This Is Codswallop! Matt Chandler Spoke at a Conference With Mark Driscoll Because “It is an Outlet for Differing Viewpoints.”

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1512: NASA, ESA, Hubble Space Telescope link

“Stay away from people who can’t take responsibility for their actions and who make you feel bad for being angry at them when they do you wrong.” — Unknown


Christian Headlines posted Matt Chandler Spokesperson Says Theos Conference is ‘an Outlet for Different Viewpoints’:

Chandler is scheduled to preach during the May 11-13 Theos Online Conference, which includes more than 40 speakers and promotes itself as having “no wishy-washy woke BS per usual.”

…”Matt Chandler welcomes the opportunity to teach the Bible to a variety of audiences,” an Acts 29 spokesperson told JulieRoys.com. “When Matt was invited to be a part of this year’s online Theos Conference and recorded his session, he was unaware of the other participants as they had not yet been determined. Matt recognizes that conferences like these serve as an outlet for different viewpoints and voices to be heard and discussed.”

Others who spoke were:

Other scheduled speakers include Eric Metaxas, author, speaker and podcast host; Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College; Craig Keener, professor of biblical studies at Asbury Seminary; Rich Wilkerson Jr., pastor of Vous Church in Miami; Allie Beth Stucky, author and podcast host; Fredrick J. Long, New Testament professor at Asbury Seminary; Jude Fouquier, pastor of City Church California; Jon Norman, pastor of SOUL Church in England; Dan Lian, pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina; and Joseph Pearce, an author of biographies on G.K.Chesterton, Pope Benedict and J.R.R. Tolkien.

The baloney seems evident in this quote.

The conference website promises “theological clarity,” “prophetic insight” and “world-class teachers.”

A little history is in order for those new to the Mark Driscoll/Matt Chandler connection.

The ‘complementarianism is primary’ kerfluffle.

Years ago, Mark Driscoll founded the Acts 29 network. In 2014, as Driscoll was imploding,  TWW posted Mark Driscoll / Mars Hill Church Removed From Acts 29 Network.

Now guess who the theodudes put in charge? Matt Chandler! Matt Chandler knows the down and dirty of Mark Driscoll. Chandler and the boys were so excited to take Driscoll’s baby and go wild. In 2015, while Chandler was still the head, Acts 29 declared that complementarianism is a primary teaching. Yep, right up there will the Apostles’ Creed and such.

Acts 29 Picks an Inopportune Time to Declare Complementarianism as a Primary Teaching

TWW has religiously reported that the Acts 29 network under Chandler was just about as bad as under Driscoll, except that Chandler has a quieter demeanor. Unfortunately, he has lots of baggage, just like his predecessor. As an Acts 29 church, he abused church discipline in the Karen Hinkley matter.

I hope to be able to discuss other stories of the abuse of church discipline in the Acts 29 network.

In the meantime, I wrote: Matt Chandler Claims He Can Keep Narcissists Out of Acts 29. What Was That Thing About the Log in Your Own Eye? As you will read in that post, Chandler has virtually no training to be a pastor. I wonder if that is why he keeps making missteps.

As you will see in the Roys Report, Chandler has lurched from problem to lawsuit to crisis while buying a cattle ranch and selling expensive beef.

He also spends a fair amount of time writing books and fulfilling speaking engagements, presumably many of which are financially enriching.

Why is Chandler even speaking?

The Roys Report posted Acts 29 President Matt Chandler Headlines Theos Conference with Mark Driscoll, Eric Metaxas.

What is this Theos U anyhoo?

For example, this Theos U conference was started by a guy who was a teaching pastor at Hillsong NYC! I‘m sure he is really deep…

The online conference has been convened by Theos U co-founder Nathan Finochio, who’s also a worship leader and author. He’s slated to deliver a keynote address. Finochio was formerly a teaching pastor at Hillsong New York City, a campus of the embattled global Hillsong Church founded by Brian Houston.

They consider themselves a Netflix type of theology outlet-meaning you’ve got to pay for it.

Finochio and two other men launched Theos U two years ago. They billed it as “a monthly theology deposit via subscription” and “seminary for the price of Netflix.”

Here is a link to the faculty to see if you are impressed enough with their credentials to spring for the cost.

