Dear Lighthouse Trails:
I know you have posted some things regarding the EFCA back in 2013-2014 and contemplative spirituality, but I haven’t seen anything more current so I thought I would share some things with you that I see. As a member (Technically) of an EFCA church, I accidentally stumbled across some things that, if correct, should be concerning to anyone who is attached to the EFCA.
So, as you probably know, in June 2019, the EFCA removed “premillennial” [belief in a thousand year reign of Christ after the tribulation] from their SOF and replaced it with “glorious return.” I wondered why, and this past Fall, I found the answer. There is a Vimeo video online of the President of the EFCA sharing why he wanted people to vote yes to the language change from premillennial to glorious return. What was his reason? A group of young pastors who wanted to credential under the EFCA but they couldn’t say they agreed with the premillennial view. I could be wrong, but that sounds like compromise. On June 19, 2019, the amendment was approved.
Then, in a search about the “Emerging Missional” movement, a blog post showed up on the EFCA website titled “Understanding the Missional Church” dated May 2012. The EFCA is going in the direction of the Missional Church movement or at least part of it is. Inside the EFCA is a grass roots group of pastors and leaders who desire to live and be “missional”*— that group is known as Creo Collective. Now, might this be the group of pastors who weren’t sure they could agree with the “premillennial” view? You have to Google Creo Collective (www.creocollective.org) to find them as they don’t just show up on the EFCA website.
I should mention that it is my understanding that not all EFCA pastors agree with the direction the EFCA is headed. From what I can tell, this movement is actually a part of the Emerging Church or at least it would appear that way. Why? Well, in 2018 Creo Collective trained EFCA pastors and leaders on the APEST model as taught by Alan Hirsch and his book Forgotten Ways. Alan Hirsch, as I believe you know, is an emerging church leader, and he is endorsed by many other EMC leaders. When you look at people Hirsch quotes, they are not people most Christians would be quoting. He tends to quote contemplative spiritualists, social-justice teachers, progressives, Catholic priests, etc. When I looked on the Creo Collective FB page for 2020, the first thing that comes up for training (coaching) is spiritual formation and later in the schedule is more training (coaching) on the APEST.
What’s my concern? Is the EFCA in fact lining up with the Emerging Church movement? What do you at Lighthouse Trails see happening?
Watching, C.J.
LTRP Comments: We agree that there are some EFCA leaders and pastors who are not promoting or embracing emergent church teachings or heading in that direction. However, we also share your concerns about EFCA as a whole and about their present leadership and direction. What we were observing in 2013 and 2014 regarding the EFCA has now borne its emergent “fruit.” As you can see in this 2011 recommend resources list, EFCA had made the decision to go down the contemplative mystical path. And now today, as you have pointed out, partly through EFCA groups like Creo Collective, they have followed the “natural” course that contemplative leads to—emergent, “progressive,” social justice; and based on what has happened to so many other denominations, we predict it will only get worse for the EFCA. Once a group starts down the contemplative path, only a determined and committed effort and desire to stop will keep that group from going full-blown emergent, socialist, and ultimately anti-Gospel.
While EFCA doctrines of belief statements still adhere to biblical principles, there are definite indications they are compromsing in order to keep everyone happy. We must remember that doctrines of belief statements are not enough to show an accurate gauge to how biblically healthy a denomination is. What must also be looked at are the various movements, recommendations, groups, pastors, churches, and offshoots of a denomination because those are what give a far more accurate glimpse into the future of that denomination. Creo Collective, plus the EFCA connections to emergent leaders such as Alan Hirsch are two examples of where EFCA is going.
One of several examples we saw of EFCA’s apparent compromising in order to keep everyone happy is a statement made about Replacement Theology** where they make allowance within their denominational structure to accept it or reject it. And coupled with their recent vote to remove the word “premillennial” (a word that would generally include Israel’s role in the last days scenario), our concerns that EFCA is indeed becoming emergent are only heightened.
*Missional: Replacing the term missions; it strives to improve society through social justice. De-emphasizes evangelism to the lost. Emphasizes being relevant and connected to the culture.
**See our article/booklet that explains what Replacement Theology is and why we believe it is a dangerous and anti-biblical teaching.
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(Photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission.)
My husband and I belonged to an EFC for 25 years. When we joined, it was a Bible believing organization. We watched Calvinism come in and take over the leadership of the district and most churches. This is the primary reason why “pre-millennial” was dropped from the statement of faith – in order to allow more of those with Calvinistic beliefs to join. Most Calvinists are amillenialists. Part of the whole Calvinist belief system is Replacement Theology in which the Church replaces Israel in God’s promises to Abraham. These are the things being taught in most seminaries these day so it is difficult to hire a pastor who does not espouse the beliefs.
Thank you, Ralph for your comment. It is appreciated and I was waiting for someone to address that.
