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This letter is directed to
Thomas E. Trask, General Superintendent of The Assemblies of God,
in care of Charles Crabtree, Assistant General Superintendent
asstsup@ag.org.
January 11, 2007
Thomas E. Trask, General
Superintendent of The Assemblies of God
gensup@ag.org
Dear Mr. Trask,
I have attended an
Assemblies of God (AG) church for 9 years, Bethel AG Minneapolis, MN, and
been a member for 7. I withdrew my membership on November 18th, 2006.
I am writing to confront
what in my opinion is a spreading departure from sound doctrine in the
Assemblies of God. This is evidenced by the use of the evolving Seeker
Sensitive, Church Growth Movement (CGM) teachings of Robert Schuller,
Bill Hybels, and Rick Warren.
It is widely accepted
that you personally are not only facilitating these doctrines but that they
are a top-down part of your planned Transformation.
1
Is this true?
In formally questioning
the U.S. District Superintendents I found that there was a range of answers
to the questions;
1) Do you have churches
in your district that employ Seeker Sensitive church growth strategies
promoted by such men as Robert Schuller of Schuller Institute, Bill Hybels
of Willow Creek Association, and Rick Warren of "Purpose Driven" fame?
2) Do you personally
approve of using these methods?
Most answered with an
explanation. Some supported these methods with qualifying remarks. Some
did not support these methods.
Because of your position
and duties you may not be aware how controversial the developing teachings,
practice, and theological underpinnings of this phenomena have become among
many apparently authentic Christians. My belief is that some in the AG
could be scandalized as the truth comes out.
At the bottom of this
letter is a list of resources that provide information on the issues
involved, and there are other resources. These also provide comprehensive
references. The analysis available on this subject has become extensive.
You have resources at your disposal. The AG could benefit from studying the
debate.
2
Will you name a competent person to examine these materials and produce a
report?
One single book I would
suggest for reading is Redefining Christianity by Bob DeWaay. DeWaay is a
1974 graduate of North Central University College (your alma mater). He
graduated from Bethel Seminary in 1999 with a Masters of Arts in Theological
Studies degree.
We all now look to you in
these matters.
S.S.
--Books, Articles,
Resources--
Redefining Christianity,
by Bob DeWaay, 2006
A Time of Departing, Expanded, by Ray Yungen, 2006
In The Name of Purpose, by Tamara Hartzell, 2006
Rick Warren’s PEACE Plan vs Scriptural Teachings on Peace by James Sunquist
2006
Who's Driving The Purpose Driven Church, by James Sundquist, 2004
Deceived on Purpose, by Warren Smith, 2004
Discernment in an Age of
Deception, Bob DeWaay, 2006
http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue94.htm
Sapping the Saints of
Spiritual Fortitude or Nourishing Spiritual Growth? 2006
Martin and Deidre Bobgan, PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries
http://www.pamweb.org/sapping_saints.html
Book review, Prof. Johan
Malan, October 2006,
James Sundquist's Rick Warren’s PEACE Plan versus Scriptural Teachings on
Peace
http://contending.org/james_sunquist_book_review.htm
Faulty Premises of the
Church Growth Movement, Bob DeWaay, 2005
http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue89.htm
The Gospel: A Method or a
Message? Bob DeWaay, 2004
http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue80.htm
Religious Relativism,
Paul Proctor, 2004
http://www.newswithviews.com/PaulProctor/proctor50.htm
Creating Community - Part
1, By Berit Kjos - October 2004
40 Days of Change Through Transformational Leadership
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/community-1.htm
Creating Community - Part
2, By Berit Kjos - November 2004
40 Days of Change through a New Way of Thinking
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/community-2.htm
Small Groups and
the Dialectic Process, By Berit Kjos – March 2004
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/3-purpose.htm
--Below
here is a sketch of my Interaction with AG Officials over CGM issues.--
June of 2006 I
came across an
advertisement by a local AG church,
Cedar Valley Church AG. It was a promotion for a Leadership Conference
put on by Bill Hybels and Willow Creek. This AG church was going to
participate by simucast. I was surprised to see a man known as Bono receive
top billing next to Bill Hybels. Bono is a renowned Rock Star. As a Rock
Star he has been instrumental in drawing people into the spiritual darkness
that is the power behind the seductive music, and demonic worship concert
events facilitate
Bono video. It should be acknowledged that Bono has done much for
humanitarian purposes and has received various honors for this work.
July 25, 2006 I
emailed 4 AG credentialed men from my church,
Bethel AG, Minneapolis, MN including
Senior Pastor Larry Freitag. This email included the Bono video. I
wanted to sound an alarm about what I thought was an AG leadership failure.
I did not think Bono should be in the AG teaching leadership. In the weeks
that followed even though I saw all 4 of them none of these men responded.
Not even verbally. Not a word.
