The Wartburg Watch » Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

Complementarians Pushing CBMW at 2012 Together for the Gospel

deb — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:58:15 +0000

"cbmw.org will provide you tons of good resources on this [complementarianism]. cbmw.org They have a booth here in the exhibit hall. Recovering Biblical Mahood and Womanhood, a great book you ought to read on this." – Ligon Duncan CBMW Logo Ligon Duncan, in his 'role' as moderator for the panel discussion on complementarianism at this year's T4G, strongly endorses the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), as stated above. Why is CBMW so important to Duncan? Because until last summer he was the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Now Russell Moore serves in that capacity, although the website doesn't yet reflect the changing of the guard. In the partial transcript of the complementarianism discussion featured in the previous post, it was interesting that John Piper did not remember many details about how "complementarianisim" came into existence. His buddy Wayne Grudem has written a detailed summary of events that led to the invention of this term and theological interpretation of gender roles. Last month we highlighted some of those details, and what follows is an excerpt from that history. Wayne Grudem explains the early history of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. After his first article on kephalē Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Fri, Apr 27 2012.

Categories: Calvinism/Calvinista, Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Danvers Statement, Desiring God, FBC Jacksonville, Gender Gospel, Gender Roles, John Piper, Ligon Duncan, New Reformed Theology, Role of women in the church, Russell Moore, Satan/Demons, Scott Brown, The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Women and the church, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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Complementarianism – A Primary Doctrine at Together for the Gospel

deb — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:57:14 +0000

"I don't think you have to be a complementarian to be saved." John Piper Adam and Eve Driven Out of Eden Complementarianism was one of the crucial topics discussed at the 2012 Together for the Gospel. (link) Ligon Duncan moderated the panel of three, which included Russell Moore (Al Mohler's protege), Greg Gilbert (who is closely aligned with Mark Dever), and John Piper (who made significant contributions to the Danvers Statement which defines complementarianism). What follows is a partial transcript of some of that discussion that took place in the presence of 7,500 attendees, including pastors and future church leaders. Ligon Duncan: Let me just start by asking Dr. Piper to tell us where the term came from. How can we articulate what the Bible says about this in a term that is not liable to some of the misuses or misnomers. John Piper: I don't have a good memory of the timing, but i can tell you what I remember. Wayne Grudem and I were a part of the production of the Danvers statement, which happened in the late 80s in Danvers, Connecticut, and the Danvers Statement is found…at the Biblical Manhood and Womanhood website in which we tried Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Thu, Apr 26 2012.

Categories: Calvinism/Calvinista, Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, John Piper, Ligon Duncan, New Reformed Theology, Russell Moore, Together for the Gospel, Women and the church, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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AoR Report Released: Just How Unhealthy Is SGM ?

deb — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:57:16 +0000

"Because we met with such a small percentage of members (less than 1⁄2 of 1%), our observations may not accurately reflect the entire association of churches. Nevertheless, we offer these observations as part of our report." Ambassadors of Reconciliation Report, page 13 Gavel – Wikipedia At long last the Ambassadors of Reconciliation (AoR) Report has been made available through the Sovereign Grace Ministries blog. When this group was hired by SGM's Board of Directors last summer, we had never heard of them so we took a closer look. Historically, SGM has had close ties with Peacemaker Ministries, so it came as no surprise that there are some definite connections between AoR and Peacemaker Ministries. A few years ago we were involved in conversations with Barbara Dorris of SNAP and Jeff Anderson, the attorney who has defended abuse victims of the Roman Catholic clergy and is currently involved in the Sandusky affair. Both of them admonished us to NEVER take our eyes off the victims. We have made this our prime directive here at TWW, and we believe those who follow our blog can testify that we are extremely loyal to those who have been hurt. As we reviewed Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Wed, Apr 18 2012.

