The following letter was sent to Lighthouse Trails this week from a Houghton College alumni couple. Because of our ongoing research on the slide by many Christian schools into the contemplative/emerging camp, we are posting this letter with the couple’s permission. We hope it will help those of you who are trying to warn loved ones on what is happening in the Christian schools today. Following the Putnam’s letter is their research notes on Houghton College. For a list of other Christian colleges, universities and seminaries going contemplative/emerging, click here.

For Lighthouse Trails Editors:

Houghton College, Houghton, NY Slips Into the Emergent Camp

My husband and I, graduates of Houghton College in 1967, began to become familiar with the Emergent/Contemplative Movement this past winter, immersing ourselves in your web site as well as books from authors like Yungen, Oakland, DeWaay, Warren, and others.  We also listened to ministries as Crosstalk, Olive Tree Views, Fighting for the Faith, DVDs, and more.

The Lord directed us step by step unveiling just the right information to ready us for our next encounter.  During this time we were feeling our alma mater was not affected.  That is, until last month, when my husband read President Shirley Mullen’s April 2010 “President’s Page.”  Immediately, he noted she was reading Thomas Merton and Eugene Peterson.  Red flags flew!  I typed in “Houghton College-Emergent Church” and right away up popped Houghton’s “Youth Pastor’s Conference with Mark Yaconelli”

(October 20, 2008) and “Houghton College Emerging Church Conference” with Tony Jones (March 28, 2009).  A third document to surface was The Trinity Review with the article “The Emergent Church’s Retreat into Pre-Reformation Darkness” by Paul M. Elliot.  This paper on page fourteen listed Houghton, along with other institutions, as having gone emergent.

Thus, began our research into Shirley Mullen, the Houghton Wesleyan Church, the Houghton Chapel speakers, and more Houghton conferences.

The result is the enclosed paper that I am sharing with alumni friends.

First we found ”The Houghton Conference on Christian Worship” (Sept.25-27, 2008) with John Witvliet of the “Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.”

Witvliet then became tied into John Brittain, Dean of Houghton Chapel & Professor of Religion, Houghton.  Brittain signed Robert Webber’s “A Call to Ancient Evangelical Future” of which Witvliet was a supporter.

Looking into Houghton’s Wesleyan Church site for this spring showed small groups using contemplative materials including Richard Foster and Emilie Griffin’s  Spiritual Classics  as well as Corrine Ware’s  St. Benedict on the Freeway: Spirituality for 21st. Century Pilgrims.  Not only was the church using these books, but the Western New York District of the Wesleyan Church was as well–notably emergent proponent Earl Creps’ book.

After finding out the above, researching the chapel speakers was the next step.  While there wasn’t any way to begin to research all of them, or include all of the information found from the archives from 2006-2010 a number of prominent speakers were found.

Ben Patterson, of Westmont College, especially proved interesting namely because he’s now Chapel Pastor at Westmont where Mullen taught for a number of years; and he’s also associated with Westmont’s President Beebe who is with Renovare.  The Westmont Chapel Archives, just from the spring of 2009, listed Shane Claiborne, Gayle Beebe, Richard Foster, Shirley Mullen, and John Ortberg as speakers.

We also found it very telling that JoAnne Lyon, General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church, a chapel speaker, authored a book quoting Henri Nouwen, Richard Foster, and Jurgen Moltmann (see Bob DeWaay’s work).

And this March, once again, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal spoke to the students in forums besides demonstrating an “instructional mass” causing a senior to state in the Houghton Star (March 24, 2010) that the mass was one of the most profound spiritual events in her four years at Houghton.

Lastly, on May 8, 2010, Eugene Peterson spoke to the graduating seniors.

Thus, from all we’ve read there seems to be little doubt that Houghton, as Paul Elliot said, has gone emergent.  And so it is with sadness, we also feel Houghton should be added to your list of contemplative colleges.

In Christ, W. H. and L E. Putnam

To view some of the Putnam's research on Houghton College, click here.

LTRP Note: We believe the following commentary is thought-provoking and useful in further understanding the methods of the new spirituality. Keep in mind that a growing number of Christian musicians are becoming involved in the contemplative emerging movement.

By Ellen Pope
Free-Lance Writer
A Commentary

Maybe you’ve noticed the difference on some of the Christian radio stations – how that songs lifting up Jesus Christ are blended with many  others that sometimes make you scratch your head and wonder: “What are they actually saying?” or “Is that biblical?” or “This sounds a lot like … [insert name of secular band here].”

Vague and indistinguishable lyrics are sometimes yelled (or whined, or moaned) amidst raw electric guitar chords, emotional electronica, and mind-numbing freight train drum beats moving at break-neck speeds. Other times young men and women rap and hip-hop their way into frenzy. Some sing ballads about their doubt and confusion to the tune of sorrowful violins and piano solos, synthesized to be as hauntingly sad as possible. Once in a while words like “forgiveness,” “justice,” “peace,” “save,” “love” and “God” show up. Much of the time, it’s hard to tell if it’s a Christian singing or not; hence some songs have been granted play-time on secular radio rotations too.

