World Vision has long been considered an organization that helps the needy and the hungry. They also represent themselves as a Christian organization. Their mission statement says: "World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ..." No doubt, there are thousands of sincere believers giving financially to World Vision, who assume that not only are their dollars going to help towards the physical needs of poor children but also the spiritual needs of the children through the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

However, there is reason for great concern. In the Summer 2006 issue of World Vision's magazine Child View, there is a full-page article by emerging church leader, Brian McLaren. McLaren, who was named by Time magazine as one of the most influential evangelicals today, has promoted a New Age spirituality for some time now. He has endorsed interspiritualists such as the Rev. Alan Jones (author of Reimagining Christianity) who says things such as: "I don't believe that what we can know of Jesus is confined by the New Testament.... There is no such thing as 'what really happened.1

Brian McLaren also has stated that the doctrine of hell and the Cross are "false advertising for God," and he writes of a "radically, scandalously inclusive" Christianity that includes those from "[all] religions" to "participate in this network of dynamic, interactive relationships with God and all God's creation."2 This language is the very essence of New Age spirituality, which is built on the premise that God is in all things and all things are united as one, including all the world's religions at the mystical level. In other words, Creator and creation are co-equal and share the same identity. McLaren's books, A Generous Orthodoxy, The Secret Message of Jesus, and A New Kind of Christian permeate with this belief system. On McLaren's own website, he recommends books by Buddhist sympathizer, Peter Senge, pantheist and mystic, Ken Wilber, and others who fall in the category of New Age and/or mystic.

Is this really the direction that World Vision wants to go? And is Brian McLaren really someone they wish to promote? We contacted Jocelyn Bell (of World Vision Canada) who is an editor for Child View and was involved with the McLaren article. We shared our concerns with her about McLaren being in the World Vision magazine, relating to her specific information about McLaren's theology. Ms. Bell responded with, "We don't have a problem with Brian McLaren's viewpoints."

This is the very same Brian McLaren who is scheduled to be speaking this summer at the interfaith Center for Spiritual Development with Marcus Borg. The underlying theme of the conference is re-shaping Christianity. Borg openly rejects the view that we are justified by the blood of Christ. In his book, The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a More Authentic Contemporary Faith, he says:

I learned from my professors and the readings they assigned that Jesus almost certainly was not born of a virgin, did not think of himself as the Son of God, and did not see his purpose as dying for the sins of the world."3

This statement by Borg is an accurate representation of his view of Christian theology. And yet, McLaren is not at this conference to refute Borg but is there as a co-sympathizer and even more significant, a co-mystic. Furthermore, in a recent interview, as well as on McLaren's website, he revealed his glowing admiration for Marcus Borg, saying he has "high regard" for him.

Jocelyn Bell also told us that a weekly devotions group, which includes World Vision leaders and workers, was currently studying McLaren's book, A Generous Orthodoxy. Ms. Bell told us that World Vision represents both Evangelicals and Protestants as well as Catholics. We asked her if it also included New Age Christians, of which McLaren is in that group. Of course it is impossible to really be a New Age Christian—this is an oxymoron, for you can be one or the other, but you cannot be both.

Unfortunately, World Vision's connections to contemplative/emerging do not stop with their promotion of McLaren. They also have a seat on the Board of Directors of the very contemplative Spiritual Formation Forum (Richard Foster and Dallas Willard) and are a Ministry Partner of the contemplative/emerging promoting Church Communication Network (originators of the Be Still project).

We hope and pray that World Vision will not continue to head in the direction of the Spiritual Formation (i.e., contemplative spirituality) movement, as this movement leads to a dangerous spirituality that negates the message of the Cross. While World Vision's efforts to feed the hungry are very needed, unless the hungry can be offered the true gospel message of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ then they will be deprived of the spiritual food that nourishes the soul and offers a living relationship with the Lord.

"And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'" John 6:35

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13

It seems incredible that while so many Christian leaders and apologists are spending enormous amounts of time and money in efforts to refute the Da Vinci Code, contemplative spirituality and its proponents are being virtually ignored even though the damage will most likely be broader and more enduring than a fictitious novel and a Hollywood movie.

1. Running Against the Wind, 2nd ed. p. 203.

2. "Who Defines the Kingdom of God," Berit Kjos.

3. The God We Never Knew, Marcus Borg, p. 25.

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