In Galatians 1 vs 8 we read what Paul had to say about another gospel being preached: “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” The Epistles warn much about false teachers and their pernicious ways. We find these warnings in 2 Thessalonians 3, 1 & 2nd Timothy, 2 Peter chapter 2 and 2 Peter 3 vs. 3 and 5 which pertains to scoffers in the last days who are willingly ignorant with regards to the times. In 2nd Peter it says some pretty hard things about the deceivers, calling them “as natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed”. It says that many shall follow their pernicious ways, and that “these are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.” It also says that “they themselves are the servants of corruption”. There is a place for severely calling out false teachers and there teachings as we see clearly from God’s own Word. I suppose it also fails the test of the three stated principles in Simon’s post?
The question and comment I would have for Simon is this, if the leadership in the Christian, fundamentalist, Bible churches do not teach sound biblical doctrine where are people going to hear it?
These emergent churches are teaching such a water down gospel they are leading people to eternal hell, Think of that for a moment, leading others to eternal torment in hell, I for one would not allow my influence to be responsible for that. As church leaders I certainly would agree we are not to be unloving or uncaring in our approach, people will ultimately make their own decisions, what I’m talking about here is what message are we teaching. In my view it’s just like parenting we have to love our children enough to show and teach them right and wrong.
Someone in the 17th century said these words:
In the essentials Unity.
In the non-essentials Liberty.
In all things Charity (Love).
This article and the comments are troubling in demonstrating the absence of anything consistent with even one of these statements.
Those who adhere to Replacement Theology end up also being anti-Israel, anti-Jews , boycott-divestment sanctions against Israel, etc. Often the end product of Emergent/Progressive and Replacement Theology is persecution of the Jews or ignoring the role of Israel and the Jews in prophecy. My son, a missionary in Spain told me on Saturday that Pamplona, Spain has been declared a Jew-free city. It sounds like the Inquisition all over again. I need to write to the mayor and remind him that Joseph, Mary and Jesus Christ were Jews.
As a former member and officer in the EFCA church I grew up in, I can confirm this to be true. I led Sunday School classes and gave special presentations to warn our church. The interesting thing was the average person in the pew “got it” however, the majority of the of the other leaders and the pastor mostly said I was overreacting and had a tendency to follow conspiracy’s. The advice I received from them was to enjoy a nice christian life and go along with the flow.
I contacted the North central district office in Minnesota and in so many words was told the same. So good bye to the whole outfit.
Thank you Pastor Randy for having discernment. This comment by you is a breath of fresh air. Many family, friends and pastors do not heed the warnings made by us. Very sad. I will pray that there are more pastors like you who will make the Biblical decision to reject the emergent/progressive agenda in the churches.
As a Pastor of a EV Free Church I can tell you that you are correct that there has been a massive turn towards Emergent Spirituality within the EFCA. I have labored to warn leadership at our District and National levels concerning the dangers of Spiritual Formation, Contemplative Spirituality and their Social Gospel leanings. All of those efforts fell on deaf ears. Our District leadership has invited Emergent Speakers for district leadership meetings and they have endorsed such heretical mystics as St John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. Our little church will not be embracing any of that. We are going to stick with the Bible and the simple gospel message of the cross. We are not interested in the latest church buzzwords and business models. We are definitely in a time of Apostasy and I am thankful for Lighthouse Trails, the Berean Call, and men and women such as Dave Hunt, Warren Smith, Ray Yungen, Caryl Matrisciana, Trevor Baker and others who have had the courage to stand for the Lord in these last hours. My prayer is that the church would wake up and cast off the works of darkness! Our prayers are with you! Endure dear saints, the Lord is coming soon!
I wrote to the EFCA today voicing my dismay at the vote to remove the word premillennial from their statement of faith. So many of us have for years been looking joyously to the 1000 yr. reign of Christ. I also mentioned my concern over the emergent road they are on.
I want to add to this article and say that I firsthand saw the huge shift in the EFCA. I attended this church during the 90’s for about 10 years. After living in another state for several years I moved back and went to this church. I would say that the church changed so very much that I used the word “unrecognizable.” The spirit in the music, the organizations the church was promoting, the pastors and books they were following and promoting were shocking and so sad. What was even maybe more disheartening was there were people there, who I knew from years ago, who accept this and went along with it. The Bible says it will be this way in the end days. I am so thankful and humbled that he has opened my eyes to all this apostacy.
I bumped into a friend I had known when we were college-age last wk. She attends an EVFree church that I had belonged to a few yrs. ago. She and her husband feel like leaving the church because it is going progressive, but she is involved in a ladies study group there. I was afraid this was happening at that church when I was a member. I warned her about Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines. They both will probably end up leaving that church. It is very sad to see such lack of discernment among pastors. The previous pastor there did tell his staff to stop using Rob Bell’s materials and books.