Given the power that music has, especially (but not limited to) the youth, could it be that this is one of the most powerful “tools” used to propagate the deceptions of the emergent, seeker-sensitive, and New Age movements? Movements, which often claim Christ, but deny the Word? It only stands to reason that “another Jesus” would demand its own worship, being a tool to edify an erroneous faith. Is this it?

With the (almost indistinguishable) similarities between much of this music and the world’s music, as well as the questionable convictions behind the lyrics, questions must be asked. Millions of listeners and listener’s dollars are actively purchasing, supporting, and giving over their minds to this music.

Not long ago I opened my mailbox and found a large, multi-page newspaper advertisement for an event called “Creation 2010.” I still get mailings like this from my former years as a very naïve, “all-is-well if it has the word ‘Christian’ attached to it” years. I signed my name and address on all kinds of ministry lists, attended mega conferences (featuring surprise guests like U2, and Rick Warren). I donated to what I thought were “missions,” and even participated in leadership groups. Now I know better.

Years later, the advertisements and invitations still trickle in from these and other sources (apparently they thought it was okay to pass around my information). But I’m not upset. Getting these kinds of mailings lets me know what’s going on “out there” in this world so full of traps and deceptions. It also reminds me that many are still taking part, some for the very first time, as I once did not that long ago.

Creation 2010 boasts as being the nation’s largest Christian Music Festivals. It has on the surface, an innocent mission. “To worship the creator,” promote Jesus Christ, and minister to young people through music, camping, teaching, fellowship, and baptism. We do need all of that! But is it all that it seems?

Amidst schedules, photographs, seminars, and advertisements for humanitarian causes (fighting AIDS, hunger, and aiding the third world), we find that the event is also featuring big names in the Christian music industry. Groups like Toby Mac, Newsboys, Casting Crowns, and [contemplative promoting] David Crowder are all joining in, marking this as a major Christian event, which will draw enormous crowds.

In addition to the big names, there are many included on the schedule that I’ve never heard of (which isn’t saying much; I’m not exactly “in the loop”). Bands like Family Force 5, Tenth Avenue North, Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Red, Downhere, Remedy Drive, Reilly, Abandon, Kari Jobe, KJ-52, Chris & Conrad, John Mark McMillan, Francesca Battistelli, Israel Houghton, Unhindered, Sons of Day, December Radio, and Carlos Whittaker.

On the “Side Stage” there will be bands like The Classic Crime, Oh Sleeper, Sleeping Giant, Brian “Head” Welch, Superchick, Group 1 Crew, House of Heroes, R-Swift, The Letter Black, Secret & Whisper, Seabird, Thi’sl, B. Reith, Jason, Young Joshua, We As Human.

Intrigued, I took the time to read the pamphlet’s summaries posted for the “Main Stage” artists. Some of them seemed fairly benign. But a few really jumped out. Tenth Avenue North, for example, claimed to have “all come from church backgrounds and families, and therefore, are not satisfied saying the same old things in the same old ways” (emphasis mine). “What they’re hoping for with the music they are making is to not just entertain people. They want people to encounter faith. They desire to be [sic] cut to the heart and be honest, genuine, and faithful to what they believe is truth.”

I see three things happening here. First, these individuals are telling people that being raised in a Christian home automatically equates to stagnancy and an un-genuine faith. Second, they are attempting to make music to help people “encounter” faith. Is this different from “having” it, as the Bible says? Click here to continue reading.

This past week, Lighthouse Trails was asked if we would remove our articles on Leonard Sweet's speaking engagement at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque for the National Worship Leader Conference now that he has been asked not to speak at the Calvary Chapel church. After thoughtful deliberation, we issue this reply.

To whom it may concern: In this particular request, to remove our report regarding Leonard Sweet and Calvary Chapel, we struggle. Please let us explain why: Those who have studied the teachings of Rick Warren carefully and weighed them against Scripture know that Rick Warren’s spirituality very much resonates with Leonard  Sweet’s. This can be shown to be so in a number of areas, including both men’s promotion of what we call contemplative spirituality (basically New Age mysticism). With that said, Skip Heitzig’s new film, Riptide, features Rick Warren as well as contemplative proponent Mark Driscoll. To feature Rick Warren but cancel Leonard Sweet will send out the message that one is ok and one isn’t, when in reality the spirituality of both men is dangerous.

For those who may question as to whether Rick Warren and Leonard Sweet support and embrace each other’s work, please consider the following articles: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1842 http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=976 Rick Warren resonates strongly with Leonard Sweet, and this has been evident for at least 15 years (since their Tides of Change audio series).

