Dear Reader, and Calvary Chapel Pastors and Church Leaders,
The ministry of SRN has chosen to have this page remain on this website due to the increasing Ecumenical relations that a number of very well known Calvary Chapel pastors are involved in, i.e. Rick Warren working together with Greg Laurie (and Chuck Smith) at the Harvest Crusade; Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William "Jerry" Boykin speaking at numerous Calvary Chapel venues / churches; Greg Laurie at event with hardcore Roman Catholic Bishop Ricken at Lifest, etc.
Numerous Calvary Chapel leaders have been addressed on a number of topics from various ministries regarding Calvary Chapel's ecumenical relations and the lack of biblical discernment that is blossoming dramatically within the movement. For instance, in August of 2011, the ministry of SRN presented a large amount of written material to ten Calvary Chapel pastors, including Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowships, Inc. (CCOF Ministry), thoroughly documenting factual evidence of the extremely problematic ecumenical nature of a very popular guest speaker being allowed to teach at Calvary Chapel Conferences - the man William "Jerry" Boykin.
At this time, the CCOF Ministry was directly contacted by telephone and email, as was Pastor Bill Stonebreaker in Hawaii, and Raul Ries's office staff. After CCOF Ministry was called to account by a fellow Calvary Chapel pastor (now former) of 14 years (Chris Lawson), with the full backing of the SRN board of directors, CCOF Ministry not only flat-out refused to stop allowing this ecumenical speaker in their fellowships, but is allowing him to continue to speak at Calvary Chapel fellowships. To note, Pastor Roger Wing at CCOF, Pastor Bill Stonebreaker at Calvary Chapel Honolulu, Pastor Raul Ries of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs, and seven other Calvary Chapel pastors all joined together with Jerry Boykin (keynote guest speaker) at the 2011 Calvary Chapel Honolulu Hawaii How To Walk Pastors and Leaders Conference. The warning was given prior to the conference, and the three main Calvary Chapel pastors who could have done something about it immediately - did nothing.
Furthermore, it is quite apparent that CCOF Ministry is still doing nothing to warn fellow pastors about the 'Ecumenical half-Watchman' that is being paraded through Calvary Chapel's and given accolades by big-name Calvary Chapel pastors. The primary representative entity to blame for this is the CCOF Ministry with their outright refusal to heed pastoral accountability and biblical separation from ecumenical guest speakers. In the name of Jesus, CCOF Ministry is implementing 'soft-separatism,' i.e. going ecumenical whilst still giving a vague hint of being 'discerning.'
Furthermore, in recent days (Aug 18, 2009; Feb 11, 2011, and Nov 9, 10, and 23, 2011) Pastor Chuck Smith has not only made comments on Pastors Perspective that are extremely disheartening to longtime Calvary Chapel attendees, but these statements have been made with no exposing of the false doctrines of the Roman Catholic "Eucharistic Jesus" or the Mormon "Jesus" of the polytheistic psuedo-Christian cult of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.
Although excuses are being made that Pastor Chuck is 'ageing,' Chuck Smith's clear-mindedness is still intact as is clear throughout the rest of the Pastors Perspective programs. It is quite clear that this is not an issue of 'ageing,' but of bold ecumenical acceptance through the unwillingness to separate and expose error, in order to remain "politically correct."
It is sad to have to publicly post material exposing Calvary Chapel Ecumenism, but when CCOF Ministry boldly refuses sound biblical accountability from a longtime CC pastor, and then those who were called to account continue unashamedly to share a speaking platform with a hardcore, avowed Ecumenist, CCOF Ministry leaves us no choice but to expose their willful rejection and blatant Ecumenism.
To the faithful Calvary Chapel pastors out there, it is time for you all to call
CCOF Ministry and express your complaints.
If you do not, things will continue to go from bad to worse and you will eventually have to change the name of the fellowship you are pastoring, to no longer being called a Calvary Chapel.
When
CCOF Ministry won't listen to biblical reproof from fellow Calvary Chapel pastors, something is seriously wrong.
