LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor was written in response to our recent post “Letter to the Editor: Yoga at Our CMA Church in Canada Broke Our Hearts.”
Dear Lighthouse Trails:
I too was once in a C&MA church in Southwestern Ontario. I attended from 1999 to 2001. I witnessed the whole shift that took place at that time when our Pastor attended a Willow Creek conference on church growth movement principles. Everything changed after that. Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven agenda was implemented. Other methods and means for growing the church were employed, like holding mid-week evening teaching classes for the public. Everything from art classes to money management and cooking; it was all man’s effort to draw people into the church. We had to fill out questionnaires to help discover our giftings, and personality-type assessments were taken.
The Pastor began quoting Eugene Peterson’s The Message in his sermons. The organ was removed from the sanctuary, and the platform was switched to a rock-band style, drum set front and center. Plans were proposed for massive building expansions. This switch actually took place around this time in all of the mainline churches in our city. I also noticed in a denominational publication called “Table Talk,” the District President included an article wherein he supported the Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation and sounded like he was in agreement with the teaching that the bread and wine actually are/become the flesh and blood Christ. There was an evening service in 2001 that is memorable in that the focus in the message was all about “dreaming” and “vision casting.” Astoundingly, John Lennon’s song, “Imagine” was played, an anti-Christ message if ever there was one and which pictures the one-world religion and false peace of the new world order that is coming.
One evening in June of 2001, our C&MA church was set to host the District Conference. My sister and I decided to go. When we arrived in the foyer of the church, there were many of our missionaries there, and the “lingo” they were using left us bewildered and thinking we had landed on another planet. It was strange, terms such as we were not familiar with at all. The speaker for the evening was Dr. Kevin Mannoia, former head of the NAE and Professor Emeritus of a Christian college in California. The moment he began talking both my sister and I were immediately stunned by the prolific use of New Age terminology, and we immediately sensed the presence of demonic power flooding the sanctuary. My sister left and went outside as she couldn’t stand it, but I stayed and took verbatim notes. I quoted some of these terms in another area of this blog. There was a strong emphasis on “connecting” and “connectedness,” and outright blasphemous notions were suggested like, “wondering if a person can smoke marijuana and worship God at the same time.” At the end of the talk, I rushed for the exit, and I spent hours at home praying and asking God to deliver me from the effects of that session as I was shaking physically from it. At that point my husband and I, and my sister, stopped attending the church. We knew this had been a cataclysmic event that would alter things for good unless the church would recognize what was happening and repent of it. Our beloved Pastor who had so much discernment before all this happened was taken in by the deception. We wrote letters and pled with him about the New Age infiltration into the church but to no avail. We were told we “had a critical spirit.”
In summary, what is happening in the majority of large organized churches is the same, something that began almost twenty years ago has only worsened, and now it is a wholesale acceptance of mysticism, false teachings, and New Age/occult/new spirituality.
I am not surprised at all that Yoga is now being embraced in the C&MA and that attempts to bring correction or warning is refused. This is truly the time that the we are warned about in the Epistles. And yes, we can join with a few (or even just one) other like-minded believers to worship and pray together. My Scoffield Bible commentary states that this is a “church” in its most primitive/simple form. And God’s Word assures us that “where two or three are gathered,” the Lord is in the midst. Others may think it is wrong to leave an organized church setting, and they often refer to it as “forsaking the assembling,” but this is not true, as real fellowship is based on truth and occurs, as I said, even in a very small setting where believers are gathered and in agreement.
Heidi L.
Related Articles:
How to Find a Good Church (And What To Do if You Can’t)
(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)
It’s a challenge to find a doctrinally sound church, we feel like giving up, but consider the good you could do in remaining in a fairly good church and trying to make it better with our involvement. My 2 cents
I too read the article and can also relate to what is going on as the conference church I used to attend took a turn towards “Jesus Only” and not anything about being obedient to our Heavenly Father..
I am also concerned about the comment of the Scoffield Bible.. Beware Please!
My husband & I had the same experience w/ the same result. We study God’s Word together at home.
P.S. Yes, I totally agree that things like mysticism, yoga (and related things like tai chi, which I did not know had infiltrated into churches!), and unBiblical “Bible” studies (like Beth Moore’s, of which I have firsthand knowledge) HAVE become worse since 2000. There’s no doubt.
Tess, Dr. Michael Brown, a Messianic Jew, wrote a book not very long ago about Hyper-Grace (his term for it). I haven’t read the book, but I want to. I’ve heard it’s very good.
That is so very sad, Heidi. In my hometown there was a very strong C&MA presence, not only in churches but also in a local college which had a solid Biblical reputation and was a real blessing to the area. That used to be true in this area, too. But, as you said, things are changing — everywhere, in virtually every denomination.
I believe you that things got even worse in the 2000s. Things like that do tend to “progress” over time and get worse and worse, if unchecked. Thus far, I haven’t seen much evidence of people allowing the Lord to rein it in, but I know that many people are praying faithfully. I am so very thankful for this website and others who are also still faithful to the Lord. 🙂
Correction on my comment made by Kathy. I had typos in my comment. After visiting other churches , same things are going on
I totally agree with you all ! The apostasy, false teachings, new age moment, purpose driven moment, contemplative prayer and the list goes on…. My husband and I had to leave a church 9-10 years ago and unfortunately after VI’s yin grandson other churches, same things are going on. We do our own Bible Study at home now. Prayers and God Bless you all
Maranatha !
Amen Lillia ! You are so right about your comment.
