Update: On May 30, 2011, Rev. Felter’s post that I referenced here disappeared, but you can read it all at the end of my comments:
As I continue my response to David Felter’s latest blog post, which can be read at the end of my comments, I wonder if he realizes how many faithful Nazarenes he has maligned with the phrase “ill-informed critics.” If I am one of those he considers “ill-informed”, then he has also included a lot of like-minded Nazarenes and other Christians in the same category. He has a right to judge me and others of course, but I would at least like to know what he is judging us about- specifically.
In part one, I critiqued his assertion that the Nazarene denomination is not “turning from its roots and becoming more liberal”. By the way, I did not expand on the fact that Rev. Felter uses a strawman argument by trying to link most of the “ill-informed” to those who have come into the church with a Reformed or Calvinistic perspective. It would take another post to refute this, so I will simply say that is not the case, and it is an argument that mirrors the NazNet diversionary playbook. However, I don’t know if Rev. Felter is a member of that group, which I have asserted is a breeding ground for emergent heresy.
Rev. Felter continues on with his second point, regarding the emerging/emergent church. He begins with a somewhat mild criticism of the emergent church, questioning whether it is minimizing the role of evangelism. He has never named the names of any false teachers in the emergent movement, as far as I know; and as far as I know, he has never openly rejected any of its false teachings, including contemplative spirituality, open theism, and theistic evolution, all of which are a part of this emergent movement. He then proceeds to go back to his standard formula with the following:
“The rhetoric in some quarters has gotten out of hand with unfounded accusations flying everywhere, creating unnecessary dissension and division in the Body of Christ.”
Just what are these unfounded accusations that he never puts a finger on publicly? Will Rev. Felter ever be specific? Has he ever criticized the emergents in the Nazarene church for “unfounded accusations?” No. He seems to have a pattern of criticizing those who object to heresies in the church, and which are causing undue angst amongst our long time Nazarenes. Yet he is strangely silent in his criticism about the emergent church.
“Where there has been the substitution of human ideas for the clear teachings of Scripture and the time-honored, Spirit-inspired teachings of the Church, one must declare one’s allegiance to Christ and His teachings.”
I challenge Rev. Felter then to tell us please, and give us examples of those instances where “human ideas have substituted clear teaching of scripture.” If we are to declare allegiance to Christ and His teachings, we must also be ready to refute without timidity all the practices and ideologies whose origins are satanic, regardless of who is teaching them! I don’t care if the person has the title of “Most Reverend Doctor.” We are commanded in scripture to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Eph. 5:11. This clearly means to call them out and stay away from them!
Sadly, in point number three, Rev. Felter makes some statements that mirror the heart of the problem we are having in our denomination, and that is a lack of complete trust in God’s written Word. This is a problem that is literally destroying the faith of many of our college students! It has led many longtime faithful Nazarenes to leave their church, because of pastors who reject the authority of scripture. Here are some quotes:
“We do not receive the Bible as a textbook on science.”
True, it is not a science textbook, but it is God’s word, and whenever it speaks on anything related to science, it is always true and accurate and without error. Otherwise, how do we accept it as God’s word? Yet, the emergent church does not agree that the Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of God. Rev. Felter seems to be accepting the same premise.
“Some Nazarene scientists and educators recognize evolution as a methodology that explains the mechanics of creation, but not the reason for creation…”
This really simply means, they don’t believe the Genesis account! Evolution is an ungodly interpretation of the plainly spoken creation process as described in Genesis, and a rejection of the testimony of Jesus Christ; so I guess Rev. Felter will accept the words of man over the words of Holy Scripture. With his own words, I refute that premise: “Where there has been the substitution of human ideas for the clear teachings of Scripture and the time-honored, Spirit-inspired teachings of the Church, one must declare one’s allegiance to Christ and His teachings.”
“The Bible is the word of God. But it is not a proof text for science, geography, or any other discipline.”
Rev. Felter affirms that the Bible is the word of God, then refutes it by making exceptions, which if he concurs with many others, also believes that it is not a proof text for historical events! Many of our Nazarene pastors and professors from our universities, do not affirm that the Bible gives an accurate historical account of creation, and instead claim that they are most likely allegory and myth.
