Australian Independent Baptist Newsletter

February, 2006 #3

http://www.willowcreek.com/transforminglives/detail.asp?storyID=211 GRACE CHURCH-SAINT LOUIS (Edited by DCB) "Grace Church-Saint Louis began 24 years ago as a charismatic church." After the pastor of Grace Church met with Bill Hybels "Grace Church became more seeker-orientated after Tucker sent several staff members to Willow Creek for a conference." In 1988 Grace Church became a member of the Willow Creek Association and uses many of the WCA resources. The pastor said that "Becoming a seeker-orientated church in the late `80s was a defining moment for Grace Church" and that "Transitioning from a charismatic style to a seeker orientated church literally happened over night." The pastor went on to say that "Willow Creek’s strength is drama" and "We tried to follow those lines too closely and just had horrible moments. So we’ve recognized that one of our strengths is music and we still have drama, but much less frequently."

Editor’s Comment: Drama, music or sound doctrine? 2Ti 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."

http://www.willowcreek.org/teaching_pastors.asp 15 February 2006 "Each and every weekend, nearly 20,000 people participate in Willow Creek’s services. Each and every day, the nine members of Willow Creek’s Elders Board are committed to shepherding and leading all of the people who call Willow their church home." "The tasks and responsibilities of the Elders vary greatly and require discernment, as they strive to keep the church on its biblical course."

Editor’s Comment: Reading that one of the responsibilities a Willow Creek Elder has is to "strive to keep the church on its biblical course" was of great interest when five of the nine "Elders" at Willow Creek are women!

http://www.willowcreek.org/statementonbaptism.asp STATEMENT ON BAPTISM (Edited by DCB) "Willow Creek Community Church offers the option of believers’ baptism in the modes of sprinkling and immersion on the basis of a sacramentarian view of the ordinances whereby their value lies in the symbolism they convey and in the faith of the participants rather than the nature or amount of the elements used, as bread and wine for communion, and water for baptism."

Editor’s Comment: Acts 8: 35-39 "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." No option given here but the Biblical way, immersion!

Christianpost.com – 9 February 2006 GREEN EVANGELICALS STAND AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING (Edited by DCB) "Evangelicals are newly rising up to the good-old, biblical commandment to be stewards of God’s creation by joining the environmentalists’ call to stop global warming." "Love of God, love of neighbor, and the demands of stewardship are more than enough reason for evangelical Christians to respond to the climate change problem with moral passion and concrete action," states the document entitled "The Evangelical Climate Initiative" and signed by 86 evangelical leaders and representatives. "Supporters of the statement include top Evangelical stars such as: Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church; Rich Stearns, president of World Vision; Todd Bassett, national commander of the Salvation Army; and Duane Litfin, president of Wheaton College."

Editor’s Comment: http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2005/12/22/proving-science-bias/ "Perhaps it is dismaying that science has become as blatantly biased in the direction of tragedy as television. But, given the way we fund and reward science and scientists, it was inevitable, and global warming is only one of many of science’s predictable distortions." Sadly these "evangelicals" have fallen for this distortion.

Editor: Fellow preacher while others follow the latest fad may we stay true to the Word of God. Therefore "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" 2 Timothy 4: 1, 2.

Because of Calvary,

David C. Bennett, D. Min.