I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. C S Lewis
I attended Ed Young Jr.’s church back when it was called The Fellowship of Las Colinas. At that time it was a rapidly growing church in a fairly well to do suburb of Dallas. Ed and his family lived in my neighborhood (this was pre-mansion days) and we had children of similar age who occasionally played together.
Ed is a charming, fun-loving guy who is a delight to know on a personal level. He would be the life of any party. However, my husband and I began to have serious concerns about his theology, which developed over the course of a couple of years. Those concerns would eventually cause us to leave the church.
Here are a couple of examples. Ed always had “important” people pray up front on Sunday. These men were usually doctors, judges, television personalities, etc. One week, my husband, a physician, was asked to pray. He accepted. But he called back and said he did not want to be listed in the bulletin as a “Doctor” and did not want to be introduced as “Doctor.” Well, this caused conflict and my husband was urged to reconsider. He refused, adamantly, saying there was no place in the church for titles. We are all on equal footing under Christ. The "doctor" was allowed to pray but was never asked again.
Then, we became involved in a Sunday school class. But, there was a rule, which Ed refused to rescind. No one was allowed to ask questions of the teacher. His explanation and mantra was this. “If you let them ask questions, you never know what questions they will ask.” In a final conversation with his wife over this matter, I made the observation that they seemed to have little faith in either their teachers or the Holy Spirit. She had no answer.
But, perhaps the following incident will serve to clear up why they needed to have such a rule. I contend that some of their teachers were not Christians. Why? There was a nice lady who taught the kindergarten class. However, she left the church. When I saw her at a store, she told me I should come to her new church, The Unity Church. She said I would like it much better because the people were friendlier and they taught the same things! For those of you familiar with the Unity Church, you are aware that this church does not follow orthodox Christianity. This poor woman, who had been in Ed’s church for years, did not know the difference. This points to the level of teaching that occurred on a weekly basis at the church.
We left as Ed began his building campaign. He moved his family out of our community to an interim, larger home before the mansion, Miami condo and the jet. Think a house like the one owned by Mac Brunson and you get the picture.
Soon after we left, Ed was quoted in the Dallas Morning News as saying that he didn’t like to emphasize doctrine because doctrine confuses people. I wonder if doctrine also confused Ed. Yesterday, we published a copy of a statement by John Piper commenting on the problems inherent in the Reformed Movement. The following excerpt gives a reason why Ed Young Jr. is wrong on his views on doctrine.
“The danger on the other side is to say, "All that intellectual stuff, no, no, no. Doctrine, no. Intellect, no. Study, no. Experience, yes!" People who do this wind up worshipping a God of their own imagination. It feels so right, so free, and so humble because they are not getting involved in all those debates. But it isn't. It is losing a grip on reality. So we are compelled to think hard about God and the Bible”.
Ed Young Jr. has recently been criticized about his excessive lifestyle. However, Ed’s response has been tepid, at best. He claims his house “isn’t that big” (10,000 square feet which he claims that “only” about 7000 feet are heated) and that he needs the jet to fly around the world “teaching” pastors-may God preserve us!
He was invited to appear at Hillsong Church in Australia along with his friends, TD Jakes and Joel Osteen. We have written about the problems with the theology of Joel Osteen who preaches a prosperity gospel. His views deviate from orthodox Christianity. For example, he proclaimed that Mormons are Christians because they believe in Jesus. This demonstrates an appalling lack of knowledge of the Mormon theology on the nature of Christ. However, his theology has not stopped Ed Young Jr. from appearing with Osteen in church and calling him a good friend.
TD Jakes appears regularly in the pulpit at Ed’s church. I want to commend Ed for his wish to bridge the gap between the races. It has been said that Sunday is the most segregated time of the week. However, there are many orthodox Christian pastors of color so his choice of Jakes is puzzling. I have listened to Jakes and find him to be engaging, a sort of Joel Osteen of the African American church. Like Osteen, he has serious doctrinal issues.
Here is a synopsis of the issues with Jakes.