“The Bible is to be read, studied, and its teachings to be incorporated, but it is not to be placed on a pedestal and worshipped. That belongs to God alone.”
This reminds me of the argument emergents use, which is similar to a quote by Brennan Manning, who called those who hold the Bible in high regard as “bibliolaters.” It’s just another red herring argument that does not hold water. Of course we do not idolize the Bible, but we do recognize it as God’s inerrant, infallible revelation to us, and the only true authority for our faith and practice. These people will never affirm this statement I just made, because they do not trust the word of God completely, and instead they want to uphold other sources of authority equal to Scripture, namely man’s “wisdom.”
“It is unfortunate that so many other believers have rushed to condemn those who have sought to resurrect ancient methods of worship, reflection, prayer, and meditation.”
That is because these ancient methods are based in mysticism and pagan religions, and therefore their source is not from God, but from satan. Practicing the silence, prayer labyrinths, repetitively praying the Jesus Prayer; these things are ancient methods- BUT they are not scriptural! So, what is unfortunate is the inability, or refusal, or fear, to speak out against these false teachings. It could be a lack of biblical discernment, but how can that be?
“Numerous voices are extant today that are full of criticism, censoriousness, and confusion. Satan would like to confuse the people of God. Clearly, the Church of the Nazarene is not perfect. It is, however, a vine of God’s planting. It is committed to the message of Scriptural holiness. I encourage you to take heart and be faithful, for God is still working with His people.”
Here, Rev. Felter concludes with more non-specific attacks against many God-fearing Nazarenes and Christians who are just trying to be faithful to God’s word, and ironically, are trying to pursue Scriptural holiness. We do not subscribe to the teaching that “practicing the silence” will get us any closer to God. We do not believe that our future pastors should be learning occultic practices at our very own seminary. We do not believe that placing ashes to the forehead anywhere near resembles our great holiness heritage. And, we do not believe in picking and choosing what parts of the Bible are inerrant, because all of it is.
I am not saying that the problem lies here solely with the editor of Holiness Today. He is only one of many who are defending what is going on in our schools, and in many of our churches. Where is the Board of General Superintendents to speak on these specific matters, and give clear guidance and direction? I have yet to get one clear answer from the letters I have received, and I’m sure others have had the same result.
Rev. Felter is correct, satan is trying to confuse the people of God, but he’s doing it through the emergent church, and through other ungodly movements such as social justice, environmental justice, and all sorts of other man created programs that often change like the wind and are discarded after failing, other than increasing numbers in the church. Is that our goal, and is that a reflection of God’s favor on us? Or is it simply obedience to God, whether a church grows, or shrinks in size?
Yes, God is still working with His people. But God’s judgment will come as well, if His people continue on a path of disobedience to His word. The emergent church movement is doing nothing but harm to the Church of the Nazarene, and it really needs to go.
Rev. Felter, please prayerfully consider my words here. It’s nothing personal against you, but I am clearly against what you seem to be supporting, and I will continue to fight and expose it. I pray that God will open your eyes, and awaken many more Nazarenes to the false teachings that have come into our denomination.
DAVID FELTER’S ORIGINAL POST:
What about those Nazarenes?
As General Editor of the Church of the Nazarene, I frequently get the same questions about the status of the church. These undoubtedly come from well-meaning, sincere people who have picked up bits and pieces along with rumors from here and there that trouble them. Additionally, there are voices on the sidelines seriously critical of just about everything the church does; from conferences on spiritual formation to NYC.
I have combined the queries into two main questions, making them representative of the spectrum of concerns that I receive on a fairly regular basis. In this response, I have posted my perspective and am speaking as a member of the Church of the Nazarene who loves the church and grieves over the rending of its fabric by ill-informed critics.