We welcome comments from everyone, including Calvary Chapel pastors and leaders - at the following email address. You are free to express your confidential compaints at this email address. Please note that SRN is not affiliated with Calvary Chapel or any other church or movement. SRN is an independent Christian ministry that seeks to warn and equip the body of Christ about the dangers of cults, the occult, mystical practices and ecumenical compromises.
Calvary Chapel Concerns
calvarychapelconcerns@yahoo.com
We encourage all to contact CCOF Ministry directly about their ecumenical compromises that many are grieved over, inside and outside the Calvary Chapel movement. The CCOF Ministry contact information can be found on their website, here:
http://www.ccofministry.org/
Chris Lawson, Director
Spiritual Research Network, Inc.
(Formerly involved with the Calvary Chapel movement for nearly 25 years, fourteen of these years serving as a Calvary Chapel pastor, missionary and Bible teacher.)
Updated January 2, 2012
February 2012
Word for word radio transcripts and audio links of Don Stewart, Chuck Smith and Chuck Smith Jr.
See November, 2011 entry below. Archive updated on February 2, 2012.
January 2012
Book Review: “Have Heart” by Steve Berger – Endorsed by Chuck Missler and Greg Laurie, But Sadly Normalizes Necromancy (Communicating with the dead)
Lighthouse Trails Editors (Jan 4, 2012)
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=8246
A Closer Look at Have Heart: Bridging the Gulf Between Heaven and Earth (Jan 4, 2012)
Articles, Book Reviews and Concerns from Pastors, Teachers and Christian Apologetics Ministries
Grace Chapel Pastor's book Have Heart: Bridging the Gulf Between Heaven and Earth
Q & A Book Review by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call Newsletter (Jan 2012)
- - -
HERESCOPE ARTICLES ADDRESSING Grace Chapel Pastor Steve (and Sarah) Berger's book Have Heart: Bridging the Gulf Between Heaven and Earth
December 2011
The Boykin Chronicles Coming Soon!
Lt. General (U.S. Army Ret.) William "Jerry" Boykin - Ecumenical Knights Hospitaller, Oak Initiative Board member speaking at Calvary Chapel venues and Calvary Chapel pastor/leadership conferences.
November, 2011 (Update on February 2, 2012)
Word for word radio transcripts and audio links of Don Stewart, Chuck Smith and Chuck Smith Jr.
Pastors Perspective Radio Transcripts From K-WAVE:
October 27, 2011
This video reveals more of Jerry Boykin's ministry partnership with the Ecumenical Knights of Malta Grand Master Nicolas Papanicolaou, and Papanicolaou's
World Public Forum: Dialogue of Civilizations. Nicolas Papanicolaou is Co-Founder of the WPF with 'Cosmic Humanist' Jagdish Kapur, and 'Marian' promoting Founding President of World Public Forum - Vladimir Yukunin.
Link to video clip of David Barton duping Christians by Chris Pinto
The Hidden Faith of the Foudning Fathers DVD
October 21, 2011
A Tale of Two Kingdom's by Sandy Simpson [Exposes Dominionist teachings, of which Rick Joyner (and Jerry Boykin) is a part of via The Oak Initiative, Joyner's Morning Star Ministires, Rome's Ecumenical Kinghts of Malta].
September 9, 2011
A Cry of Exhortation - Jenn Lawson
September 7, 2011
Calvary Chapel Confusion by Roger Oakland (Printer friendly version
click here)
August 6, 2011
Leaving Calvary Chapel - Chris Lawson
August 6, 2011
July 15, 2011
Since Greg Laurie shared the platform in Oskosh, Wisconsin at the Lifest Celebration with Roman Catholic Bishop Ricken, another news item now places Laurie and Ricken in the headlines. This time it is the fascination with Marian apparitions that Ricken supports and has been promoting. It is well known that Jesuits are behind the devotion to “Our Lady of Peace” also called the "Queen of Heaven." This will be an important part of developing a One World Religion for Peace that will usher in the Antichrist. The questions that need to be asked are these: Why would Greg Laurie endorse Roman Catholic Jesuit Bishop Ricker by sharing the platform with him at the Lifest gathering? Is Laurie aware of the damage he has done to Calvary Chapel by doing this or is this just part of the game plan? While this is only speculation, one could also ask, why does Laurie link hands with Rick Warren who has linked hands with the Pope of Rome through Tony Blair for the P.E.A.C.E. Plan? Would someone (for example) Chuck Smith or Brian Brodersen please stand up and explain what is happening to the Calvary Chapel movement?
