Closet Calvinist

~ The not so secret thoughts of a Closet Calvinist

Closet Calvinist

Category Archives: Ecclesiology

World Vision: Why I stopped giving

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by cc_ in Church, Ecclesiology, Government, Law

≈ Comments Off on World Vision: Why I stopped giving

Tags

gay marriage, Homosexuality, World Vision

World VisionWorld Vision USA announced yesterday that they were amending their hiring policy to include people who are in a legal homosexual marriage. Their requirements, as they were explained to me by Melissa, a “special agent” at World Vision are that all employees must be Christians, affirming the Apostles Creed or a World Vision statement regarding the Trinity (I was not able to find this statement, I would appreciate a link to it if anyone can find it.), and agree to submit to the World Vision USA policy on marriage. That is, employees must have a Christian worldview ethic on matters of sexuality, except when it comes to homosexual marriage, it seems.

This change, as Melissa explained, is because gay marriage is a very big and divisive issue in the Church, and World Vision USA works with several Churches (denominations) with varying beliefs in the areas of divorce, birth control (I didn’t ask her if this referred to abortion or not, sorry!), and homosexuality.

I asked a few questions, hoping to get Melissa off of her script, and to find out a little bit more. They accept donations from anyone, which is to be expected, I couldn’t imagine making potential donors read and agree to the Apostles Creed or the World Vision USA statement on the Trinity, and maybe the Westminster or other Confession. And, they work with what appears to be any group that calls itself a Church. As for their employees, they represent a diverse group that includes Roman Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterian Church USA (the dead liberal ones), Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA, this group is in a race with PCUSA to be the first to abandon all Christian doctrines.), United Methodists (who are currently fighting with themselves over gay marriage with the African Methodists trying to steer the ship back toward orthodoxy.), and any others that are willing to affirm the Apostles Creed.

In reading articles on World Vision USA’s announcement I found an article that explained a little more about World Vision International than what I knew, and reminded me of some concerns I already had with them.

World Vision International is a humanitarian aide organization, a Christian humanitarian aide organization. They operate all over the world working to improve the structure of villages to help support an economy and to provide for the residents to make a living and be able to sustain themselves. This includes building roads, wells, supplying animals for milk or meat, and training people on how to steward the land and resources they have. Though their flyers seem to indicate that a sponsorship goes to an individual child, that is not the case, rather that child represents a community that they are working in. Your sponsored child receives benefits as the community benefits, rather than benefits going directly to feeding that individual child. Letters mailed to the child do actually go to the child, of course.

World Vision International works with local and national governments to help these villages. This allows for donations to be more helpful as the national government of the country works with them to build the necessary infrastructure.

However, this also presents a problem, many governments are less than hospitable to Christians bearing the Gospel, so World Vision International agrees not to proclaim the Gospel to the people who they are aiding in these countries. This allows them to work in Muslim, Hindu, or even atheistic nations. So, the infrastructure is being built, but the Gospel may or may not be proclaimed, depending on the wishes of the national government.

To compare, Compassion International works directly with the child to meet their individual needs and to proclaim the Gospel to them. However, this likely means that they would not be allowed in to many nations that are more hostile to the Gospel.

Having read about these things, and praying about this, I decided that I could not in good conscience give money to World Vision USA any longer. I’ll now attempt to give the reasons for my decision, in hopes that others will also think this through and carefully weigh the matter.

Gay Marriage

The obvious, and already mentioned, catalyst is World Vision USA’s announcement that gay marriage is divisive and not important enough for them to take a stand against. I understand their reasoning, and in a pragmatic way I can see why they would make the decision. When much of the American Christian Churches are going liberal the donations and workers are going to dry up and they’ll look “intolerant.” Offending people is hard, and we all want unity. As I explained to Melissa, light can’t have unity with darkness.

Melissa reiterated the official press release, that this change is not in any way endorsing or promoting gay marriage or homosexuality. Unfortunately, making an official policy, and an announcement, on the subject is doing exactly what they have said they aren’t doing.

(Adam Ford (Adam4D) had a very timely infographic on this today)

Authority of Scripture versus Pragmatism

World Vision USA and International, as Melissa was careful to remind me, is not a Church, rather it is a parachurch Christian humanitarian aide organization. A couple issues here, if it is Christian it needs to hold to the Bible as the ultimate authority and that requires that Scripture trumps pragmatism and unity. Yes, Jesus did pray that we would be united as one. Unfortunately, as Paul would remind us, there is and will be division among us because many have turned from the light to darkness. Light and darkness can’t have fellowship they are opposites.

Parachurch

Then there is the issue that World Vision is a parachurch organization. Being a parachurch organization it isn’t held accountable to any denominational synod or presbytery. Just like any secular charity it is only accountable to itself and those who donate to it.

