which covers the whole
range of human needs and destroys every pocket
of evil and grief
affecting mankind. Kingdom in the New Testament
has a breadth and
scope which is unsurpassed, it embraces heaven
as was earth, world
history as well as whole cosmos.32
Did Jesus mandate that the Church destroy every pocket of evil and grief
affecting mankind? Has He commanded His disciples to fight for the
kingdoms
of the world? This will, of course, be the result of the full reconciliation
of God to His creation at the New Heavens and New Earth. But even during
the
millennial reign of Christ, evil will flourish in men's hearts, and
grief
will come upon those who are disobedient. The only way to destroy every
pocket of evil is to destroy every man, woman and child upon the face
of the
earth! But blessed hope! Those who are in Christ when He returns will
be
resurrected and changed to sinless perfection (I Cor. 15:52). The best
we
can do now is lead souls to Christ and disciple them to be conformed
to His
image.
In their zeal to see the "Kingdom" come to fruition, Dayton and Fraser
assign equal value to liberal, unbelieving "missions" with
Gospel-proclaiming missions.
In the Foreword of the Perspectives Reader, Leighton Ford, Chairman
of the
Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization states:
God is raising up a new army of Kingdom volunteers in our day.
Across every continent are emerging 'World
Christians"-young women
and men with world horizons, committed to
"Exodus" lifestyles,
possessed by the goal of discipling the nations
to Jesus Christ
the Lord.33
The "Exodus lifestyle" refers to the Israelites being prepared to leave
Egypt with nothing but their staffs in their hands and their feet shod.
This
term, "Exodus lifestyle" is a buzzword of the World Christian Movement
which
suggests that Christians should not possess anything but the basics
of life.
The fact that the Egyptians gave the Israelites great spoils to take
with
them is not considered.
The term "discipling the nations," as used in the World Christian Movement,
is a dominionist term that denotes the "Christianizing" of the nations.
It
is a convoluted meaning attributed to Jesus' command recorded in Matthew
28:19-20:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world.
Amen.
The dominionists teach that it is not only individuals that Christ wishes
to
convert, but entire nations or people groups. Their goal is to reinstitute
the Old Testament Laws that God gave to Israel, and impose them upon
the
nations, thus "converting" the world to Jesus Christ. Why does the
World
Christian Movement use the same reference?
Their agenda is generally referenced in modern English versions of the
Bible, most notably the New American Standard Version and the New
International Version, which, in many churches, have superseded the
King
James Version. The NW renders Matthew 28:19-20 thus:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And
8urely I am with you always, to the very end
of the age.
The NAS is similar:
Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded
you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age.
The Greek rendered "teach" in the KJV, and "disciple" in the NAS and
NW, is
matheteou--to teach or disciple. It does not mean "to make disciples,"
which
carries another connotation. To teach the nations meant to take the
Gospel
beyond Israel to the gentiles. It did not mean to make the nations,
as
entire ethnic groups, into disciples.
The first and proper understanding is to disciple individuals (whosoever
'win believe [John 3:16]) within the nations. The second understanding,
held
by dominionists, is to disciple the nations is whole people groups.
This, of
course, infers a political power which was never conferred upon the
Church
by Christ.
Within the World Christian Movement are those who promote the latter
idea
that the Church is mandated to make the nations, not individuals from
within
the nations, Christ's disciples. This is borne out in the language
chosen by
John R.W. Stott in his contribution to Perspectives:
... It was in consequence of his [Jesus'] universal
authority that
he commanded his followers to make all nations
his disciples,
baptizing them into his new community and
teaching them all his
teaching (Matt. 28: 19).34
Stott is Rector Emeritus of Ml Souls Church in London, President of
Christian Impact, and an Extra Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II. His
credentials are extensive. He is known for his strong ecumenical position.
Michael de Semlyen, addressing the United Protestant Council on November
1,
1997, said of Stott:
It is well known that leading evangelicals
including John Stott
convinced themselves that there is no literal
Hell. Now just a few
years later the doctrine of eternal punishment
has been
"officially" abolished by the Synbod of the
Church of England.
Annihilationism is the reformulated doctrine
of the Anglican
Church - flying in the face of 2000 years
of orthodoxy and the
plain teaching of our Lord in Scripture.35
Stott is a contributor to the Perspectives course via his messages used
in
the Reader.
Ralph Winter, as do many involved in the new evangelization process,
uses a
term that betrays their ultimate objective. He states that there are
practical evangelistic strategies which we must have if we are going
to "win
the world for Christ."36
Well, we are not going to "win the world for Christ." We were never
commanded to "win the world for Christ." That is the dominionist agenda,
not
the Great Commission.
Scripture tells us that, when Jesus returns, the whole world will be
united
to wage war against Him. His question, "Nevertheless when the Son of
man
cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8) reveals the
apostate
condition not only of the world, but of the churches.
Are we going to "win the world for Christ" only to lose it to Satan
again?
What, then, is the purpose of those "strategies" designed to "win the
world
for Christ"?
The purpose is to establish Christendom as the moral bully to force
unregenerate men to act right, thus establishing a "moral and just"
society
in keeping with the philosophical tenets of the world's religions.
