Posted on 01/30/2008 7:48:49 PM PST by Terriergal
Megachurch pastor Rick Warren suggested Sunday that mainline churches need to reconcile with evangelicals to counter its mounting problem of membership decline.
Mon, Jan. 28, 2008 Posted: 09:32:12 AM EST
WASHINGTON – Megachurch pastor Rick Warren suggested Sunday that mainline churches need to reconcile with evangelicals to counter its mounting problem of membership decline.
“The reconciliation is that in a pluralistic world…we (Christians) need to be on the same team because we share the same savior,” Warren contended Sunday, as he spoke with the dean of the Washington National Cathedral, Samuel T. Lloyd III, who observed that evangelical churches are thriving and full of vitality, while most mainline denominations are confronting worrisome membership decline.
During the Cathedral’s weekly Sunday Forum: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith, Lloyd asked Warren how mainlines should tackle the problem.
“100 years ago the phrase ‘social gospel’ first came out,” Warren responded. “Some people took that to mean only if we reform the social government and society and not personal faith in Christ Jesus – that is, if we make the world a better place – we don’t need personal redemption.”
That idea led to mainline churches going “one way” and evangelical churches another way, he said.
In general, mainline churches focused on social morality such as fighting poverty, racism and economic justice. Meanwhile, evangelical churches concentrated on personal morality such as personal salvation, fighting pornography, and upholding family values.
“Who’s right? The fact is both are right,” Warren emphasized. “Somehow we got divided like Jesus didn’t care about society or members of society didn’t need Jesus. I think we need both.”
Warren called for “reconciliation” between mainline and evangelical churches and reminded the audience that Jesus taught his followers to love their God with all their heart, mind and soul, as well as to love their neighbors as themselves.
“You can’t just love your neighbor; you got to love God,” Warren said. “And you can’t just love God; you have to love your neighbors. And mainline protestant and evangelical – we need both wings.”
Earlier in the program, Warren shared about his 20,000-member Saddleback Church, an evangelical church that has more than 400 ministries reaching out to different parts of society including prison ministry and programs helping people infected with HIV/AIDS.
The megachurch pastor also praised small church groups that meet in people’s homes in strengthening Saddleback. The church has more than 3,600 small groups stretching 100 miles away from the main campus – or at least one in every city in southern California.
Warren said proudly that there are more people meeting in small groups each week – about 30,000 – than attending Sunday service.
“I could drop dead right now and the church would still be growing,” Warren joked half-seriously.
The community-building guru added the church is not built around one figure and that he spends only about half the year preaching at Saddleback and the rest traveling to speak and train pastors around the world.
Warren also highlighted that the evangelical church offers about 22 different worship styles across its campus on Sunday but listens to the same sermon.
“God likes variety,” Warren said with a laugh.
Besides membership decline, many mainline churches also report decline in financial contribution.
Warren said his church does “zero” fundraising, but instead teaches biblical stewardship and generosity. Saddleback raised $7 million for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and $1.6 million for the tsunami with one simple announcement made from the pulpit.
Personally, Warren and his wife Kay have led the church by example. The couple tithed the standard 10 percent during their first year of marriage, but raised it one percent each year thereafter - 12 percent during their second year or marriage, 13 percent in their third year of marriage, and so forth.
But after the success of Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life, the couple practiced reverse tithing – giving 90 percent to God’s work and living on 10 percent.
The Purpose Driven Life is the best-selling hardback in U.S. history and one of the best sellers in the world.
Other points in Warren’s talk Sunday included his global P.E.A.C.E. Plan and his belief in the need for a second reformation - one where Christians change their behavior to reflect what they claim to believe in.
Next week, Warren will attend the National Prayer Breakfast and hold a small meeting with D.C.-area pastors.
Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
Warren Solos Out of The Global Hymnal
And here:
Rick Warren at National Cathedral: Mainline and Evangelical Churches Should Reconcile
Rick Warren is Trouble. First he dances into the “seeker” agenda, passing that “illness” around the country and infecting many churches, then he wants to combine religions. (not just different versions of Christianity, either)
He is NOT a biblical Christian.
I’m about half way through the book, “The Purpose Driven Life”, and it seems to be a simple understanding of my beliefs— I guess just hearing a back-up is comforting. Actually, this is the first reference I’ve seen to him.
Ping.
You may say that again and again.
Here is a 4-part article about the purpose driven heresy (I’m sorry to say):
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/2003/1-purpose.htm
Educate yourself, and be alert, so that you will not be deceived by the false teachers parading around today.
YBPDLNPL Ping
**“You can’t just love your neighbor; you got to love God,”***
If you are really honest with yourself, you don’t do either to the degree it is commanded in Scripture. That is why we need Christ, who did that for us.
Search for Warren here on FR. Most have decided a long time ago there is something rotten in Denmark.
Based on what exactly? Everything link I've been provided ends up tracing back to websites who ultimately deride even Billy Graham and Martin Luther in the same manner they try to tear down Rick Warren and Bill Hybels.
I think I'll go with the guy who is actually bringing new believers to Christ every day...
The Purpose Driven Life is the best-selling hardback in U.S. history and one of the best sellers in the world.
That's scary.
Do you know who Chuck Baldwin is? What is his reputation (if any)among Freepers? Thanks in advance for any replies.
>>Based on what exactly?<<
Scripture.
Warren bends and twists it into a feel-good representation of himself.
His entire premise is based on marketing and making the church more palatable to the lost. Making the church bend to the worlds standards, rather than the lost bending to God’s standards. If you “win” them with worldliness, then you “win” them TO worldliness.
>>I think I’ll go with the guy who is actually bringing new believers to Christ every day...<<
David was proud of his numbers too, and was chastised severely for it. Warren may appear to be “winning” souls to Christ every day, but there’s never any follow-up to those numbers to show how many were actual regenerations and how many were just whipped up into an emotional state having chanted “We love you Lord, we love you, we love you” 40 times.
What does Warren actually sow in his seeker-sensitive wake? Broken churches, embittered souls who are angry that their ‘purpose’ turned out to be nothing because they were never truly regenerated, and feel-good works.
Scripture, huh? You might try this passage on for size. This is the Apostle Paul explaining to the church at Corinth how he changes his methods (but never his message) in order to appeal to unbelievers of different backgrounds.
Our charge is to "Go and tell". It seems to me that Rick Warren is fulfilling it quite well...
Oh man, not this again.
Yes, Paul did those things but not at the expense of the Gospel. Paul had two groups of audience - Jew and Gentile - that was it. He never once compromised God’s word, God’s principles, or God’s precepts in order to further the gospel.
He preached Christ crucified - something severely lacking in the emergent church movement. Warren seeks to win people WITH worldly methods. Paul sought the worldly, but with Godly methods, never once blending them. Warren changes the message to suit the audience.
And in v. 16 of that chapter, Paul is clear that his motive is not in seeking glory for himself.
Something I don’t think Mr. Spotlight can say with a clear conscience.
I saw Warren (and his wife) on Hannity and Colmes one night, and my impression was that he could not have written that book. He isn’t capable. I think that he went to the Hillary Clinton school of journalism. His wife, too. I don’t think tht she wrote her book, either.
Not at all, this is a wide open ping list, open to all who are befuddled by the megachurch superstar preachers. I’m sure somewhere there is a RC parish that has been infected with this nonsense....
***Do you know who Chuck Baldwin is?***
Never heard of him.
Anyone else?
Very well said.
Really? I'd like to see an example of that. I've listened to/read several sermons by Warren and never seen any compromise of the message. Love God. Love your neighbor. Evangelize. Disciple. Serve.
Sounds like the Bible to me...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.