Along with this comes the difficulty of trying to support something that is trying to serve part of the role of the Church while not being part of a Church. As I’m learning more as a Presbyterian one of the big things has been the Church, God’s chosen people. God’s grace is extended through the Church and God’s people are held accountable to the Church. Why should this ministry be outside of the Church? Wouldn’t it be better to support missionaries and humanitarian aide through the ordinary means God has provided through the Church? What does it say of our ecclesiology if we think the local congregation and the Church it is a part of isn’t where our giving should be focused? Why even give to a Christian organization that isn’t tied to the one Christian organization that God gave us, is this any different from giving to a secular group?

Gospel

Last, and most important, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What good is it if we feed the world but don’t give them the thing they lack most? What is the role of the Church if not to proclaim the Gospel? Yes, humanitarian aide is good, and we should do it as we are able. But, that isn’t the command Jesus gave to the Church. The Great Commission is “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” World Vision International isn’t a Church and isn’t working toward the Great Commission. Don’t get me wrong, I think what they do is a good thing, I really do, but I think my money would be better used in giving it to the local church to support the Gospel being proclaimed locally, to support the two overseas missionary families my congregation supports, and to the denomination and the missionaries it supports.

Update: Today (3/26/14) World Vision USA announced they were taking back their policy change and not going to allow people in legal gay marriages to work for them. They also issued an apology.

However, for the reasons in my post, I still am not going to be funding them. I’ve also found out a little more, it seems World Vision doesn’t proclaim the Gospel at all.

Knowing vs Feeling in Worship

22 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by cc_ in Ecclesiology, Preaching, Theology

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Alistair Begg, rock music worship, worship

This is a clip from a lecture by Alistair Begg regarding why we worship, and to an extent, how we should worship.

Back to the Word of God Conference

24 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by cc_ in Church, Ecclesiology, Personal, Seeker Sensitivity

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Back to the Word of God, Bethel Church Redding California, Bill Johnson, IHOP, International House of Prayer, Jesus Culture, Norway

Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 1st Kings 19:18

Bible - The Word of GodA few weeks ago I returned from Norway, where I attended the “Back to the Word of God” conference. I went expecting quite a bit of hostility, as the Gospel was going to be proclaimed to pastors who had been preaching a false gospel.

Most pastors in Norway, like many in America, have replaced the true Gospel with the false seeker driven gospel, that consists of a watered down version of the Law and a sinner’s prayer, or even worse, the command to “be a Jesus follower,” that makes no mention of the need for repentance and faith for the forgiveness of sins. As well as this seeker driven gospel there was the word-faith / dominionist gospel, which is all about making demands of God as if He is a genie who does the will of whoever can rub his lamp the right way by saying the right words, having enough faith, being audacious enough, tithing, or keeping certain laws. This false gospel is usually accompanied by manufactured miracles and false healings.

To my surprise, and I think to the surprise of the host of the conference, this isn’t what we found. Rather than a group of pastors who had never heard, let alone taught, the true Gospel, we were blessed to have a gathering of mostly true believers; pastors and lay people who knew, proclaimed, and loved the Good News of Jesus Christ who paid for the sins of His people; a remnant of the invisible true Church holding fast to the Gospel despite their very small number and the opposition of the false churches and the enemies of the Gospel urging them to compromise.

By God’s grace, a remnant from all over Norway gathered to hear the Gospel, to be encouraged by the Gospel, and to fellowship with others who believe.

For sure, the false teachings I mentioned above exist and run rampant all over Norway, but the people who preach such things didn’t show up; instead, news of the conference spread across Norway and a remnant came to hear the Truth. There were some who were influenced by such things, especially those who have heard of the false miracles Bethel Church in Redding, California claim to be performing on a regular basis, but after some reasoning from the Bible and explanation of the “gospel” Bill Johnson and Jesus Culture proclaim, I think those who were influenced by them were able to see the truth.

If at any time then we are troubled at the small number of those who believe, let us, on the other hand, call to mind, that none comprehend the mysteries of God save those to whom it is given. – Calvin. Institutes 1.7.5

One of the best things I think will come of this conference is believers meeting one another and knowing they aren’t alone. Rather than hiding in fear believers will hopefully be emboldened to proclaim the Gospel, knowing they aren’t alone, even if they are few. Along with this, there was some good instruction as to how and what to preach.

As for me personally, aside with knowing the hosts and wanting to hear solid preaching, I didn’t have a reason to go, and I wondered why God would have me there. Thankfully, God did have work for me to do there. I was able to do some teaching one on one or in small groups between sessions and I was able to enjoy the fellowship and make some new friends.

It is my prayer that God will use this conference to increase the faith of all who attended, that we may all go our way encouraged and instructed in how to share the Good News with an unbelieving world. And, that this remnant in Norway will be used to reach the elect with the Gospel.