I totally agree with John J and Lynne. There is rampant apostasy in churches today, you name it, it’s there !!! My husband and left a church about 9-10 years ago and after trying to find a biblically sound church ,,, absolutely none to find . We are both believers and we do Bible Study together in our home. Just another sign of the times that we are in the last of the last days. We are anxiously waiting for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Come quickly Lord Jesus . Prayers to you all
Yes I can see why you say ours is more than hope. We do have assurance through the finished work of Christ on the Cross. In my life I must look to Jesus everyday to keep hope alive. Many times in God’s word he talks of hope. In Romans 15:13 the Word says……. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.
Amen, Lynne! Glorious days ahead, and then forevermore. Ours is more than hope, but wouldn’t it be just that extra special if Christ meets us in the air in our lifetime, and then triumphantly returns thereafter to rule, and we’re right there with Him?
Yes, I also have been seeing that a lot, grace grace grace with no balance teaching of responsibility. Very troubling.
I agree with you that time for home fellowship has come. There are areas in this country where it is so very hard to find a church that honors the Lord. I used to buy into the guilt of not assembling at a building. No longer do I feel guilt. The apostacy and unkindness in the church today is Not what our Lord ever intended. People are blessed so much if they can find a church that honors God but there are fewer and fewer of them now. Just watching and waiting for the Lord to return….this is my hope.
Yes, it actually was in the works before the year 2000, I understand that. I attended a church previous to the Christian and Missionary Alliance in the 1990’s and had to leave there also after the Lord opened my eyes to the many heretical teachings and practices that were entering and proliferating there also, Faith Movement, false revival, rock music, to name a few. But it seemed like a real transition took place around the year 2000 in the churches in my town. I used to work as a custodian at a Presbyterian church and they ousted an evangelical pastor and replaced with a very liberal one. Once he came I saw the Purpose Driven books appear on his desk. Next they started a Tai Chi program in the church and I noticed periodicals that promoted homosexuality and mystical practices like the Labrynth. Then came the sanctuary overhaul, the organ out, the band shell in. I warned the pastor about the new age and the occult (especially with regards to the tai chi), tried to warn about Rick Warren and his methods. But of course, that didn’t go over well, as I was not a member of the church, only an employee. They really liked me and asked me to stay, as I had handed in my resignation at that point and they even offered to drop the tai chi being held in the church for my sake. I still resigned. So there is more to my story. And as I look back and look at all the churches we have in our area, (and we have quite a few for the size of our city), it is truly grievous what has happened.
In some places, this antiChrist movement began more than 20 years ago. I’ve mentioned before a UMC church my family attended for almost 20 years. When we began attending there, the Spirit of God was really moving strongly. Strong Biblical teaching/preaching and Holy Spirit power were the norm. It was a wonderful, exciting time.
Then in the early ’90s, our lead pastor was extremely ill for some time and another, younger pastor came in as his assistant to fill in until he could return to the pulpit. The younger guy came with strong recommendations from older, Spirit-filled men who had a solid reputation as Godly leaders.
The younger guy started out teaching very strong messages straight from the Bible about the danger of sin and the necessity of daily surrender to the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Every time he preached, there was a strong anointing and very good response.
But then … he too attended a Willow Creek conference. I knew nothing about Bill Hybels at the time and had no idea that the young assistant pastor would come back from Chicago spouting Grace, Grace, Grace — with no balancing message of the responsibility of believers to obey the leading of the Lord.
Next thing we knew, he had disgraced himself and his family by engaging in adultery with a young married woman in the church. Sadly, his wife was in denial and defended him to the end. He became very belligerent and his messages became very angry. It was a tragic time.
I saw firsthand the effects of Hybel’s teaching, and then the equally terrible effects as the church began adopting Rick Warren’s church “growth” teachings. That church today is just a tiny shadow of what it was at one time. People left in scores. How ironic and tragic that this was the result of RW’s teachings for how to “grow” a church!
Right. You can’t attend an apostate church. Even if you are alone, it is better not to attend at all so you don’t get polluted too. That ‘forsake not the assembling together’ is just for good churches of course. A home fellowship is the church. There is nothing lacking! You have Bible study, worship, prayer, fellowship, gifts, communion, you can help one another and others, there is nothing they have in a ‘church building’ that you don’t other than the constant nagging for money in every arm twisting way imaginable!
But beware of the Scoffield reference Bible!
I love what everyone had to say , when you don’t what to go to church that’s the first thing they say don’t forsake meeting together and I tell them I don’t my husband is a believer but that not good enough for them.
Praise the Lord I have a church that does not do the purpose driven, spiritual formation things. We have a choir and we search the scriptures daily to do what God would want us to do. Unfortunately when I tell others outside of this church the dangers of Jesus Calling, R. Warren, unsaved authors and speakers they do not believe me, so I am pretty much alone in my family about discernment. It is very sad to see churches and pastors caving to mysticism, the occult, Eastern meditation practices like Yoga, R. Catholic sacraments, Replacement theology, etc. In the end the road is narrow and few there be that find it.
Indeed, control freaks always use “let’s not forsake meeting together,” and so on. Remember, their income depends on it, the 10% they unbiblically bleed out of you.
Believe me, home fellowship’s time has come. Organized religion has been exposed, finally. It’s all about control.
No pastor or elder has any authority over you (zero), least of all a ‘counselor’ of some sort (watch out for them! as they even like to control your bedroom.)
God does not live in the church; He has made His home in you at conversion, as He has promised.
And watch out for those who proclaim that Jesus is on His throne and ruling everything. Does it look like it? (He is on the right-hand side of God at this point in “time.”) When He returns to rule; well, that’s going to be another thing altogether. I cannot wait.