Governments want moral citizens as well, since it best serves the
governments' interests.
While all godly men would like to see a moral and just society, true
believers trust in Christ to accomplish this when He returns. We do
not
trust men, no matter how pious their words.
The dominionist agenda presupposes an unbiblical end-time scenario:
that the
nations will be brought into submission to Christ before He returns.
It also
presupposes that the Lord's Body is huge and well-heeled. But what
did Jesus
say?
Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall
he find faith on
the earth? (Luke 18:8b)
For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matt 22:14)
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
not in any wise men
after the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the
world to confound
the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things
of the world to
confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which
are despised, hath
God chosen, yea, and things which are not,
to bring to nought
things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
(1 Corinthians
1:26-29)
Mission Frontier, the magazine for U.S. Center for World Mission, asked
the
question, 'Will the meek succeed in inheriting the world when throughout
history violent men have failed?" The premise is that, indeed, God's
people
will inherit the earth, not when Christ returns, but before, through
the
World Christian Movement.
Yet to "succeed" implies an agenda and a concerted effort to fulfill
that
agenda. But the truly meek do not have an agenda; they trust in God
to take
vengeance for them upon those who abuse them. In the World Christian
Movement the goal is not really to "inherit," but to "conquer."
The dominionist agenda does not end with social and political action.
It
also wars against demonic principalities and powers in order to destroy
their strongholds over cities and nations.
Spiritual Warfare
The World Christian Movement has adopted the modern deliverance mode
of
spiritual warfare to a large degree. This involves a charismatic form
of
"spiritual warfare," confronting demonic powers through liturgical
acts,
prayer walks, demonstrations of spiritual power, signs and wonders,
and
other means. C. Peter Wagner's influence is evident in the Movement's
approach in this direction.
One approach with which we find no fault is, of course, prayer. To pray
for
the Lord to open doors to minister the Gospel is scriptural, as pointed
out
by John D. Robb in the Perspectives Study Guide:
The Apostle Paul urged the Christians of his
generation to "devote
yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
And pray for us
too that God may open a door for our
message so that we may
proclaim the mystery of Christ" (Col. 4:2-4).37
But there is prayer, and there is prayer. Biblical prayer is based upon
the
desire to see the will of God done. It is not affectatious, and does
not
seek to manipulate God. The prayer of today's spiritual warfare movement,
which is engaged in by many in the World Christian Movement, is liturgical.
It involves railing against principalities and powers, which is forbidden
by
God's Word (2 Peter 2:11; Jude 1:9).
Much of what Robb says in his dissertation is biblical, yet he also
presents
as truth the spiritual warfare teachings of C. Peter Wagner:
Peter Wagner in a symposium on power evangelism
at Fuller Seminary
affirmed: "Satan delegates high-ranking members
of the hierarchy
of evil spirits to control nations, regions,
cities, tribes,
people groups, neighborhoods and other significant
social networks
of human beings throughout the world. Their
major assignment is to
prevent God from being glorified in their
territory, which they do
through directing the activity of lower-ranking
demons."38
He also quotes Francis Frangipane who gained his understanding of spiritual
powers as an apostle in the Manifested Sons of God movement:
There are satanic strongholds over countries
and communities;
there are strongholds which influence churches
and individuals....
These fortresses exist in the thought patterns
and ideas that
govern individuals... as well as communities
and nations. Before
victory can be claimed, these strongholds
must be pulled down, and
Satan's armor removed. Then the mighty weapons
of the Word and the
Spirit can effectively plunder Satan's house.39
This teaching is based not on God's Word, but on a misapplication of
His
Word as seen from a dualistic perspective of the spirit realm. Those
who
hold this view of spiritual warfare, whether they realize it or not,
are
subscribing to the dualistic concept of equal (or almost equal) but
opposing
forces: God= Good, Light, Love, etc.; Satan=Bad, Darkness, Hate, etc.
In
Christian dualism (the heart of the word-faith and charismatic movements),
God is more powerful than Satan, but Satan can do as he will unless
God gets
some help from mankind and/or His angels. To those who subscribe to
these
ideas, it is a matter of legality. God is powerless to confront Satan
unless
He can establish a legal precedent to do so.
At the heart of this thinking is the belief that man surrendered control
over the earth in the Garden of Eden, placing it in the hands of Satan.
Now
God is on the outside looking in, and must be invited back by man once
man
has taken control back from Satan. It is man, not God, who must pull
down
the strongholds.
Granted, not all involved in this concept of spiritual warfare are aware
of
the implications and where they came from. But this Manifested Sons
of God
teaching is at the heart of the liturgical attempts to "bring down
the
strongholds."
Amazingly, C. Peter Wagner, a major proponent of this form of spiritual
warfare, is not even sure that it's true:
It goes without saying that if this hypothesis
concerning
territorial spirits is correct, and if we
could learn how to break
their control through the power of God, positions
on the
resistance-receptivity axis could change virtually
overnight.40
There are a couple of important concerns that arise from this statement.The
first is the idea that we can break demonic control through the power
of
God. This implies that man can use the power of God. But no, we cannot
use
the power of God; we pray for God to use His power to accomplish His
will.