Here is a link to see the pricing.

At least one speaker forfeited the paycheck:

While still listed in the speaker lineup as of Tuesday, author Samuel Sey confirmed to The Roys Report that he has pulled out of Theos Conference.

Sey tweeted: “I’m no longer a part of the conference, brother. And I believe Driscoll is a false teacher.”

The Roys Report harkens back to this Chandler mess.

Two years ago, Chandler came under fire after Acts 29 removed its CEO over alleged abusive leadership. Several staff members told TRR they had told Chandler years before that they had similar concerns about the CEO. But after they did so, they were shocked to learn they had been fired, TRR previously reported.

And take a look at these speakers.

Another session speaker is Landon MacDonald, former youth pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Illinois and son of disgraced former pastor James MacDonald. He and his brother, Luke MacDonald, have been accused of bullying and failure to report abuse.

Metaxas is best known for his biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and, more recently, his children’s book Donald Drains the Swamp. But the Salem Media radio host was named in a recent defamation lawsuit related to platforming a figure making false election fraud claims.

My opinion:

This is just one more venue to earn the dollars while taking a few days off (with pay) from your day job. Chandler and the Theos U dudes have no business pretending that Mark Driscoll is fit to teach or run a church. Former Mars Hill Elders: Mark Driscoll Is Still ‘Unrepentant,’ Unfit to Pastor

But then again, credentials and ethics do not seem to concern this group who wants to look really, really cool. They think they’re geniuses.

And, if you would love to watch Driscoll pretending (else he has them but doesn’t read them) to Theos U that he has all sorts of theology books, here is a link. I couldn’t bear to see his face on this blog.

Comments

This Is Codswallop! Matt Chandler Spoke at a Conference With Mark Driscoll Because “It is an Outlet for Differing Viewpoints.” — 32 Comments

  1. More information about galaxy NGC 1512 for those who are interested:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1512

    My comment about Matt Chandler is he obviously doesn’t care that Mark Driscoll is still abusing church members. And that’s all I have to say about Chandler.

    As for that TheosU outfit-it’s an online, unaccredited “college” / “seminary” started by a guy with a B.Th from Portland Bible College, also an unaccredited college in Oregon. A quarter of the instructors have the last name Finochio and a good chunk of the instructors have a B.Th from the previously-mentioned unaccredited Portland Bible College.

    I would also note that Nathan Finochio blocked me from the TheosU meme account on Instagram after I chewed him out about a meme which showed a bottle of Gorilla Glue with the legend: “John MacArthur has released a new lipstick line for Women Pastors.” That said, I was not a nice person about it, I told him basically thanks for demonstrating how much he dislikes women. *shrug*

    But I find it ironic considering the TheosU website says this about their memes: “Ideas are meant to be critiqued and defended. No-one on our faculty is safe from our meme-team. It keeps us engaged in culture, and humble with our ideas and preferences.” Obviously they didn’t want to discuss women pastors.

    The grift never, ever, ever ends, folks.

  2. Todd Wilhelm: steak company isn’t doing well so he needs the extra cash these “men of gawd” pull down from speaking at conferences!

    In any case, the Dear Leader is in sales, of steaks, conferences, and such, which doesn’t align well with the free gift* of salvation from our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 18 gifts* (including pastoring*) from God’s Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ.

    *A gift is not a sale. One cannot pay for a gift … unless it is not a gift, in which case, it is NOT FROM GOD.

    This has nothing to do with God … selling steaks, books, and conferences, but the God part is false advertising.

    In the New Testament, is God selling anything? Does Jesus do sales? Does the Holy Spirit do sales? Do the Apostles sell anything?

    Where do these pastors and leaders get their ideas for sales? For collections for private planes, plush lifestyles, grand estates? In God’s name?

  3. “Matt Chandler Spoke at a Conference With Mark Driscoll Because “It is an Outlet for Differing Viewpoints.”” (Dee)

    Well, they’ve been preaching a different gospel which is not ‘the’ Gospel for years … so why not be at such an outlet?!

    New Calvinism has been one of the biggest scams to hit religion in decades, with Chandler and Driscoll among the movement’s leading scammers. And My People love it so …

    For NeoCals who may be visiting this blog, don’t look for outlets like this … look for a way out!

