Hello Lighthouse Trails:
Greetings from Calgary, Alberta. We appreciate being a subscriber to your newsletter which has been beneficial in keeping us abreast of apostasy going on in the Body of Christ.
I am providing this information to you at Lighthouse Trails Publishing regarding previous articles on Spiritual Formation.
For the past 2 years, my wife and I have been communicating with a retired senior pastor from the Christian Missionary Alliance of Canada denomination. He has been keeping us up to date with what is unfolding within the C&MA of Canada. My heart is heavy realizing how far down the path of deception and apostasy C&MA of Canada is going.
When I accepted Christ at 18 years of age, the Lord led me to attend Canadian Bible College – Regina Saskatchewan. We all know that CBC/CTS (Canadian Bible College/Canadian Theological Seminary) is now presently Ambrose University – Calgary, AB.
As indicated on your website and in past newsletters, Ambrose University teaches students contemplative spirituality (i.e., spiritual formation).
In light of this well-documented evidence, I am submitting to you information that I found to be alarming.
This information was brought to my attention by our friend, a retired C&MA senior pastor.
Currently on staff at Ambrose University is Professor of Christian History and Spirituality – Charles Nienkirchen, PhD. He is the author of a published book called Down Ancient Paths. He was also a guest on 100 Huntley Street promoting and talking about this book.
Charles Nienkirchen joined CBC/CTS in 1981/82. In the late 80s, his teachings were challenged by the leadership of CBC/CTS, and he was challenged as to some of his teachings and activities. The result being he wrote a letter of resignation; following this he was contacted by an official and a meeting was set up and took place. Nothing was resolved so his resignation was accepted. In other words, he left on his own accord.
I believe this happened in 1988. He later became a part of the Nazarene denomination, which led to him becoming a faculty member at present day Ambrose University – Calgary.
Professor Nienkirchen was the instructor for one of my courses at CBC in 1981/82. I do recall a disturbing experience with Nienkirchen that I will not go into at this time.
Recently, the president of C&MA of Canada – David Hearn – issued a letter of apology (see attached letter) to Charles Nienkirchen and his family. This of course speaks volumes as to where he is coming from and to where he is going as President of C&MA of Canada.
Our friend, the retired senior pastor, also indicated this: “I have been in touch with a past President who dealt with Nienkirchen and the information he gives me is contradictory to some of the information that Hearn gives in his letter.”
It is rather obvious that under Hearn’s leadership, he is leading the C&MA of Canada down the Contemplative and Egalitarian path(s) while embracing “emergent philosophies.”
David Hearn was a classmate when I attended CBC in Regina, SK. There are other classmates I had back then that have gone down the contemplative/emergent path as well. It’s a known fact that some faculty members of Ambrose University and Senior Pastors of C&MA churches received degrees from Jesuit universities.
One of the reasons my wife and I left the C&MA church we were attending is the pastoral staff are introducing congregants to emergent philosophies, monasticism, and false teachers.
You can go to the bookstores of the C&MA churches here in Calgary and see books being promoted and sold by: Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen, Brennan Manning, Eugene Peterson and the list goes on. I went to the bookstore in one of the largest C&MA churches here in Calgary and saw for myself the reality of this.
Also, check out this web site:
http://exnazarene.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/ancient-future-nazarenes/
- Notice who the 14th signer is.
- Notice also some of the links at the end of the blog, Lighthouse Trails Publishing is listed.
Thank you for your time, may our Savior and Lord Jesus continue to bless your ministry.
Sincerely,
Tom and Beth (not real names) Calgary, Alberta
LTRP Note: Some notes from Ambrose University’s website on a 2012 event titled “To Hear, To Contemplate, To Act”:
While Rev. Kerr preached during plenary sessions about Listening to God, Ambrose faculty and staff facilitated further opportunities for learning, reflection and growth. Students were invited to participate in a diverse array of workshops, like “Centering Prayer: A Pathway to Experiencing God’s Presence,” taught by Dr. Miriam Charter. Students learned that “Centering Prayer is a gift to us from the Desert Fathers who sought a way to deepen their relationship with the living Christ. It is “listening” prayer that may become for the serious pilgrim a pathway for receiving and experiencing the gift of God’s Presence.”
Additional workshops included “Hear the Divine Voice…Make the Right Choice,” by Dr. Charles Nienkirchen . . . “Lectio Divina” (Divine Reading) with Kevin Cawthra, “Going Global? A Conversation about Discerning God’s call to Serve Internationally,” and “Hearing the Voice of Jesus through Imaging,” with Joy Ulrich. (source)
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