July 12, 2011
Green Bay Catholic Priest David Ricken leads Mass at Lifefest Before Joint Worship with Greg Laurie by Lighthouse Trails, 7/12/11
LTRP Note: Today, a pastor sent Lighthouse Trails the link to the following news article. In view of our article on 7/11/11, “The Jesuit Agenda and the Evangelical/Protestant Church,” we post this news item. Bishop David Ricken who led Mass at Lifefest is on the Bishops Advisory Council at Creighton University, a Jesuit school. OSHKOSH — Bishop David Ricken always wanted to go to Lifest. But since taking over as head of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay in 2008, something else always came up. [Bishop] Ricken led 9 a.m. Mass from the Thrivent Café Stage on the final day of the 13th annual Lifest celebration at Sunnyview Expo Center. Hundreds worshipped as intermittent showers trickled down on the large tent. Protestant devotions, a children’s service and the Catholic Mass each were held separately before joint worship at 11 a.m. on the grandstand featuring Lenz; Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., and head of the international Harvest Crusades.
June 21, 2011
Jerry Boykin and the Calvary Chapel Connection by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 6/21/11
Understand The Times has discovered that Calvary Chapel has been, and still does, promote a high officer in the Vatican’s Jesuitical, “Knights of Malta”. Jerry Boykin, former commander of the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center Special Forces Psychological Operations, is that man. The Order of Malta is a religious order of the Vatican. Jerry Boykin holds the title of Grand Chancellor with the Vatican’s Jesuitical, “Knights of Malta”.
March 10, 2011
Eye-Witness Account: Global Peace Forum at Saddleback with Rick Warren and Tony Blair Raises Serious Questions About Global Peace Plan (Tony Blair and Rick Warren)
Excerpt from this article regarding Rick Warren with Greg Laurie and Church Smith at Laurie's Harvest Crusade 2009.
What is becoming more obvious everyday to some seems amazingly hidden to mainstream Christian leaders. Not one well-known leader has called out Rick Warren and publicly challenged him. On the contrary, there is either silence from these leaders or worse yet a public display of embracing and resonance (e.g.: popular teacher John Piper invited Rick Warren to speak at his Desiring God conference. Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith stood in front of thousands at Greg Laurie’s Harvest crusade and introduced Rick Warren as his friend, allowing him to pray with the crowd). Has there been any outcry by Christian pastors or leaders to these occurrences? No, and the silence is deafening.
The Bible makes it clear there is coming a false peace plan that will be headed up by the antichrist sometime in the future. “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” I Thessalonians 5:3
Click here to read this article or print the printer friendly PDF version
SUMMER 2010
June 15, 2010
The following is a note from Sandy Simpson, DITC e-Newsletter, Volume 28, Issue 7
Emerging or Submerging?
by Brian Brodersen, Calvary Chapel Magazine, Issue 44, Summer 2010
Finally a good response from a Calvary Chapel pastor to the influx of Emergent teachings into Calvary Chapels. The only statement I disagree with in this article is that Brodersen says: "I believe time will tell that this new movement will turn out to be nothing more than a passing fancy of a few disenchanted men." We know from long experience that heresy begets heresy and does not really ever go away till Christ comes back which is why we must reject it. However this article does call EC teachings what they are ... heresy.
Thanks for this article Brian. - Sandy Simpson
Click here to read this article!
