In February of 2009, Zondervan publishers will present the annual National Pastors Convention in San Diego, California. This conference, which was founded by emerging church pioneer, Youth Specialties, is a conduit for contemplative mysticism and emerging spirituality. While most of the speakers at each year’s event fall within the alternative emerging church camp, the conference always includes a few names from what would be considered the more traditional evangelical circle. In the past, names like Lee Strobel (2003), Jim Cymbala (2003), and Chuck Colson (2008) have been on the conference speakers list. Typically, these are not names associated with the emerging church. However, having these popular figures at the convention gives a certain credibility to the event in the eyes of many. Most people will assume the event is spiritually sound if they recognize and trust some of the names of the speakers.
The 2009 National Pastors Convention is no exception. Speakers will include Biola University’s J.P. Moreland, who although Lighthouse Trails has identified him as a proponent of contemplative spirituality, most would not associate him that way. Also at this year’s convention is the popular and admired blind singer, Ken Medema (with whom, incidentally, Lighthouse Trails corresponded and sent an audio copy of one of our books to). Willow Creek senior pastor Bill Hybels will also be speaking this year. Hybels is a popular “evangelical” leader, but strong evidence shows he is a huge promoter of emerging/contemplative (but most people don’t know that). Leighton Ford, formerly involved for years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, is also on the 2009 speakers list. While he too is now a contemplative proponent, that fact is unknown to most – they only think of him in terms of his relationship with his brother-in-law, Billy Graham.
While many of the “evangelical” figures who grace the speaking platform of the National Pastors Convention are indeed promoters of contemplative spirituality, they are seen by the majority of proclaiming Christians as “evangelical.” In actuality, these leaders are the ones who are leading the “horse to the water.” By appearing to be traditional evangelical, they win the trust of many, and with that trust bring these followers into the presence of mystics, panentheists, and interspiritualists. That sounds strong–but it is true. In the case of next year’s event, Moreland and the other “evangelical” leaders will be sharing the platform with atonement-denier Brian McLaren, New Age sympathizer Rob Bell (who refers to New Age mystic Ken Wilber as a “mindblowing experience”), emergent Shane Claiborne, Catholicism sympathizer Scot McKnight, mysticism proponent Ruth Haley Barton, and futurist emergent Alex McManus (brother to Erwin McManus).
What we often have here are contemplative/emerging sympathizers who call themselves evangelicals teaming up with contemplative/emerging leaders, and both parties are guilty of the same thing – misrepresenting biblical Christianity and actually representing a new spirituality that disguises itself by looking Christian on the outside, but behaving as New Age, mystical spirituality on the inside.
The late occultist Alice Bailey (who coined the term New Age) said this would happen. She called this the rejuvenation of the churches. As Roger Oakland explains:
In her rejuvenation, everyone remains diverse (staying in their own religion), yet united in perspective, with no one religion claiming a unique corner on the truth. In other words all religions lead to the same destination and emanate from the same source. And of course, Bailey believed that a “coming one” whom she called Christ would appear on the scene in order to lead united humanity into an era of global peace. (from Faith Undone)
Bailey said it would be important for the outer trappings of this new aquarian spirituality to look Christian (so as not to alarm people) all the while changing the structure from the inside out.
This is where the world is heading, and the National Pastors Convention is helping to bridge the gap that separates Christianity from all the world’s religions. But this gap should not (and actually cannot) be bridged. It was created by God who has offered only one means of salvation, and that is through the atonement of Jesus Christ. The new spirituality (that Brian McLaren and others like him embrace) says that it is barbaric to say God the Father would cause His Son to die a violent death as a substitute for our sins. The new spirituality rejects the atonement, which the Bible clearly says is the only means of salvation. It is this heretical spirituality that the National Pastors Convention represents, and no Christian should give credibility to it under these conditions.
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