Many Christian-led conferences taking place throughout North America during the summer and fall of 2009 are providing platforms for speakers who are helping to further the new spirituality. In many conferences, the speaker line-ups are a blending of non-emerging/non-contemplative speakers with those who are of that camp. Doing this gives an unmerited credibility to the teachings of the contemplative/emerging speakers. While some say there is nothing wrong with Christian teachers sharing the platform with those who promote a false approach to God (i.e., mysticism), the Bible is clear that “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). And by silently standing with the wayward teacher, one must now share the responsibility of his or her error.
A brief description of some of these conference line-ups will show the reason for concern:
One of the conferences taking place this summer that fits the above-mentioned scenario is Focus on Parenting by Focus on the Family. The speaker line-up includes Phil Vischer (creator of Veggie Tales) and Dr. Kevin Lehman (respected by many Christians for his writings on raising children), but the line-up also includes Elisa Morgan, president of MOPS–Mothers of PreSchoolers. MOPS is an organization that openly promotes contemplative authors on their website, and Morgan herself has endorsed the writings of Keri Wyatt Kent, a staunch advocate of contemplative prayer methods. Also on the line-up of the Focus on Parenting is Ron Luce, director of Teen Mania. Luce has shown his strong favor toward contemplative prayer practices, as one can see in a YouTube video clip between Luce and contemplative advocate Liz Babbs.1 In this video, Ron encourages Babbs as she talks about a mantra-like prayer practice where a word is repeated over and over.
Another conference, Unite in Worship Conference, will take place at the end of October in Toronto, Ontario. On the conference website, it lists a number of contemplatives that have been past speakers including New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet, Calvin Miller, Tricia Rhodes, and Ruth Haley Barton, all contemplative advocates. On that website, it says the conference offers teachings in the areas of: spiritual formation, leadership, children’s worship, personal formation, theology and various forms of worship including Taize.
In August, the Ignite National Simulcast will take place. According to the event website, this is “An uplifting, challenging, entertaining event for men.” This “uplifting, challenging, entertaining” experience will be provided by a mixture of Christian figures, from evangelist Mike Silva (whom many respect) to contemplative proponent, Jim Burns, who greatly admires Ruth Haley Barton’s “transforming” work using contemplative spirituality to train pastors and Christian leaders.1 On the Ignite conference website, a resource list with “the best of the best” resources for men is offered. Some of these resources include books by popular contemplative and/or emerging leaders such as Brennan Manning, Richard Foster, Ken Boa, Jim Burns, Bill Hybels, Mark Batterson, Dallas Willard, and Erwin McManus.
On June 17th, CCN (Church Communication Network) will present the Purpose Driven Network Summit with contemplative/emerging-church evangelist Rick Warren (see A “Wonderful” Deception” for more information on the New Age/emerging implications of Rick Warren’s spirituality). On June 18th, CCN is presenting Sacred Pathways seminar with contemplative author and speaker Gary Thomas. In Thomas’ book, Sacred Pathways, he instructs readers to repeat a word over and over for a meditation exercise (see link above).On June 30th, CCN presents the Awaken to Evangelism with emerging church leaders Erwin McManus, Dan Kimball, and a number of others in this camp. (See this also.
Another conference will take place in August when Willow Creek will hold their annual Leadership Summit simulcast event. Every year this event presents authors and speakers that are part of the contemplative emerging church. Willow Creek is one of the biggest catalysts for the emerging church and contemplative prayer so this would be expected. This year, it is worth noting that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will be on the platform. Blair, who recently converted to Catholicism, has his own story of being involved in New Age mysticism. According to a 2002 UK Guardian News article, Tony Blair and his wife went through a mystical experience called rebirthing. The article states:
During their stay at the Maroma Hotel, a pricey retreat on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, Cherie Booth/Blair took her husband by the hand and led him along the beach to a ‘Temazcal,’ a steam bath enclosed in a brick pyramid. It was dusk and they had stripped down to their swimming costumes. Inside, they met Nancy Aguilar, a new-age therapist. She told them that the pyramid was a womb in which they would be reborn. The Blairs became one with ‘Mother Earth.’ They saw the shapes of phantom animals in the steam and experienced ‘inner-feelings and visions.’
Five years later, in 2007, Blair converted to Catholicism. In September 2008, Lighthouse Trails reported that Blair was putting together an interfaith youth team. 2 As is usually the case,mystical experiences change the spiritual outlook of the practitioner, and interspirituality is a fruit of this new spiritual outlook.
One more conference to be mentioned is the National Youth Workers Convention hosted by Youth Specialties. This is an annual event that has taken place three times a year in three different cities for several years. This year’s featured speakers will be Andy Stanley, Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz) and Francis Chan. Youth Specialties is one of the most, if not the most, influential groups promoting contemplative spirituality and the emerging church. They claim that they serve over 100,000 youth workers every year!
We have just listed a few of the many “Christian” conferences that will be taking place across North America this summer and fall. We hope this will put readers on alert regarding conferences they or their loved ones are considering attending. While a conference may offer a trusted person on the speaker line-up, very likely, in this day and age, some of the other speakers will be presenting views that should not be trusted at all.
