Hyper-authoritarianism in Christendom is on the rise and being touted as a "Biblical" response to feminism. It's entering the church via hyper-Calvinists (aka "Calvinistas"), not to be confused with genuine Calvinists. There is a difference! There is absolutely no question that Calvinism, or reformed theology, is within the pale of Christian orthodoxy. The "real" Calvinists are to be admired for their dedication to the careful study of Scripture. However, Calvinistas take their reformed view much further. Instead of believing as their predecessors did — that Calvinism is just one of the acceptable views of orthodoxy –they have become Christian extremists, claiming that only their interpretation of Scripture is correct.
This belief can lead to spiritual excesses that demand strict obedience to a strict authority. Who gets to decide what is Scriptural and what is not? They do! And if church members don't behave, they are put under "church discipline". Yes, the "D" word is making a big comeback thanks to Mark Dever and his 9 Marks. While we agree that many churches have become too tolerant of ungodly behavior such as adultery, we believe the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction. Some of these reformed leaders (dictators) go so far to say that those who don’t goose-step along with them are probably “doomed to perdition”, a pseudo intellectual term that means you were created to go to hell. That certainly is a conversation stopper! Hmmm, maybe that's what it's supposed to be. Have you ever wondered how such an "exclusive" attitude comes across to those who don't know Jesus Christ?
We have researched the Calvinistas extensively. They view the world as going to hell in a hand basket, and only they have the solution to this mess. Strange alliances are being forged. For example, John Piper recently extolled C.J. Mahaney as an awesome example of an individual who didn’t go to college but is an incredible theologian. Here's what we found at this link:
“My guess is that some of the most fruitful pastors in America have nothing but a high school education. Can I name one? C.J. Mahaney. He is just a beautiful representation of why this question is a good question. And C.J. Mahaney founded a Pastor's college. Not a big highfalutin one. He just knows that you need some… need some what? Not schooling. You need some insight, some wisdom, some shaping, some depth, some Bible, some experience. All of those are biblical.”
Have you ever googled "Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM)"? C.J. Mahaney is the self-appointed "Head Apostle" and SGM has an Apostolic team (and they accuse those who oppose their theology as being arrogant!). The name "Sovereign Grace Ministries" was adopted in 2002, after it was called "PDI Ministries" and before that "People of Destiny International". "Change is here to stay" is this organization's mantra, and it has definitely done a lot of that in its less than 40 years of existence. Incredibly, SGM has spawned a number of 'survivor” type blogs, which does not bode well for this growing "family of churches". SGMers who are being emotionally and spiritually abused are FINALLY speaking out in a public forum because they are not allowed do so to those in authority over them. Check out these anti-SGM web sites, which we routinely follow:
sgmsurvivors.com
ikissedsgmgoodbye.blogspot.com
undertheterebinthtree.wordpress.com
Why in the world would a man of Piper’s stature endorse SGM and its leader?
Deb and I were appointed to the Community Panel of our local, well-read newspaper which, as you might imagine, tacks a bit to the left…actually a lot to the left, especially during the last presidential campaign. The editors tried to convince us, to no avail, that they were "moderate". Yeah, right! We had a breakthrough in our communication on the panel when we challenged them in this way. We claimed that the majority of reporters and editors on their staff were what we consider to be liberal. Their colleagues at other news media outlets probably shared similar beliefs, as do most everyone they interact with on a regular basis. It's just the nature of the press. Here's why these editors believed themselves to be moderate — they self-talk within their own closed circles. If they all believe they are middle of the road, then it must be true because there is no disagreement.
However, we contended that it didn't matter what they believed. In the newspaper business, perception is the driving force that determines whether someone will subscribe or not. We were thrilled that they finally understood our perspective, although they didn't like it because it forced them to take an honest look at themselves. One of the editors with whom we met each month wrote an editorial about our thoughts and said that we made a good point. Self-talk can be dangerous regardless of the organization.