May 24, 2010
Dear Reader [from SRN] ,
This letter is not meant to be one of caustic harshness, but rather, one that is rooted in Christ's love, in obedience to Christ's commands, from a pastors heart, and one that seeks to honor and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
Although it pains me to post this information here, I have chosen to do so because many Christians, including many sincere believers that attend Calvary Chapel fellowships, have been confused as to what is going on regarding events [and possible speaking venues] that have included Rick Warren and possibly Leonard Sweet [and others] as guest speakers.
NOTE: PLEASE scroll down this webpage and read Moriel Ministries Update from May 24, 2010. Jacob Prasch clarifies a few things including the fact that Leonard Sweet is no longer scheduled to speak at event.
As an ordained Calvary Chapel pastor and missionary, my heart breaks for many believers in Christ who have experienced confusion and heartache over what they are seeing regarding this issue. I am speaking primarily of pastors [of any movement or denomination] who have shared [or are possibly scheduled to share] speaking platforms/venues with preachers/teachers who have been known to teach and publish aberrant and/or false doctrine. In light of the fact that Calvary Chapel has an international reputation as a solid bible teaching movement, confusion has arisen because of certain affiliations with those in the Emerging Church movement.
To note, we are not speaking on behalf of Calvary Chapel, nor are we trying to create unnecessary confusion or controversy within the Body of Christ. We cannot speak for Calvary Chapel and we are by no means attempting to speak evil of anyone. Scripture clearly warns against speaking evil of people. Scripture is very clear about exposing evil and separating from heresy and those who teach error. To warn Christians about problematic teachings that run contrary to Christ's teachings is not unloving. In fact, it is the duty of every faithful pastor, to feed God's flock and also to warn God's flock. We are grateful that many Calvary Chapel pastors do just this - feed God's flock and warn God's flock.
We are simply concerned that too much freedom has been given to preachers/teachers who ought to be rebuked for their unsound teachings, i.e. Rick Warren and Leonard Sweet. Rick Warren's appearance at Greg Laurie's Harvest Crusade surprised many Calvary Chapel attendees to no end. So too, Leonard Sweet being scheduled to speak at the 2010 National Worship Leaders Conference is doing just the same. This is confusing many Christians even outside of the Calvary movement. Leonard Sweet is no longer speaking at the Southwest Conference which is being held at Calvary of Albuquerque. However, Dr. Leonard Sweet is still scheduled to speak at the NWLC East Regional Conference, October 5-7, 2010, Lancaster, PA. [This Eastern conference IS NOT at all a Calvary Chapel affiliated event.]
Rather than joining with Dr. Leonard Sweet [and Rick Warren] at events for the Body of Christ, these men ought to be formally called to account and disciplined for their false teachings. They ought to remove their false teachings from book stores and churches and issue public apologies for their erroneous doctrines. They should not be put into pulpits and given the opportunity to spread false teachings and further confuse the Church.
Rick Warren and Leonard Sweet have both had ample time over the years to repent from their false teachings - yet neither one of them has! This ought to be extremely alarming to any pastor and church leader and to anyone who desires to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and His Word.
Many people have contacted SRN [and other ministries] directly about this confusion as have a number of fellow Calvary Chapel leaders. It is our prayer and desire that Calvary Chapel leadership as a whole would make a Scriptural, balanced, and solid stand against sharing speaking platforms with anyone who has taught things contrary to sound doctrine. This would help clarify where Calvary Chapel stands as a movement and of course where the individual Calvary Chapel pastor can stand as being a part of the movement.
The article links below have been posted on this SRN website in order to help people, including those attending Calvary Chapel fellowships, filter through the frustration of seeing some of these compromises in the church.
Lastly, we have waited several years in hopes that Calvary Chapel as a movement would make a bolder stand regarding these types of situations. We commend Calvary Chapel for making a firm stand regarding a number of issues in the past, and we support all pastors, including our fellow Calvary Chapel pastors, who will continue to make a stand for God's truth without compromise.