1. The Church Of The Nazarene is slowly turning away from its roots so to speak and becoming more liberal.
The Church of the Nazarene has consistently affirmed its 16 Articles of Faith and its Agreed Statement of Belief. These documents form the very foundation upon which rests the theological and doctrinal trajectory of the denomination. Additionally, nothing has happened officially, within the decision-making of the General Assembly, to change these documents. If anything, we have strengthened our commitment to these foundational truths. We reference them in relationship to every book we print and every message we send because they represent our DNA.
The challenge behind this accusation is unfounded. Individual members of the Church of the Nazarene may have altered their perspectives and such alterations by individual members may have been mistakenly perceived as wholesale changes endorsed or adopted by the denomination. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Additionally, another challenge has arisen from the influx of new members over time who have come to the Church of the Nazarene from differing theological traditions. Some have come from Reformed, Calvinist, or charismatic traditions and when they discover the significant differences between our Wesleyan-holiness theological tradition, they may perceive such differences as liberalizing. This is especially true for those whose former religious experiences were in fundamentalist, Reformed, and Calvinist traditions. Wesleyan-theological traditions view many elements of Christian theology through ancient lenses stretching back to our roots in the 18th century Methodist revival under the ministries of John and Charles Wesley who were Anglican priests and remained such until their deaths. Our historic theological positions rest on ancient premises, supported by Early Church Fathers.
Reformed churches developed strains of Augustine’s predestinarian perspectives (God’s divine decrees), especially through the work of the towering theological giant, John Calvin. Presently, there are Bible Churches, Baptist Churches, and many Evangelical churches whose theological base is informed by these insights. Doctrines like eternal security and male-only ministry do not find their way into their way into the Nazarene theology because our roots return to the tap root of the ancient, apostolic fathers, mediated by the Church of Rome, the Church of England, the Reformation, the Wesleyan Revival, the American Holiness Movement, right up until now. Consequently, some Nazarenes hear our theological message and sense differences but perceive it incorrectly as a liberalizing trend. Nothing could be further from the truth.
2. The Emerging/Emergent church.
The discussions surrounding the Emerging/Emergent Church have been rather confusing because there is no one, single, all-encompassing definition of the Emergent Church. Some would say it is the church practicing hospitality, openness, and embracing all regardless of their knowledge or understanding of Grace. Others would say that it refers to a theological position staked out by popular authors and church leaders like Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, et al. In truth, much of what is occurring in the so-called “emerging church” is driven by the changes in society as a whole. This is why one rarely if ever hears of “emergent churches” in global areas outside North America.
There are facets of the emergent movement that are truly troubling in that they seem to minimalize the role of evangelism, preferring instead the compassionate ministry approach of listening, serving, and representing the heart of Jesus in their world. While there is something eminently beautiful about selfless service to others on behalf of, and in the name of Jesus, there is also the reality that the Church cannot neglect the proclamation of the Gospel. Many young people are rejecting the heavy-handed approaches of another era, preferring instead “conversations” and solidarity with the world in Christ’s name. Clearly the jury is still out on this, but in my mind, any local church that ignores the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel in decisive terms, misses its God-appointed mandate given by the Son in Matthew 28. Moreover the words of General Superintendent J. K. Warrick help us in his reference to those who espouse the teachings of the Emergent/emerging church: “When they drift into heresy we draw lines and hold the line firm.”
The rhetoric in some quarters has gotten out of hand with unfounded accusations flying everywhere, creating unnecessary dissension and division in the Body of Christ. Many of us who are older are having a difficult time adjusting to the changes we see and hear in the local church; from worship styles to the way the local church perceives its place in the mission of God. The reality is the church is always changing. No methodology is sacrosanct. Everything we do in the Body of Christ must acknowledge our human limitations, relying fully on the grace and power of Christ for the furtherance of His mission.
Where there has been the substitution of human ideas for the clear teachings of Scripture and the time-honored, Spirit-inspired teachings of the Church, one must declare one’s allegiance to Christ and His teachings. Where the message that is proclaimed no longer affirms or is enriched by faithfulness to the Articles of Faith, then that congregation is slipping away from its theological moorings.
Corrective, constructive criticism can be offered without disconnecting one’s self from the Body. Prayer, fellowship, and involvement can bridge gaps between those whose knowledge of Scripture and proper, correct theological doctrine is insufficiently developed.