This is what we believe is happening within some Christian circles. They claim they want unity and that any disagreement is unscriptural and damaging to their mission. So, they hang around with those who agree with them. The Calvinistas attend the same conferences, read the same books, join the same organizations, and use the same version of the Bible — English Standard Version (ESV) — which in case you didn't know is the only ”true” translation because it presents a reformed view of Scripture. Oh, and if those who own an ESV Bible are lucky, John Piper will autograph it for them. (See previous blogs for proof of this.) Of course, you have to pay the conference fee first.
If a church, pastor, or organization identifies with this HOT new movement, then they must be “biblically correct". Apparently, it must not matter to John Piper how much pastoral abuse is taking place within SGM as long as they keep paying him to speak at their conferences, which he has been doing for at least a decade. Cha ching!!!
So, all the Calvinistas get together and decide on the "correct' interpretation of Scripture. You know…that women are not allowed to teach (some go so far as to say the Bible commands they must remain silent in church), men are the only leaders in the faith, early marriage is a must, birth control is a sin, and singles’ ministries are an abomination. Some believe that Muslims are a threat to the Christian faith and that the way to contain the damage is by not sharing the faith a la the Great Commission with them. Their solution — outnumber the Muslims by making LOTS of babies! Where does it say in Scripture that Christians must be fruitful and multiply to keep up with the growing Muslim population? In reformed circles, if a Calvinista leader says it, his words carry the same authority as the Bible.
Oh, and the “Girl Talk” blog, which is run by Carolyn Mahaney and her three married daughters, is pushed for women to read. How? Some prominent reformed pastors provide a link to GirlTalk on their own blogs. Yes, these are the Christian women we are to emulate. It doesn’t matter that one only needs a third grade homeschool education to understand the concepts presented there on a daily basis. And SGM women idolize them! Have you ever heard a woman claim that “cleaning house” is her hobby and the thing she likes to do the most? She's either a liar or in desperate need of a vacation!
Because these reformed leaders are in the inner circle of the Calvinistas, excessive salaries, fancy homes, country club memberships, and extravagant vacations are overlooked. Speaking at each other's conferences, endorsing one another’s books, and selling said books at their churches and conferences is par for the course. After all, whatever they say or write has to be correct! They overlook a certain pastor’s predilection for sexually explicit hermeneutics and pugilistic proclamations because he is a supporter of Calvinista organizations such as the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. In other words, these guys (at least they can’t blame women for this drivel since they don’t include the "deceived sex" in these discussions) are guilty of self-talk. If they all agree with one another, then they must be correct. Clever, isn't it?
However, we do not believe this is what the Lord intended for the church. That's the odd thing about God. He gives all of us the Holy Spirit and then calls us to gather together with all of our differences and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. If He wanted unity alone, why didn’t He just clone us to think exactly alike? By the way, those who comment on anti-SGM blogs accuse the leadership of trying to clone the members in a very systematic way.
A couple of years ago we met with a former pastor to discuss a differing viewpoint on the days of creation. He said there was only one view that was accepted by the church leaders and that was the young earth perspective. However, what he said next was the crux of the underlying issue. He told us he was the head pastor and he was the one who sets the agenda. The elders existed to carry out his agenda for the church! He bragged that in 28 years, the elders had only disagreed with him twice! Huh??? We contend that, if this is true, the elders are not doing their jobs. They are merely, “yes" men.
This past week one of our current pastors gave an interesting talk on holiness. He claimed that there are two aspects to holiness. The first is our legal position “in Christ.” Our position is perfect and complete the day we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It never wavers, and we can bank on it in good times and bad.
The second position on holiness is “life experience.” This is a process and is incomplete and imperfect. He said that it is this position that causes so much dissonance in our Christian walk. We become discouraged because just when we think we are progressing we find another sin or we backslide into an old sin. Unfortunately, this struggle will continue until we meet Jesus. All of us — Billy Graham, Jill Briscoe, Rick Warren, C.J. Mahaney, Dee, and Deb — are still in process. This is a nice way to say that despite being Christian, we are still sinners! We cling to our legal position of “saved”, and we engage our life experience as sinners. It's important to remember that even those who are called to be pastors are in the exact same boat as your two blog queens.