May we as men and as pastors emulate the words of Paul the Apostle as he shared his loving concern for fellow Christians in the early Church,
17Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
19For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. (Romans 16:17-19)
May God in His abundant grace give wisdom and strength to those who are at the helm of the Calvary movement. May they stand firm on Christ's truth and communicate effectively in order to help others avoid the treachery of seen and unseen false teachers. May all Calvary Chapel leaders do their part in order to help people avoid shipwreck and may they do their best to clean up unnecessary confusion within the Body of Christ.
On behalf of the SRN ministry and its Board of Directors,
Chris Lawson
For thorough documentation on Dr. Leonard Sweet's problematic teachings, please see Ray Yungen's insightful book A Time of Departing, Warren Smith's book A “Wonderful” Deception, and Sandy Simpson’s extensive expose' entitled Leonard Sweet Quotes.
Dr. Leonard Sweet quotes:
Mysticism, once cast to the sidelines of the Christian tradition, is now situated in postmodernist culture near the center.… In the words of one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century, Jesuit philosopher of religion/dogmatist Karl Rahner, “The Christian of tomorrow will be a mystic, one who has experienced something, or he will be nothing.” [Mysticism] is metaphysics arrived at through mindbody experiences. Mysticism begins in experience; it ends in theology.
(From p. 160, A Time of Departing, quoting Sweet from Quantum Spirituality, p. 76)
See also: Leonard Sweet Quotes ; New Light Leaders ; Leonard Sweet: Futurist, Author, Emerging Church leader & Saddleback Church speaker
Leonard Sweet: Quantum Spirituality and a Christ Consciousness! ; Small Groups and the Dialectic Process ; Biblical vs. Post-Modern Thinking
May 25, 2010 - Lighthouse Trails Cannot Remove Articles
This past week, Lighthouse Trails was asked if we would remove our articles on Leonard Sweet's speaking engagement at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque for the National Worship Leader Conference now that he has been asked not to speak at the Calvary Chapel church. After thoughtful deliberation, we issue this reply.
To whom it may concern: In this particular request, to remove our report regarding Leonard Sweet and Calvary Chapel, we struggle. Please let us explain why: Those who have studied the teachings of Rick Warren carefully and weighed them against Scripture know that Rick Warren’s spirituality very much resonates with Leonard Sweet’s. This can be shown to be so in a number of areas, including both men’s promotion of what we call contemplative spirituality (basically New Age mysticism). With that said, Skip Heitzig’s new film, Riptide, features Rick Warren as well as contemplative proponent Mark Driscoll. To feature Rick Warren but cancel Leonard Sweet will send out the message that one is ok and one isn’t, when in reality the spirituality of both men is dangerous.
For those who may question as to whether Rick Warren and Leonard Sweet support and embrace each other’s work, please consider the following articles: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1842http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=976 Rick Warren resonates strongly with Leonard Sweet, and this has been evident for at least 15 years (since their Tides of Change audio series).
A few years ago, Lighthouse Trails documented that Chuck Smith, founder of Calvary Chapel, made a public denouncement of the Purpose Driven movement as well as the emerging church and contemplative spirituality. For CC to now embrace Rick Warren but reject Leonard Sweet may actually cause more harm because now the message sent out will be that Leonard Sweet's spirituality is not good, but Rick Warren's is acceptable.
Incidentally, the line up of speakers at the Albuquerque location for Chuck Fromm’s Worship Conference is filled with Purpose Driven, Robert Schuller, and Willow Creek teachers. Thus, the conference should not be taking place at a Calvary Chapel church at all.
With this in mind, we cannot remove the articles we have written about this situation. Please bear in mind that Rick Warren and Willow Creek DO resonate with Leonard Sweet and other emerging/new spirituality leaders thus putting them in the same ”theological” disposition as Sweet – therefore, removing Leonard Sweet has not removed a very serious situation, and we believe readers need to be kept abreast of this ongoing spiritual decline by many of today’s evangelical churches, includingsome of Calvary Chapel’s more prominent churches.