Categories: Abusive church tactics, Ambassadors of Reconciliation, C.J. Mahaney, Calvinism/Calvinista, SGM, Sovereign Grace Ministries, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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Mahaney’s Mind-Blowing Machination

deb — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:55:29 +0000

"Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering." Matthew 5:23-24 Spinning Top THE SPIN CONTINUES… Please read the ADDENDUM at the bottom of the post. Since last summer, the Calvinista spinmeisters, or if you prefer, spin doctors, have been busy rehabilitating C.J. Mahaney's image in the aftermath of SGM Wikileaks. Why? Because they are "Together for the Gospel" and had to ensure that the loyal flock, which has been faithful to attend previous T4G conferences, would not scatter. Booking the KFC Yum! Center was a daring undertaking, and if anything prevented the T$G crowd (OOPS! Why is the dollar sign atop the "4" and not some other number? ) from materializing, there would be $OOO much at $TAKE! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise – IT$ all about the GO$PEL!!! Last August I wrote a post about the 2012 T4G conference explaining how lucrative these mega-gatherings can be. Sure it costs quite a bit to rent the facility, but there's a lot of dough left over… Not Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Thu, Apr 12 2012.

Categories: Al Mohler, Ambassadors of Reconciliation, Authoritarian leadership, C.J. Mahaney, Calvinism/Calvinista, Charismatic, Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, New Reformed Theology, SGM, Sovereign Grace Ministries, Theological arrogance, Together for the Gospel, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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Mark Driscoll – 21st Century Humpty Dumpty?

deb — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 03:25:59 +0000

“Power will intoxicate the best hearts, as wine the strongest heads. No man is wise enough, nor good enough to be trusted with unlimited power.” Charles Caleb Colton Bright Red Poppy Humpty Dumpty Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses, And all the King's men Couldn't put Humpty together again! As this nursery rhyme reminds us, sitting atop a high wall is extremely dangerous! In hindsight, it is ironic that Mark Driscoll was preaching through one of my favorite books of the Bible – Nehemiah – when he fired two Mars Hill elders, namely Paul Petry and Bent Meyer. It has been well-documented that Driscoll changed the MH by-laws and became virtually untouchable as the head of his empire. Instead of getting hysterical over these unprecidented changes that have occurred in recent days, we prefer to get historical. Let's take a look at the timeline of recent events involving Mark Driscoll, the Acts 29 Network, and The Gospel Coalition. 12.31.11 A segment of Justin Brierley's interview with Mark Driscoll airs on Premier Christian Radio in the United Kingdom. 1.03.12 Mark and Grace Driscoll's sizzling book Real Marriage: The Truth Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Thu, Mar 29 2012.

Categories: Acts 29, Authoritarian leadership, Calvinism/Calvinista, Complementarianism, Gender Gospel, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, New Reformed Theology, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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Acts 29 – Driscoll Steps Down, Chandler Named Primo Planter

deb — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:42:56 +0000

"Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven.” C. Peter Wagner Tulip Fields in Holland The Young Restless Reformed (YRR) Crowd is definitely living up to its name. Since last July Sovereign Grace Ministries has undergone incredible turmoil, which we have previously covered. Now the Acts 29 Network is experiencing tremendous restlessness which has resulted in Mark Driscoll making this shocking announcement earlier today: "Acts 29 has grown rapidly, now totaling more than 400 churches in the U.S., as well as international church planting involvement. Since then, other qualified men have taken the reins of Acts 29 and run with the vision David and I had years ago. Recently, I sensed that not all was well in Acts 29. As my concerns grew, I recently resumed the presidency of Acts 29 to work directly with our network captains, most influential pastors, and staff. It seemed to me that some of our relationships, board size and structure, communication, systems, and such were not as effective as we needed, which is to be expected to some degree in a large, complex, fast-growing entrepreneurial network such as ours. Seeking wise counsel, I asked Darrin Patrick and Matt Chandler to Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Wed, Mar 28 2012.

Categories: Acts 29, Calvinism/Calvinista, Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, Matt Chandler, New Reformed Theology, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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Memo to Mars Hill: The Suppression of Church Women Is Not the Cure For the Feminization of Church Men

deb — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:02:01 +0000

"Mars Hill men, you had better wake up. A revolution is taking place. Women in your church are waking up to the biblical truth that they are created as much in the image of God as you are. They are realizing they possess the same gifts of the Spirit as you men. They are arousing to the knowledge that when half the body is suppressed, you have as much of a dysfunctional church as when men act like women. Go ahead, Mars Hill men, and act like men." – Wade Burleson Guest Post by Wade Burleson About two years ago two young married men expressed to me their desire to uproot their families from Enid, Oklahoma and move to Seattle, Washington to be a part of the ministry of Mars Hill. Though I was familiar with Mark Driscoll, I was curious why these young family men felt the need to relocate. The reason they gave me was an eye opener. "We want to be some place where the masculinity of God is emphasized in the home, in church, and in leadership." These two men have since left Emmanuel Enid with their families. Their wives have little or no say in family matters Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Wed, Mar 21 2012.