  4. Mr. Jesperson: J.D. Hall of Pulpit and Pen fame has been arrested on a DUI and weapons charge

    Speaking of theological thugs … it was just a matter of time before “Pastor” Hall’s malt whiskey habit caught up with him.

  5. Just to be fair: JD Hall tested 0.0 on the alcohol test the police gave. Now, they should have followed up testing for other substances but just insisted since he flunked the field test he had to be drunk. Perhaps there was some other substance present, but if not, much as I dislike the man, you cannot slur him for alcohol use when none could be found in his system.

    His excuse is plausible. Lived in the north country myself too long, and vit D deficiency does cause some squirrelly stuff in some folks. Once had a nurse keep messing up an important rx, acting quite out of it, on duty no less. Turned out her test for vit D showed her level in the single digits when it should have been over 25. She was a good nurse once they got her levels back up, but that took time.

    Hall voluntarily resigned anyway, but church rejected that resignation. That is a fairly insular part of the country, and even if JD Hall were a normal non Catholic non Lutheran preacher he might be a target. As is, he stopped past the stop bar at an intersection, failed a field sobriety test, and tested 0.0 for alcohol.

  6. Jeffrey J Chalmers: Yup, I REALLY want to PAY to listen to them…

    There is a self-proclaimed “advocate” who offers her weekly prayers for a fee.

    There’s another “advocate” who sells tickets to her advocacy conferences: her business venture. When I inquired about the fact that since many survivors struggle financially, should “saving them” be a growth industry? she blocked me.

    A comment on a notable “Christian” writer/teacher/professor’s blog about the fact that not everyone seeking God may be able to afford his Bible land tours, he erased the comment – which might interfere with sales, I guess.

    The sales of salvation, spiritual formation (discipleship), and fellowship are an integral part of our capitalistic society. A growth industry, an enterprise.

    Without trying to be cheap, not everyone seeking God can afford “the journey”. Or, maybe these accoutrements are not essential to the journey?

    It’s refreshing that in the secular world, people like Rick Steves provide, for example, travel for far less than expected. A purely secular opportunity. Against the backdrop of “Christians” building their financial dynasties via the Great Commission. (Interestingly, Rick Steves actually has made money from saving everyone money. Counterintuitive.)

    There’s just no money involved, it seems, in everything God offers in the NT. Strange how all the Bible “experts” haven’t figured this out as they sell their wares and services. Do they actually read the Bible they claim to know so well? Apparently they can read the book but can they read the room?

  7. Ava Aaronson on Tue May 17, 2022 at 10:36 PM said:

    “…Rick Steves…”
    ++++++++++++++++

    RICK STEVES ROCKS!

  8. linda,

    I just repeated what was reported. He was intoxicated, not with alcohol, I never said it was alcohol, but likely prescription medications. Driving while intoxicated with anything will get you arrested. He was packing too. An additional charge in that state.

    And since when is it ok to drive while under any influence? This is illegal and immoral. I would never do that. That is why you ask someone else to drive. Driving stupid is not an excuse. All these are facts. He was arrested and charged. His congregation wants to let that slide. I see nothing new in any of that. They should have let him resign. But we have an accountability issue with leaders. This happens over and over and it depends not what they actually do. This makes Dee bang her head against the table over and over. Does it not?

    Beyond that the guy is a jerk and we all know it. Following that is not following Jesus Christ but the other guy.

  9. Mr. Jesperson,

    Mr J, it strikes me Hall has reduced himself to doing the same as Hunt and the “Liberty” element, favouring “both” sides,

    He needs to look after his health and slow down because the snakes have been too big for him for years and he has become a snake,

    His so called church are worthless because he is their sole charism and their sole ticket.

    The Hunts / “Liberty” / apologetism industry are laughing and bouncing, still, on “pragmatic” types like the Caner brothers and the continuing Zacharias bunch of corporations,

    Hall won’t help us cope with those, by his having a go at a foolish young boy leading a young girl into a demeaning public stunt. The issue was the Caners’ and their backers’ and the Zachariases’ “pragmatism” and we have got to leave children private space for guidance with their parents of whatever mixed character.

    Do you disagree with me on this? What are the views of Mr J?