August 11, 2006 I
wrote to the MN AG District Superintendent, Clarence St. John. In this
letter I asked St. John if the AG endorsed the Ministry of Bono. I included
lyrics Bono was famous for rendering which were from a Rolling Stones song
titled
Sympathy For The Devil (on the video). St. John responded he was not
aware Bono was in any leadership position in the AG. He wrote he would
check into Bono's background. He said that he would get back to me.
September 2006 My
church Bethel AG handed out questionnaires asking about interest in small
groups and Saturday night services. I questioned staff asking if these
changes were part of a system. I was referred to the Music Pastor Ian
Lindsey who was in charge of the project. I repeatedly emailed him
requesting information without response. It was announced that the new
small groups would start October 15th.
September 14, 2006
District Superintendent St. John wrote a follow-up on his research. He
stated that Cedar Valley Church AG denied sponsoring or endorsing Bono. In
response to the concern I had voiced he stated that Bono could be a false
prophet but he did not have enough information to determine this. He
believed Willow Creek would have done background checks.
Since June I had been
doing research on the Church Growth Movement.
October 4 and October
28, 2006 I sent out a survey to the U.S. AG District Superintendents
asking 2 questions that would help determine AG involvement with the CGM.
In the survey I stated who I was and the AG church I belonged to. There was
good participation in the survey with most answering and adding
explanations. These were the questions.
1) Do you have churches
in your district that employ Seeker Sensitive church growth strategies
promoted by such men as Robert Schuller of Schuller Institute, Bill Hybels
of Willow Creek Association, and Rick Warren of "Purpose Driven" fame?
2) Do you personally
approve of using these methods?
Some of the responses to
the survey are
here.
October 5, 2006 I
received an email from Pastor Lindsey stating that the new small groups
(LIFE GROUPS) were built on Purpose Driven resources.
October 9, 2006 I
ordered the book
Redefining Christianity delivered to Pastor Freitag and Pastor Lindsey.
October 12, 2006
I emailed Pastor Freitag and Pastor Lindsey asking them to please read the
book and refute it for me if they saw fit.
October 15, 2006
Bethel AG sponsored Purpose Driven small groups begin meeting.
October 22, 2006
Pastor Lindsey informed me that Pastor Freitag was too busy to read the
book. Pastor Lindsey said he would be reading it and get back to me.
November 5, 2006
This Sunday morning there was a major promotion for the new small groups
with future book based sessions promised (the sessions are based on books
distributed by Purpose Driven). Pastor Freitag and Pastor Lindsey made it
clear to me that they were not going to heed any warnings about Purpose
Driven. I decided I would need to leave the church.
November 18, 2006
I sent out correspondence to
Bethel AG members and
Pastor Freitag withdrawing my membership and stating the reasons.
November 21, 2006
Pastor Freitag summoned me to a meeting on the following day. I had a
conflict so we agreed to meet on November 28th.
November 28, 2006
I met with Pastor Freitag. There was a calm tone to the meeting. He was
displeased that I had sent out letters. He repeatedly stated he was not
defensive because nothing at Bethel was going to change. The Purpose Driven
small groups were just a tool. I told him that when you let wolves in among
the sheep the sheep get harmed. There is no exception to this rule. Wolves
harm sheep. It was good to be able to witness to him, all things
considered, but sad. I had known him for 9 years and really cared for
him. I felt the people at Bethel that I had come to love as brothers and
sisters were being betrayed. I asked him if he had read the book that the
small groups were based on. He said he had looked through it. I asked him
some questions about it as I had read it 3 times taking notes.
If all goes as planned
with these small groups you get unregenerate people to attend. Then the
very first exercise of the very first session (titled Connecting with God's
Family) everyone sits in a circle and plays a "game" called "Two Truths and
a Lie". Everyone tells 2 things that are true and 1 thing that is a lie
about themselves. Then everyone else guesses what is true and what is a
lie. This seems so unbiblical and corrupt that it is astounding an AG led
group would be involved. We are after all to tell the unsaved the truth
about Christ not demonstrate we are clever liars. We are supposed to speak
the truth to each other. Do you think the Holy Spirit is grieved by this.
Pastor Freitag was not fazed when I brought this up. It was sad to see
such a pathetic, lax attitude towards the protection of Christ's church.
I told him I thought he would be sorry some day if he continued on this
path.
That is the way the
behavior modification groups start. The rest of the conditioning continues
after this manner. The name of this Purpose Driven resource is Beginning
Life Together, from the 6 book Doing Life Together series "the first small
group curriculum built entirely on the purpose-driven paradigm" It is
available on the Purpose Driven web site. This is a showcased series. A
professional, Biblical analysis of this series is needed.
Links tested ------------January
11, 2007
Bono video provided
courtesy of Pastor Joe Schimmel and
http://www.goodfight.org/
--Nothing Follows--
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