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Calvary Chapel Critique 2005 updated 10/9/06 |
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| Calvary
Chapel Clergy & Moses Authoritarianism
But what KIND of Accountability? Chuck Smith's System Rejects Purpose Driven Movement Jon Courson: Applegate Christian Fellowship Chuck Smith Jr (formerly) of Calvary Chapel Counterfeit Christs: Is your pastor a one-man show? Calvary Chapels and Purpose Driven - Emergent - Contemplative Questions About Churchianity vs. The Church Who Should Lead in the Body of Christ? "Some of my best friends" are Clergymen Son Inherits Country from Father Why is it that people don't feel like they got their ticket punched unless they've been to a show? Questions for the Acts 29 Network
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Many people have been
blessed and edified by the teaching and fellowship in Calvary Chapel
church organizations. Many people have testified to being saved at Calvary
Chapel music concerts. I rejoice when Christ is preached. Even though
there is a lot of good that people can point to about the “Calvary Chapel
Movement”, no organization, movement, institution, or individual, can be
beyond critique. It is a cult-like mentality that says that all criticism
or all dissent is division; or that anyone who criticizes a leader or an
institution is necessarily a divisive person.
Most people do not realize that Calvary Chapel church organizations are not, themselves, affiliated with the original Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California. It is the clergymen who are affiliated. They submit a request to become affiliated and then are supplied with a form to fill out. The form contains many questions about doctrine and philosophy of ministry. The form is submitted along with the recommendations of other Calvary Chapel clergymen. If the staff at Costa Mesa accepts the person, he becomes an affiliated clergyman in a global network led by Chuck Smith. Chuck Smith is the founder of the mega-church, Calvary Chapel, in Costa Mesa, California. He exerts influence throughout the system via audio tapes, videos, radio programs, a website, printed material, and regular “Pastor’s Conferences” in different regions of the country. Clergymen who have served on the Calvary Costa Mesa staff go on, in many cases, to have congregations of their own. Many of these have become mega-churches in their own right. Hirelings - Pastor/Teachers - Elders Jesus says:
Jesus is that true shepherd. Paul and Peter both call elders to shepherd the flock. And a Biblical elder is not a hireling. One thing about any hireling is that he can always be hired away to bigger and better things! Calvary Chapel clergymen have a tradition of saying that their position is not that of a hireling. But they speak against hirelings as those who are dictated to by a board of elders. They speak against hirelings to justify their view that a "Pastor/Teacher" is to be an absolute ruler over the congregation. In his book called Harvest (co-written by Tal Brooke), Chuck Smith writes about an early experience of his in which he felt that the elders were quenching the Spirit in his congregation:
Of course the elders should not simply be businessmen. Whatever their occupation, they ought to be mature Acts 17:11 Bereans, disciples of Jesus, meeting the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-11. Now, if you operate the congregation as if it was YOUR own business, then you're not on the payroll of businessmen... you ARE the businessman! The problem is you're still a hireling. You're just paying your own salary. Chuck Smith also writes in his booklet, "The Philosophy of Ministry of Calvary Chapel":
It is good that Chuck Smith expresses concern about the dangers of a theocratic form of government and pastors who try to be a one-man show. But also in this same booklet he illustrates the absolute power that he teaches that a clergyman should have by telling about a time he helped fire all the elders of an associated congregation when they disagreed with the clergyman. (See the article on this site entitled, "Calvary Chapel Clergymen and Moses Authoritarianism".) But a one-man show is EXACTLY what the Calvary Chapel philosophy of ministry creates! A one-man show, celebrity, absolute ruler, businessman is a hireling who is dedicated to maintaining his empire at all costs by lording it over the congregation because he's convinced that the Lord is speaking mainly to him and not to the other elders. I'm not questioning whether Calvary Chapel clergymen loves Jesus. And I'm not saying they aren't knowledgeable teachers of the Bible. Many of them sincerely care about the people in their congregation. But all men are tempted. They are tempted by power, money, pride, women, and prestige. The more you raise up a man above his brethren and put him in a position of a lord, the more likely he will succumb to the corruption of the flesh. In fact, usurping such a role IS a corruption of the flesh. I exhort followers of Jesus to be the Body of Christ together, according to the scriptures. If you are called to serve as an overseer, then be content to lead as a brother, being an example to the flock, side by side with the other elders, and the rest of the brethren. Be content with your wages as you work for a living. Serve in the Body of Christ as a brother, not as a lord or the CEO of a family business. |
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