“He teachings and endorses Word of Faith concepts relating to guaranteed health and wealth. Although he claims to believe in the Trinity, the major problem with T. D. Jakes’ teaching centers on Trinitarian theology, which he defines in modalistic or Oneness Pentecostal terms (i.e., there is one God who exists in three manifestations or modes—not three eternal Persons). The definition according to historical Christianity is that there is one God who exists in three co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”.
Many former members of Young’s church have been commenting on various blogs that he does not warn them of Jake’s position on these doctrinal matters. However, if one is to believe Young, when he states that doctrine “just confuses people,” then one can understand that Young does not have concerns in this area. Unfortunately, Young is leading people astray by his silence on these issues. The Bible holds teachers to a very high standard and it appears, at least to this writer that Young is falling down on the job. He should pay heed to Piper’s warning.
To end this post, we provide our readers with a video that Tom Rich, FBC Jax Watchdog (affectionately known as The Dawg) found and placed on his blog. Unfortunately, it shocked me. Ed does a “rap” about his appearance in Australia. In it he mentions Jakes and Osteen. But, what astonished me is that he performs with a big dollar sign necklace. Why? He knows he is being roundly criticized for his rich lifestyle. The Dallas Morning News and various radio and television stations are investigating him. Is this an “in-your-face”,” don’t give a darn what the world thinks” performance? If so, things do not portend well for the Christian witness of Fellowship Church. Ed seems to have gone “off reservation” and needs to repent and turn from this path he is on. Ed, I hope you are listening.
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For those who may have missed it at the bottom of a previous post.
There is an organization of conservatives “Christians for Biblical Equality” that publishes an academic journal “The Priscilla Papers” on the issue, as well as a more popular magazine. They have a statement of faith that most conservative Christians will find acceptable. I recommend the organization to any who find complementarianism difficult. Their website is http://www.cbeinternational.org/.
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I still can’t figure out why folks still fork over their hard earned dough to these guys.
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CBE International is a wonderful organization and has some great writers contribute to their newsletter! Hardly the “feminazis” many hope to paint their members as being.
As I’ve stated before, I lean complementarian, but I want nothing to do with “The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.”
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“No higher honor can be imagined than that of being Christ’s ambassadors, and proclaiming in Christ’s name the forgiveness of sins to a lost world. But let us ever beware of investing the ministerial office with one jot more of power and authority than Christ conferred upon it. To treat ministers as being in any sense mediators between God and man, is to rob Christ of His prerogative, to hide saving truth from sinners, and to exalt ordained men to a position which they are totally unqualified to fill.” ~ J.C. Ryle
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The concept of the priesthood of each and every believer is that we are all to be priests to each other and to those who have yet to accept the gift of salvation. That is, we are to bear one another’s burdens and to speak directly and softly a word of correction when a brother or sister strays. For the unsaved, we are to be living and speaking so as to bring to their attention that we have received a great gift that they can also have, confidence in eternal life through a relationship with Jesus, who died so that they could be his adopted siblings.
But none is given authority over another.
Please note that Paul said “I permit no” not that God did not permit.
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We had a guy in our church about 17 years ago who had worked with Young in Texas at the Las Colinas Fellowship thing. He was really impressed with what was going on there. He talked about wanting to make “6 figures” as a worship leader at our church. Of course, that did not happen.
But he did hear lots of great theology while he was with us!
Maybe he should have stayed in Texas.
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Anonymous
We are dying to find out if this guy had big hair, slicked back and loved to sing, Our God Is an Awesome God. We think we know who you are talking about. We hope you hit him hard with theology-after Ed’s church his theology probably centered more on acquisition than doctrine. You made us laugh this evening. Thanks!
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Ed Young, Jr., features Brian Houston, pastor of Hillsong Church, in his music video. Take a look at Houston explaining how you can become a MONEY MAGNET. Those of you who read our critique of the health and wealth gospel back in January will remember this video. It really says it all…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO1cJ8mq6VI
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Dee:
He did not have “big” hair, but it was black. He had been in Christian music group that had some appeal for a while. He was married to a nice lady. They later divorced (after leaving our church and moving out of town). She went on to write books about rejection, acceptance etc. She was, for a while, a fairly popular author. She had remarried. I don’t know about him.