3. The Church of the Nazarene, Evolution, Legalism, and the Word of God
There is much debate in the evangelical world about these three issues. Some of it stems from widely differing positions on the nature of Scripture. The Church of the Nazarene is not, and never has been a fundamentalist denomination. Our view of Scripture rests on the solid foundations of the Early Church Father’s positions, and has been affirmed by the “holy, catholic Church” (the Church universal) down through the ages. Here are some quick associations between that perspective and some common issues.
- We do not receive the Bible as a textbook on science. Instead we receive the Bible as a library of 66 books, authored by human authors writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to reveal and disclose the love, grace, and salvation of God.
- Science is in the business of positing theories based on research. Our foundational understanding of Scripture is not disturbed when science suggests methodologies associated with the study of natural and human origins. All we insist is that all theories must recognize the eternal God who is behind all that exists; or as Gen. 1 says, “In the beginning, God!”
- Some Nazarene scientists and educators recognize evolution as a methodology that explains the mechanics of creation, but not the reason for creation, and thus they emphasize the faithfulness of God who sovereignly reigns supreme and has disclosed Himself in the person and work of Jesus to bring us to Himself in reconciliation and redemption.
- The Church of the Nazarene rightly respects the conscience of its membership. Where moral and ethical issues are in play, the Church of the Nazarene recognizes the value of stating beliefs and values in light of the church’s “collective conscience.” Hence, in our Manual you will read statements regarding human sexuality, abortion, homosexuality, and the value of a Scripturally-informed, Spiritually-sensitive conscience when it comes to participation in entertainment venues, both personal and collective.
- The Church of the Nazarene rejects legalism and affirms the role of the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and the collective conscience of the Church to inform its membership with principles whereby they can navigate the issues of life. Alcoholism and drug abuse with their attendant wreckage in tow, challenge to Church to prescribe a position of total abstinence; not because it can be proved from Scripture, but because it represents the way of compassionate love for others, and for Christ.
- The Bible is the word of God. But it is not a proof text for science, geography, or any other discipline. The Bible is not the domain of literalists who disfigure the Scriptures to support untenable positions like forbidding women to be ordained as elders in the church of God. The Bible is to be read, studied, and its teachings to be incorporated, but it is not to be placed on a pedestal and worshipped. That belongs to God alone.
Some Conclusions:
A new generation, weary of modernist assurances based on empiricism alone, have sought fresh wells from which to drink of the living water offered by our Lord (John 7:37-38). Many Christians have searched the ‘memory’ of the earlier generations of believers, in different times and locations, and have found rich treasures that offer simple, fresh ways to experience the transcendence and holiness of God in worship, praise, prayer, and community.
It is unfortunate that so many other believers have rushed to condemn those who have sought to resurrect ancient methods of worship, reflection, prayer, and meditation. It is always possible that someone will take something too far, idealizing it and in turn actually creating the inverse of what they thought they were finding by making their discovery an end in itself. Clearly some conferences or gatherings in universities have pushed the limits and have, or are, learning from their experiences. The criticism they experienced as a result served as a corrective.
Take the issue of homosexuality; the Board of General Superintendents has affirmed our traditional stand found in the Manual through their pastoral letter. They also reminded the church that as Wesleyan’s we view sin as any willful, voluntary breaking of a known law of God. They have reminded the church that there is a difference between a tendency or temptation, and acted out behavior. The latter separates an individual from fellowship with God, while the former offers the Spirit opportunity to perform the work of transformation and recovery.
Our institutions like Pt. Loma and others are intersections where critical issues will surface from time to time. They offer an environment where the fine line of love for the person and commitment to law of God are balanced to provide an opportunity for discussion, clarification, and redemption.
Numerous voices are extant today that are full of criticism, censoriousness, and confusion. Satan would like to confuse the people of God. Clearly, the Church of the Nazarene is not perfect. It is, however, a vine of God’s planting. It is committed to the message of Scriptural holiness. I encourage you to take heart and be faithful, for God is still working with His people.
Grace & Peace
David Felter
Former Nazarene 