  10. Ava Aaronson: There’s just no money involved, it seems, in everything God offers in the NT.

    Do you mean riches—filthy lucre—rather than any money at all? The stories of the widow’s mite, and of Ananias and Sapphira, come to mind right away as New Testament evidence of giving to the temple and later the church. Paul did not entirely support himself by making tents. None of the early apostles had a fleet of jets, but it does appear that churches collected money to support their ministries, and did not simply redistribute donations to the poor.

    Full disclosure, I have mainly belonged to churches staffed by modestly and moderately paid clergy. I don’t view their salaries as corrupting, any more than I view my own salary as corrupting. If you have shared your experience of overpaid pastors, I don’t recall, so please forgive any oversight on my part.

  11. Friend: no money involved, it seems, in everything God offers in the NT.

    -Free salvation bought by the blood and resurrection of Jesus.

    -Free fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, etc.

    -Free gifts of the Spirit to the Body of Christ, Rom 12, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4.

    -Room & Board (go out with no pocket money) for traveling disciples, but not on salary by local churches. They did a lot of walking.

    -Collections for needy, not clergy.

    -Widow’s mite was for the Temple. No more Temple, Levitical offices.

    Historical and Biblical scholars could figure this out but if they’re on the dole, forget it. (i.e., men who argue Complementarianism, which some nowadays call wife abuse if the wife has no access to $$$.)

    It seems as though clergy are hitchhikers in the old system of the Temple and Levital office, as if Jesus never died, never rose, and never left us with God’s Holy Spirit.

    It seems … not a biblical scholar here but we all can read. Which is exactly what Martin Luther did with his 99 theses. He read. His Bible.

    No, not hurting over some overblown mega with a private plane. Simply reading the Bible, and thus avoiding the overblown. Just a POV, here, open to discussion.

  12. dee,

    Just in time for your post on two of my favorite “pastors” … NOT!!

    My eye is healing well, but my dear wife keeps asking me to stop staring at the computer screen, so I’ll be in and out for a while.

  13. That’s a beautiful image. Dee, I’ve been away for a while. Did you see the images released of Sag A Star recently? (the black hole at the center of the Milky Way). Veritasium has an excellent video on it that fired on so many cylinders for me.Seeing an image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy was like seeing an aerial map of your neighborhood for the first time. Astronomy is filled with numbers of things: billions, trillions, vast stretches of time and space. But this one is ours.

  14. marco: Seeing an image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy was like seeing an aerial map of your neighborhood for the first time. Astronomy is filled with numbers of things: billions, trillions, vast stretches of time and space. But this one is ours.

    And can all be dismissed with one thought-stopping Jesus Juke.

  15. Michael in UK: Hall won’t help us cope with those, by his having a go at a foolish young boy leading a young girl into a demeaning public stunt.

    “REMEMBER BRAXTON CANER!”

  16. Ava Aaronson on Wed May 18, 2022 at 12:02 AM said:

    “RICK STEVES ROCKS!”

    “Watching one of his youtube videos, FREE by the way, is our favorite chaser or afterglow, following a film.

    FREE. Brief, light, panoramic viewing.”
    +++++++++++

    indeed.

    occasionally i’ll watch something, like a cliff-hanger…that really pushes me to the edge of the cliff emotionally.

    or something dark (some dark stories are worth the telling; taking out the dark would be dishonest)

    afterwards, yes, a Rick Steves travel episode is the perfect chaser, as you say.

    there are a few ‘celebrities’ i’d love for a friend: Rick Steves, Dawn French, Jaime Lee Curtis,…. we’d have such fun conversation.

  17. Mr. Jesperson: I lived up there and know how the area works. According to the papers he was not tested for other substances, which the govt will have to do to charge him with dui. One can fail a field sobriety test without any drugs, prescription or otherwise onboard the body if there are certain medical conditions. Which there seem to be. I do not remember if it was you or someone else who referred to his liking malt whisky catching up with him. That would have shown in a blood alcohol test.

    Agree he should not have been driving. Disagree that we KNOW it was a dui.

  18. Ava Aaronson: The sales of salvation, spiritual formation (discipleship), and fellowship are an integral part of our capitalistic society. A growth industry, an enterprise.

    Like Tetzel’s Indulgences 500 years ago.