May 24, 2010
Dear Reader [from SRN],
Please consider this recent post below by Jacob Prasch of Moriel Ministries. This is a succinct and kind update on the current situation regarding Leonard Sweet's canceled speaking engagement where he was scheduled as a speaker at the 2010 Worship Leaders Conference being held at Calvary Albuerque.
Leonard Sweet and Calvary Chapel, Albuquerque Cancellation
May 24, 2010
A number of websites reacted unfavorably to an advertised conference scheduled to take place at the Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA where Skip Heitzig is pastor. Moriel also posted these reports after being contacted by various Calvary Chapel pastors and people, mainly in the USA. Mr. Sweet is by no scriptural standard a Christian, but by every reasonable standard a New Age mystic and a pure Gnostic. It was therefore with some delight we are informed from the USA that the event has been cancelled.
We believe pastor Heitzig made the correct decision. It may be that he and his staff were not fully informed about the nature of Mr. Sweet’s heretical beliefs at the time he agreed to host the conference. We are aware that multiple Calvary Chapel pastors contacted Pastor Heitzig expressing their own concerns, but in this regard we cannot comment further. Plainly however, it was not Skip Heitzig who was the villain. Mr. Sweet on the other hand propounds views nothing short of apostate which many would hold to be of demonic inspiration. Our own fear of course is that such an event featuring Mr. Sweet would have damaged the reputation of Calvary Chapel.
In light of these events we have removed our own report and we urge the various other ministries and websites to remove their own as well. None of us are immune from mistakes and in today’s world they can be very easy to make. We applaud Skip Heitzig’s actions and salute the godly integrity of his decision to cancel the event. We trust other websites and electronic newsletters will drop the matter quickly and consider it a closed affair.
Jacob Prasch
Moriel Ministries
May 18, 2010
From Lighthouse Trails Research Project Online Newsletter
On March 26, 2010, Lighthouse Trails posted the article, "New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet To Speak at Pastor Skip Heitzig’s Calvary Chapel Church" on our website. As of May 13th, Leonard Sweet’s name has been removed from the speaker list on Calvary Chapel Albuquerque's website as well as the National Worship Leader Conference's website speaker list for the Albuquerque conference.
[Emphasis ours - SRN's]
May 11, 2010
Calvary Chapel Albuquerque States: Leonard Sweet Will Not Be Speaking at Conference – Lighthouse Trails Calls For Answers
May 1, 2010
Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not?
April 26, 2010
Moriel and Way of Life Ministries Report on Concerns Over Calvary Chapel Embracing of New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet
April 25, 2010
A Leading New Age and Emergent Church Leader is to be Featured at a Calvary Chapel, Albuquerque Event
Moriel has received a number of inquiries and comments regarding the invitation by Skip Heitzig extended to Leonard Sweet, the New Age Christian mystic usually identified with the “Emergent Church”, a movement against which senior Calvary pastor and founder Pastor Chuck Smith publicly opposed.
The event is to be held at Calvary Chapel, Albuquerque along with the so-called music ministry of a Roman Catholic worship leader in what has been described as the first official New Age/Ecumenical event to take place at a Calvary Chapel. This despite the majority of Calvary Chapel pastors not subscribing to the event’s Ecumenical agenda who support the expressed position of Pastor Chuck Smith opposing tenets and practices of the Post-Modern mysticism defining the Emergent Church, seeking to prevent it from entering into Calvary Chapels. The announcement follows a public financial scandal reaching the secular press at the same church in 2008.
Moriel cannot speak for Skip Heitzig and we urge those contacting us to rather direct their comments and questions to him. Moriel and Jacob Prasch do dismiss Leonard Sweet as a dangerous deceiver, and although not opposed to Catholic people we reject Ecumenical union of any kind with Roman Catholicism. We also firmly endorse the position expressed by Pastor Chuck Smith in opposition to this “emergence” which was undertaken by him in a personally painful yet noble and necessary reaction to its attempted influx into a Calvary Chapel in California. Moriel and Jacob Prasch also sanction the caveats issued to Calvary Chapel pastors by former New Ager Warren Smith who was invited by Chuck Smith to address a major Calvary Chapel pastors conference regarding these faulty trends.