And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD will do this.

2nd Kings 19:30-31

J.C. Ryle on the Symptoms of False Doctrine

21 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by cc_ in Church, Ecclesiology, Seeker Sensitivity

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bethel Church Redding California, Bill Johnson, false doctrine, glory clouds, J.C. Ryle

J.C. RyleI posted these 8 points from J.C. Ryle regarding the symptoms of false doctrine, adapted for Twitter as 9 tweets. I present them here in their non-adapted, unaltered form.

Many things combine to make the present inroad of false doctrine peculiarly dangerous.

1. There is an undeniable zeal in some of the teachers of error: their “earnestness” makes many think they must be right.

2. There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge: many fancy that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe guides.

3. There is a general tendency to free thought and free inquiry in these latter days: many like to prove their independence of judgment, by believing novelties.

4. There is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded: many seem half ashamed of saying that anybody can be in the wrong.

5. There is a quantity of half-truth taught by the modern false teachers: they are incessantly using Scriptural terms and phrases in an unscriptural sense.

6. There is a morbid craving in the public mind for a more sensuous, ceremonial, sensational, showy worship: men are impatient of inward, invisible heart-work.

7. There is a silly readiness in every direction to believe everybody who talks cleverly, lovingly and earnestly, and a determination to forget that Satan often masquerades himself “as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

8. There is a wide-spread “gullibility” among professing Christians: every heretic who tells his story plausibly is sure to be believed, and everybody who doubts him is called a persecutor and a narrow-minded man.

All these things are peculiar symptoms of our times. I defy any observing person to deny them. They tend to make the assaults of false doctrine in our day peculiarly dangerous. They make it more than ever needful to cry aloud, “Do not be carried away!”

~ J.C. Ryle

I, Closet Calvinist, would like to add one that isn’t directly mentioned by Mr. Ryle, that is the manipulation practiced by these false teachers. Yes, many of the above fit into that category, but I don’t think anyone in Mr. Ryle’s time had manipulated people into mass baptisms or had “glory clouds” of gold colored plastic glitter manifest themselves out of the air ducts at midnight on a Friday night after hours of hypnotic “worship.”

Warnings to the Churches, “Divers and Strange Doctrines”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1967], 76, 77.

Content from J.C. Ryle Quotes

Spontaneous Baptism Explosion

05 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by cc_ in Church, Ecclesiology, Seeker Sensitivity

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

attachments, manipulation, spontaneous baptisms, Steven Furtick

Spontaneous Baptisms: I came across this document a year or so ago, from a well known, very rapidly growing megachurch. It gives some insights into their practices. I shared it on Twitter last week, though I had the Google Document permissions where having a link wasn’t sufficient to be able to open the document. Given the demand for it, I thought I would give a short write-up here.

Steven FurtickBaptists love seeing new baptisms. So much so that Southern Baptist churches report them along with their annual attendance to the Southern Baptist Convention. We should all love, and celebrate baptisms, even if we don’t all agree with the Baptists as to the meaning, mode, or proper recipients. To all Christians though, a baptism shows growth in the Church, new souls entering into the Kingdom, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ going forth.

The seeker driven guys love baptisms even more than the Baptists. To many, and especially to them, it is a sign of success and many believe it to be God’s favor on the church.

A few years ago Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina amazed the world* with the number of baptisms they had in a matter of a couple of weeks. And, most of the people who were baptized decided to be spontaneously. Those attending Elevation deem this one of pastor Steven Furtick’s many accomplishments.

Other seeker driven churches were amazed at these numbers and apparently overwhelmed The Furtick with questions as to how all of this happened. So, The Furtick, or a member of his staff, put together a document explaining it. (And providing some interesting statistics.)

If one examines this document they will see that these spontaneous baptisms were spontaneous decisions by some, but I would argue they are as spontaneous as my decision to buy a candy bar is when I’m waiting in line at Wal-Mart. You know they do put the candy bars in the check-out line for a reason, right?

Give it a read for yourself and I think you’ll see what I mean. Pay close attention to the plants they used to motivate others into spontaneously being baptized.

Spontaneous Baptisms Kit (That is the original name of the document, I did not rename it.)

I hope that Elevation is the first, and only, to practice this manipulation, but I don’t think they are. I think it is a new low, but seeker driven churches using manipulative practices is far from being new.

  • One may sense a double meaning with “the world” above, yes, that is intended.
  • I am indebted to Fake Richard Dawkins for the clever use of the proper definite article when referring to The Furtick. His Twitter is hilarious, when he tweets, I would suggest following him.
  • To make it abundantly clear, I do not endorse these methodologies, I oppose them. Nor do I endorse Steven Furtick, or seeker driven churches.
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