A few years ago, Lighthouse Trails documented that Chuck Smith, founder of Calvary Chapel, made a public denouncement of the Purpose Driven movement as well as the emerging church and contemplative spirituality. For CC to now embrace Rick Warren but reject Leonard Sweet may actually cause more harm because now the message sent out will be that Leonard Sweet's spirituality is not good, but Rick Warren's is acceptable.

Incidentally, the line up of speakers at the Albuquerque location for Chuck Fromm’s Worship Conference is filled with Purpose Driven, Robert Schuller, and Willow Creek teachers. Thus, the conference should not be taking place at a Calvary Chapel church at all.

With this in mind, we cannot remove the articles we have written about this situation. Please bear in mind that Rick Warren and Willow Creek  DO resonate with Leonard Sweet and other emerging/new spirituality leaders thus putting them in the same ”theological” disposition as Sweet – therefore, removing Leonard Sweet has not removed a very serious situation, and we believe readers need to be kept abreast of this ongoing spiritual decline by many of today’s evangelical churches, including some of Calvary Chapel’s more prominent churches.

LTRP Note: The following fictionalized account is written by former homosexual, now on-fire believer in Jesus Christ and free-lance writer for the faith, John Lanagan. If you would like to read his testimony, click here. Lighthouse Trails believes that the homosexual lifestyle is part of the New Age movement (i.e., the “death” religion) along with evolution, abortion, and mysticism. The fact that emerging church leaders de-emphasize the serious and dangerous nature of homosexuality further illustrates the true essence of the emerging church. This story is in connection with the Covenant for Civility. Click here to continue reading.  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7)

by John Lanagan
My Word Like Fire Ministries

Attack of the Evange-hellicals
Chapter 8

Bishop Lionel Daniel and his wife, Hattie, weren’t alone in watching the O’Rourke Show at 5:45 in the morning. In Georgetown, gay activist Mike Minor walked woodenly over to his television and manually turned it on. He was unshaven, unshowered, and unholy. That terrible dread pressed down on him in a way he could not describe with words.

In a Maryland suburb, Wally Trueblood, co-founder of Just Jesus Christians, the politically active progressives who claimed to obey the Scriptural words of Jesus, nodded with satisfaction. He turned down the sound. “Good. The nation is hearing how big the love of Christ is.”

“All God’s children under the Big Tent. It is marvelous,” agreed the evangelist. “Mike Minor did a great job. But I’m worried about him, Wally.”

Wally Trueblood sipped his espresso, savoring the taste of the dark roast. He licked his lips. “Why?”

“Something is bothering him. Something big.”

“Well, maybe he’s feeling anxiety, or pressure. He’s only human.”

“Mike Minor doesn’t feel anxiety or pressure. He creates these feelings in others.”

Trueblood laughed. It was true. Mike Minor had shamed, intimidated, or guilt-tripped numerous political and media figures into supporting the gay agenda. He had nerves of steel. Trueblood was not rabidly pro-gay by any means, but had resolved long ago to end the Bible fundamentalists’ obsession with abortion and homosexuality.

It was a sore point with Wally Trueblood. Jesus never said squat about homos. There were hungry people to be fed, and sheltered, and educated. The Just Jesus Christians had done much to reorder priorities.

The evangelist drained his espresso and glanced at the antique grandfather clock in Trueblood’s living room. “I have to get to my meeting. We are starting our media campaign on the immigration issue, and I’d better not be late.”

Trueblood nodded. He stood, and shook his guest’s hand. “Big changes coming to this country.”

The evangelist nodded solemnly. “What an honor to serve.”

In his townhouse, Mike Minor stared dully at the television. It was beginning to get light outside, and he realized his first appointment of the day was less than two hours away. He lifted his hands to eye-level, noting with almost clinical interest that they were trembling.

The lesbian, Episco-contemplative priests who had just gotten married were meeting with him. All the important media was going to be there, including O’Rourke’s producer and film crew.

He had to do this. Mike Minor was a fighter. He inhaled deeply, and walked toward his bathroom for his shower and shave.

(Also read: Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 10.5, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13)

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(courtesy Christian Investigator.com)

By Lauren Green
FOXNews.com

The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of millions of Buddhists around the world, ended a brief U.S. tour with packed sessions at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

It’s the home of the high-kicking Rockettes, but for a few days this week, it was the venue for a veritable rock star in religion — the Dalai Lama.

The spiritual leader of millions of Buddhists around the world ended a brief U.S. tour with packed sessions at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Thousands of people waiting in long lines to see him this week seemed to be of one mind in their quest to hear his words of wisdom.

“[He] is carrying a really important message and we really need to hear it today, which is the cooperation with each other, and compassion which seems to be sadly missing,” Chad Doury of Brooklyn said.

But compassion in political terms still can be anathema to America’s economy.  Click here to continue.

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FACISM IN EMERGING CHURCH AND THE DALAI LAMA IS A MARXIST by Apprising Ministries