The effects of micro-apostasy do not surprise me, even though they have been relatively slow in coming, given their origins in the land of fruit and nuts.
Long ago, when all the stars of Protestant denominations gathered at Fuller Seminary in California, the alleged conservatives could comfort themselves with the notion that their new Harvard was Evangelical. The mainline leaders could reassure their associates that Fuller saw the light and dropped inerrancy, a "newly invented word" though it is found in Luther's Large Catechism.
WELS was embarrassed that Fuller sent around a list of all the WELS mission leaders that studied there. That was a secret! The LCMS did not worry about it. Few said anything and the propaganda wars began. "Everything has to change," intoned John Lawrenz, who had to be OK, since he was immaculately conceived in a WELS parsonage and raised at Mordor.
The old ALC seminary in Columbus - where Lenski, Leupold, and other greats once taught - gave me an opportunity to read all the Church Growth books I had missed before. Fuller repudiated inerrancy before McGavran and Wagner turned the school into Ford Pinto plant of missions. I wondered when the Evangelicals would crumble and burn.
One advantage the apostates have is the willingness of members and clergy to overlook the beginnings. Lenski quoted Pfotenhauer in saying, "Resist the beginnings."
Looking at ELCA, a most tolerant group, the red line was not:
- Inerrancy
- Open Communion
- Communion with the Reformed
- Women's Ordination
- Compromise and surrender to Rome, or
- Almost anything else.
But the campaign to add gay marriage and ordination to the agenda in 2009 broke the bank. Members, congregations, pastors, yea even retired bishops - made an eight-door exit out of ELCA, taking their funds with them. Seminaries began crumbling from lack of support.
Recent Church Growth Explosions
Here are a few of the Protestant detonations that began to remind people not to depart from the Truth. Below are links to the Ichabod stories.
- Robert Schuller's entire career collapsed in lawsuits and the selling of his monument to his ego. Rome bought it. Bishops mark their territory, just like dogs.
- Mars Hill. That basket case exploded like fireworks examined with a burning sparkler.
- Rob Bell had a giant congregation, until he began publishing his unbelief. Big on UOJ. Now he is an open atheist.
- Criminal acts are covered up, and the guilty are rewarded with public absolutions (without repentance or faith) - as predicted 9 years ago.
- Bohlmann promoted Church Growth fanaticism in the LCMS
- Naumann endorsed Church Growth in WELS, long ago
- George Orvick always landed on the side of Church Growth in the ELS.
- The CLC (sic) followed close behind the others, following their hoof-prints.
Now that precious Andy Stanley has stepped on the Christian family and the Virgin Birth, we can expect his eventual demise, even if he gets away with it another 20 years.
A Babtist faculty member really shocked me when he denied Stanley's departure from the concept of marriage. Asking for proof, he got my graphic with the evidence clearly inscribed. That made me the bad guy. Since then I learned that once someone achieves rock star status among the Evangelicals, nothing can be said about his life or doctrine. That sounds like WELS and Missouri!
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| They rejoice in denying and repudiating the Chief Article of the Christian Faith. Apostates are easily unified by what they disbelieve. |
