Are We Becoming An Emergent Church (Progressive Church)? (15 warning signs!) – Part 1 of 2

Author’s Definition for Emergent Church / Progressive Church Theology:  A subversive movement by church leaders with the intended purpose to reinvent mainstream evangelical Christianity and insert a social gospel that is “more inclusive” and “less restrictive”.   Sadly, these leaders believe they are doing what God wants.

Did you already read Part 1 and need to go to Part 2? Click here Are We Becoming An Emergent Church? – Part 2

The Bible addresses this errant teaching in John 14:6 (NASB), “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”   This sounds rather exclusive, doesn’t it?  There is only one way to God.  This errant teaching also leads to a de-emphasis on proclaiming the verbal Gospel of Jesus Christ, which believers are commanded to do in Mark 16:15 (NASB), “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”  The Greek word for preach in this verse is κηρύσσω (pronounced kērussō or kay-roos’-so), which means to herald or proclaim as a public crier, especially divine truth.

Are We Becoming An Emergent / Progressive Church?

Short List of 15 Warning Signs (see *note at bottom of 2nd Page): (1)Scripture is no longer the ultimate authority as the basis for the Christian Faith; (2) The centrality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by humanistic methods promoting Church Growth and a Social Gospel, and / or an inconsistent verbal proclamation of the Gospel from the pulpit; (3) More and more emphasis is being placed on building the Kingdom of God now and less and less on the Warnings of Scripture about the imminent Return of Jesus Christ and a Coming Judgment in the Future; (4) The Teaching that Jesus Christ will rule and reign in a literal millennial period is considered unbiblical and heretical; (5) The stated teaching or personal belief of the Pastor that God has removed His hand from Israel and that Israel no longer has any Prophetic significance; (6) The Teaching that the Book of Revelation does not refer to the Future, but instead has been already fulfilled in the past; (7) An experiential Mystical form of Christianity begins to be promoted as a method to reach the Postmodern Generation; (8) Ideas are promoted teaching that Christianity needs to be reinvented in order to provide meaning for this generation; (9) The Pastor may implement an idea called “ancient-future” or “vintage Christianity” claiming that in order to take the church forward, we need to go back in church history and find out what experiences were effective to get people to embrace Christianity; (10) While the authority of the Word of God is undermined, images and sensual experiences are promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God; (11) These experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations, contemplative prayer, experiencing the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist; (12) There seems to be a strong emphasis on ecumenism indicating that a bridge is being established that leads in the direction of unity with the Roman Catholic Church, Islam, Mormonism,etc.; (13) Some evangelical Protestant leaders are saying that the Reformation went too far. They are reexamining the claims of the “church fathers” saying that communion is more than a symbol and that Jesus actually becomes present in the wafer at communion; (14) There will be a growing trend towards an ecumenical unity for the cause of world peace claiming the validity of other religions and that there are many ways to God; and (15) Members of Churches who Question or Resist the new changes that the Pastor is implementing are reprimanded and usually asked to leave.  Often this involves lying and deceptive behavior on the part of the leadership.

Some early warnings and symptoms include the use of terms such as flourishing, inclusive, community, progressive, building God’s Kingdom here on Earth, developing a kingdom focus and perhaps a strong or defined movement towards changing a biblically defined existing Statement of Faith to a new Statement of Faith that is more inclusive.  This usually involves a changing of church bylaws to restrict or remove members biblical authority in challenging truth who should also be involved in church discipline.   A pastor passionate on becoming an Emergent Church will want to remove all obstacles and place himself closer to unfettered power.  (Author’s comments:  Although your church may not be there yet in denying the gospel, this may be the next step if some or most of the warning signs identified below are entrenched in your local church structure.  Listen carefully to your pastor’s sermons to hear if the verbal, proclaimed Gospel is missing from Pulpit sermons and messages.  Often the changes are subtle and it may be years before you realize your church is emergent.) 

Background Information for 15 Warning Signs:

What are the Warning Signs that We Need to Look Out for?  Even though not all warning signs may be present, any one of the 15 warning signs listed further down is a strong signal that your church may be starting down a dangerous and destructive path to becoming an emergent / progressive church, bent on distorting the Gospel and leading people away from their need for the Gospel.

Frequently, this may appear inconsequential at first or you may find it hard to believe that this is really happening to your church.  You might even feel bad questioning your church’s drifting theology because so many wonderful things seem to be happening such as relational life groups to build community, strong community outreach programs and visible community presence for your church, active youth programs, etc.  Please make careful observations and spend time in the Word with prayer and meditation and pray that the Holy Spirit would confirm whether this is happening in your local church body through careful study of God’s Word.  A denial and a refusal to confront these things in truth will later lead to shame and guilt in not being obedient to God’s Truth, not to mention a complicit effort to lead people astray from sound doctrine and teaching.  Please read 2 Timothy 4:3-5.

Be aware that when you do decide to confront your pastor and or leaders in regard to what God’s Word has to say, that you may become a target for a misapplication of Matthew 18 and singled out as a divider (creating division).  Many times there is a price to be paid in becoming bold for God’s Truth.  Take Galatians 4:16 (NASB) to heart, “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

Based upon your pastor’s reaction to you, this may show that your pastor may not have a heart willing to receive correction as exhorted in Acts 17, 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.  We’re supposed to be able to speak truth into each other’s lives. He may instead try to relegate any further discussion from you to an elder (usually their role is to be a hatchet man) and if the elder (more times than not) decides that you will need to drop this and not pursue it, you are then expected to follow the Pastor’s and the Elder’s authority. This buffering of doctrinal challenges to the pastor is becoming more prevalent in Emergent / Progressive Churches where the leadership is facing opposition to the new theological direction they’re taking the church.

Your church leaders may even instruct you in the following scriptures on submitting to church authority,  Hebrews 13:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, Philippians 1:1, etc.  Oftentimes, they also neglect to read or cite the following scriptures as well, which talks about their expected behavior as a leader, Matthew 20:25-28, 1 Peter 5:1-5, and 3 John 9-12.  Oftentimes they may start dealing with people challenging erred doctrine with a heavy hand and use Matthew 18 as a club instead of the purpose, which is to restore a sinning member to fellowship.  Since when does speaking the truth in love become a sinful behavior.  Yes, there is a Biblical manner in which to approach your pastor and we are to speak the truth in love, Ephesians 4:14-16 (NASB), “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Matthew 18 and Galatians 6:1 do address the biblical process pretty specifically (proper private approach, confrontation with witnesses, desired repentance and prayerfully restoration).  The biblical goal is always restoration.  As a final result after non-repentance is shown, then church dismissal, disfellowship or excommunication is applied.  This biblical discipline applies to the pastor and elders as well.  Members, according to Matthew 18 can biblically confront the pastor.  In some emergent churches, the structure of the bylaws is being rewritten and, this writer believes, in an unbiblical manner to only allow this to be applied and enforced from an Executive Board of Elders and exclude regular elders and members from having any authority.

Click below to link to the second part of this article, http://www.bibleanswerstoquestions.com/are-we-an-emergent-church/part2 .