Categories: Abusive church tactics, Acts 29, Calvinism/Calvinista, Eternal Subordination of the Son, Gender Gospel, Gender Roles, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, New Reformed Theology, Patriarchy, Role of women in the church, Submission, Wade Burleson, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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Masculine Christianity and Its Knock Out Effect on Christians

deb — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:59:22 +0000

"God has made Christianity to have a masculine feel. He has ordained for the church a masculine ministry." – John Piper John Piper – Wikipedia When I think of Reformed Theology, I immediately think of John Piper. As the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church where he has served for over thirty years, Piper and his church host an annual Pastors Conference. This year's focus was God, Manhood & Ministry: Building Men for the Body of Christ. Here is the promotional video tor that conference which was held January 30 – February 1, 2012. The Christian Post provided an excellent summary on this "manly" conference, including some revealing quotes from John Piper. Here are the highlights: "God's intention for Christianity is for it to have a "masculine feel," evangelist John Piper declared… "God revealed Himself in the Bible pervasively as king not queen; father not mother," Piper said at this year's annual pastors conference hosted by the Desiring God ministry. "Second person of the Trinity is revealed as the eternal Son not daughter; the Father and the Son create man and woman in His image and give them the name man, the name of the male." Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Thu, Mar 15 2012.

Categories: Abusive church tactics, Calvinism/Calvinista, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, New Reformed Theology, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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Dear SGM Interim Board . . .

deb — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 03:18:04 +0000

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 (NASB) Dee and I first learned about Sovereign Grace Ministries in the fall of 2008, and we are grateful to the SGM Survivors and Refugees who have spoken out against the hyper-authoritarian leadership and spiritual abuse they have experienced. From the hundreds of blog posts and thousands of comments we have read about SGM, we have heard a common refrain that characterizes this "family of churches". It is C.J. Mahaney's mantra – "Constant change is here to stay." What a contrast from Malachi 3:6 — "For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." (NASB) Changes in SGM have accelerated in recent weeks, and they may be just the tip of the iceberg. As we explained in a previous post, C.J. Mahaney has been reinstated at President of Sovereign Grace Ministries. You can read about it here in Christianity Today (January 25, 2012). Mahaney has made it clear that his reinstatement is temporary and that he will be replaced in the near future. Just last Sunday Dave Harvey stepped down from the Interim Board as well as from leadership at Covenant Fellowship Church, where Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Fri, Mar 09 2012.

Categories: C.J. Mahaney, Calvinism/Calvinista, New Reformed Theology, SGM, Sovereign Grace Ministries, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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Mahaney / SGM – Unprecedented Rescue by the SBC?

deb — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 03:02:45 +0000

"I think preaching and pastoral ministry are where grace is most evident in my life and where my leadership is most effectively expressed. Others seem to agree." C.J. Mahaney We believe history is being made as high profile leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention MEDDLE in the affairs of another denomination, which self-identifies as a "family of churches". Yes, I'm talking about Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM). In case you haven't heard, C.J. Mahaney, who was recently reinstated as President of SGM, is assisting with the appointment of his successor and laying the foundation to PLANT a new church in another state. As the saying goes, "bloom where you're planted", and the word on the street is that Mahaney is planning to relocate to Kentucky and set down roots there. There is also speculation that the offices of Sovereign Grace Ministries will be moved from Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland to Kentucky — most likely Louisville. We have written extensively on C.J. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries, so if you are new to TWW, you might want to browse through our archives. Why is Mahaney leaving the state where he grew up and the church he pastored for 27 years? Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Wed, Feb 29 2012.

Categories: Ambassadors of Reconciliation, Authoritarian leadership, Calvinism/Calvinista, Conferences, Larry Tomczak, Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, New Reformed Theology, Pastors College (SGM), SGM, Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Sovereign Grace Ministries, Spiritual abuse, Together for the Gospel, Young, Restless and Reformed (YRR)

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