However, the authoritarians and/or the Calvinistas don’t see it that way. They really believe that those who have been called to the pastorate and the leadership have been given some “special” bit of grace that exempts them from this process.
What is so sad is that century after century we have seen spiritual abuses perpetrated in Christendom by those in authority. Why? Because Christian leaders are just as prone to sin as those who are under them. Actually, Satan views them as bigger targets than the average Christian because they are highly influential over their flocks. Deceive the leader and you deceive the followers.
Today, we have those who claim they are “in authority.” I recently read the following question that was being asked by pastors on a blog for pastors. “Many student pastors do not feel that are given the respect they deserve. Why do you feel this is such an issue?” Here are a couple other comments we have recently heard from these hyper-authoritarian pastors, along with the contexts in which they were said:
-In regards to a criticism: “What about my authority?”
-Speaking to an older church member: “I am your father, you are the child.”
-Pounding a lectern: “Listen to me, I am speaking for God.”
We believe there is far too much self-centeredness in today’s church leadership. Why don’t people respect a certain youth pastor? Is it possible that such respect has not been earned? How do the parents and members of the youth group feel about the pastor’s leadership abilities? That respect must be earned!
We don’t believe God intended for those holding the positions of “elder” and “deacon” to be “yes” boys for the pastor. In fact, we believe elders/deacons (depending on the church’s structure) are meant to serve as checks and balances. God works through each of us uniquely, and He speaks through each of us as well. That’s the priesthood of the believers. In fact, it’s likely that within a church body, He has given His people many different thoughts and experiences. When taken together, this diversity gives a more complete view of the breadth of God’s works within His people.
Disagreement does not necessarily mean disunity. Disagreement can actually lead to a deeper and more profound understanding of God’s will for the body of Christ.
We are always amused when pastors say we need someone to be the head of a marriage so that a decision can be made in the face of disagreement. In our own marriages, this has never occurred. If we disagree as a couple, we reevaluate, pray, ask others, and submit (sometimes us, sometimes our husbands). If there is an issue that is profoundly important and disagreement is present, we can go to our pastors, friends and counselors, etc. for advice. Differences can bring about positive Christian growth.
Back in Luther’s day, the Pope was the “man in charge.” All of his men “agreed” with him. However, hindsight is always 20/20. We know that both the Pope and his “yes” men were wrong. God, in His divine providence, provided the church with a man who was willing to stand up to injustice and poor theology.
God always provides a way for His words to get out to His creation. At the time of apostles, there was the Pax Romana. This meant the roads and seas were relatively safe to travel throughout the empire and so the true Gospel spread quickly. Then, in Luther’s day, the Gutenberg press printed Luther’s works, forever changing the church.
Today, we have the amazing Internet. Many historians claim that it greatly contributed to the fall of the old Soviet Union. The USSR was huge with a diverse population, along with extremely poor transportation and a repressed media. Finally, reformers all over the country could communicate with one another and those outside the communist country via a new technology that was being developed in the 1980s, and a revolution was born.
Until recently, it was very difficult to confront sin and stupidity in the church. The pastors controlled the pulpit and all church communication. Their viewpoint was the only one that was being promoted. Congregants who had been wrongly hurt by those in authority usually left with no way to express their side of the story. Now we’re in a whole new ball game and the rules have changed…
The blogosphere is contributing to a new type of checks and balances. The Bible says that we should be a light shining on a hill so that all may see our good works and praise God. The next sentence did not say that we should hide and bury our problems. In fact, our ability to make mistakes, fall down, and reconcile is a far better witness to a lost world that knows all too well that Christians churches are filled with sinners, including the pastors. Unfortunately, they often don’t take us seriously because of our hypocrisy.
Do we really trust God? Do we really believe that we are sinners in need of forgiveness? If so, then why do we try and hide our sin? Blogs are at the forefront of change within the church. The playing field has been leveled, and the priesthood of the believer is now a force to be reckoned with. Calvinism is not the only idea making the rounds in Christendom, and the blogs will make sure that the average person sitting in the pew finally hears all sides of the story.
Tune in tomorrow as a guest blogger develops this idea…