Moriel additionally views this episode as but another symptom of a much larger still brewing problem plaguing many mega-churches and threatening scriptural orthodoxy in the Body of Christ at large and its future. These concerns are addressed in our much more detailed article “Who Wants To Be Next?”
Below is one of the articles we have been forwarded concerning scheduled events in Albuquerque.
Jacob Prasch
Moriel Ministries
http://moriel.org/MorielArchive/index.php/news/usa/calvary-chapel-alert
August 2009
Rick Warren Joins Greg Laurie and Chuck Smith at Laurie's Harvest Crusade 2009
Chuck Smith introduces Rick Warren, "My good friend, Rick Warren."
Rick Warren gives prayer on Sunday the final night of the Harvest Crusade 2009.
Uploaded by mijadedios on Aug 21, 2009 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=417tCBIc1cY
See also WOE: http://news4themasses.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/woe/
May 25, 2009
“Death by Church” – Emergent New Paradigm Pastor to Speak at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa
April 4, 2010
Rick Warren Apologist: “Leonard Sweet is about as Christian as anyone can get.”
April 4, 2010
John Piper Invites Leonard Sweet Co-Worker Rick Warren to Speak at Desiring God Conference
April 2, 2010
NATIONAL WORSHIP LEADER CONFERENCE AND CALVARY CHAPEL HOST NEW AGE-EMERGENT MYSTIC
(Friday Church News Notes, April 2, 2010, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) -
The upcoming National Worship Leader Conference at Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque will feature “New Age sympathizer and emerging church leader” Leonard Sweet (Lighthouse Trails, March 26, 2010). The conference is sponsored by Worship Leader magazine, the chief editor for which is Chuck Fromm, Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith, Sr.’s nephew. Leonard Sweet is a United Methodist clergyman, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew University, and founder and president of SpiritVenture Ministries. He promotes a New Age universalist spirituality that he calls New Light and “the Christ consciousness.” He describes it in terms of “the union of the human with the divine” which is the “center feature of all the world’s religions” (Quantum Spirituality, p. 235). He says it was experienced by Mohammed, Moses, and Krishna. Some of the “New Light leaders” that have led him into this new thinking are Matthew Fox, M. Scott Peck, Willis Harman, and Ken Wilber, all of whom believe in the divinity of man, plus the Catholic-Buddhist monk Thomas Merton. Sweet says humanity needs to learn the truth of Merton’s words, “We are already one” (Quantum Spirituality, p. 13). Sweet defines the New Light as “a structure of human becoming, a channeling of Christ energies through mindbody experience” (p. 70). Contemplative mysticism has been permeating evangelicalism for decades and it is one of the foundational elements of the emerging church (See the titles “The Emerging Church” and “Contemplative Mysticism,” which are available from Way of Life Literature in print and e-book editions.) Contemporary Worship Music (CWM) is mystical in itself. It focuses on an emotional experience, which is why rock & roll is the preferred form of music. CWM’s leaders and participants are “hooked on a feeling.” They are intoxicated with pop music and are led more by their emotions than by God’s holy Word. (Southern Baptist pastor Rick Warren has also promoted Leonard Sweet.)
http://www.wayoflife.org/fridaynewsnotes/index_files/archive-apr-2010.html
March 26, 2010
New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet To Speak at Pastor Skip Heitzig’s Calvary Chapel Church
August 9, 2009
2009 National Worship Conference Brings Contemplatives, Laurie, and Sweet Together
June 1, 2009
A Letter from Ray Yungen: Is Lighthouse Trails “Haters?” by Ray Yungen [Lighthouse Trails author]
October 5, 2006
Rick Warren and Leonard Sweet Riding the “Tides of Change” on the Heels of Mysticism