The second is Wagner's uncertainty "if this hypothesis" is correct.
Does
this not question the validity of using such a method as an important
aspect
of world missions?
Remember now, we are not talking about praying for God's will concerning
the
lost; we are talking about spiritual warfare methodologies that are
rooted
in Manifested Sons of God theology. (For an explanation on Manifested
Sons
of God theology and occult roots, see my book, Vengeance Is Ours: The
Church
In Dominion.)
Scripture does call demonic forces principalities and powers. Yet it
also
reveals that God uses those powers to test the hearts of men. God's
testing
of Job, the evil spirit from God that tormented Saul, Paul's thorn
in the
flesh, are a few examples.
It is true that demonism is rampant in so-called primitive cultures
where
people live in fear of their "gods." But demonism is just as rampant
in
advanced civilization, as evidenced by the different "gods" worshipped
there. It is also true that God may, at His discretion, use men to
manifest
His power over those "gods" through miracles But that is the exception
rather than the rule, arid is always initiated by God, not by man.
Yes,Christ's true disciples have the victory over the enemy of our souls,
and the evil one cannot touch us except by God's permission. Yet God
tells
His people that we should expect tribulation in this world, that the
world
would hate us, and that we must be on guard for our souls because Satan
roams about seeking whom he may devour. But God's grace is sufficient
for
us.
His Word and His Spirit are not at our command; we are at His command.
And
He is not moved by our liturgical attempts to get Him to move in the
manner
we expect He wants to move Yet liturgy-involving corporate 'prayer'
-is at
the heart of the spiritual warfare attempts by many in the World Christian
Movement.
CONTINUED IN PART TWO
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES
1. Ralph D. Winter, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement,
Study
Guide, 1997 Edition (Pasadena: William
Carey Library, 1997), p. L-
2. Ibid.
3. Wendy Murray Zoba, "The Grandmother of Us All," Christianity
Today,
September, 16, 1996.
4. Ethel May Baldwin & David V. Benson,Earl 0. Roe, ed.,
Dream Big: The
Hennetta Mears Story, (Ventura, CA: Regal
Books, 1990) p.77.
5. Ibid., pp.98-100.
6. ibid., p.121.
7. Ibid., p.100.
8. Ibid., p.224.
9. Ibid., p.246.
10. Richard M. Riss, Latter Rain, undated, p.19.
11. Dream Big, The Henrietta Mears Story, Op.Cit., pp.280-281.
12. Riss, Latter Rain, Op. Cit,, p.26.
13. Jim Rayburn, quoted by Richard Riss, Latter Rain, Op. Cit.,
p.28.
14. Dream Big, Op. Cit., p.297.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid., p.298,
17. Ibid., pp. 304.305.
18. Billy Graham, Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham
(San
Francisco: Harper Collins, Zondervan, 1997),
pp.113-115.
19. Testimony of former members of original Vineyard Christian
Fellowship.
20. Billy Graham, Introduction to "Reviving the Church's Vision
for the
Final Frontiers-Perspectives on the World
Christian Movement," by Brad
Kent Cronhaugh, Mission Frontiers Bulletin,
January-February 1994,
Vol.16, No.1-2, p.12.
21. Ibid.
22. A. Jack Dam, Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization,
The Lausanne
Story (Charlotte, NC: Lausanne Committee for
World Evangelization,
1987), p.13.
23. The Lausanne Covenant, International Congress on World Evangelization,
July, 1997.
24. Billy Graham, The Lausanne Story, Op.Cit., p.5.25.
25. Alan Nichols, An Evangelical Commitment To A Simple Lifestyle,
Lausanne
Occasional Papers (Lausanne Committee for
World Evangelization, 1980),
p.12.
26. Ibid., p.13.
27. Ibid., p.14.
28. Bill Steam, Praclete Magazine, p.16.
29. Alan Nichols, An Evangelical Commitment to Simple Lifestyle,
Op. cit.,
p.17.
30. C. Peter Wagner, "On the Cutting Edge of Mission Strategy,"
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement,
A Reader, Revised Edition
(Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1981,1992),
pp. D-45-46.
31. Edward R. Dayton & David A. Fraser "Mission and the Church,"
Ibid., p.
D-21.
32. Ibid., pp. D-21-22.
33. Leighton Ford, Perspectives Reader, Op.Cit., p. xii.
34. John R.W. Stott, "The Bible in World Evangelization," Ibid.,
p. A-4.
35. Michael D. Semlyen, The Foundations Under Attack: The Roots
of
Apostasy, (Hertsfordshire, England: Dorchester
House Publications,
1998), pp.13-14.
36. Ralph D. Winter, "The New Macedonia, Ibid., p. B-173.
37. John D. Robb, "Strategic Praying for Frontier Missions,"
Perspectives
on the World Christian Movement, Study Guide,
1997 Edition, Pasadena:
William Carey Library,1997), p. A-7.
38. Ibid., p.1-8.
39. Ibid.
40. Ibid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article sponsored by: Hebrews928@aol.com
link to Contenders Web Site