There is one name that often comes up in some segments of the “house church movement”, Gene Edwards. I’ve seen some home church websites for him and some against him. As Dan Trotter, who fellowships in a house church, puts it (tongue in cheek), there are those who believe, “Gene Edwards is the Antichrist.” and others that, “Gene Edwards is the fourth person of the Trinity.” I understand that many who came out of the coercive, authoritarian “Shepherding Movement” in the 70’s and 80’s were blessed by Edward’s book, A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness. I bring Gene Edwards up as an example that there are controversies among house church assemblies just as there are among the institutional churches. Guruism remains a problem. All of us must be willing to be open to correction. [From The “House Church Movement” article on this site]
In about 2002, several other leaders of various segments of the house church movement found it necessary to publically critique Gene Edwards. These leaders included, Steve Atkerson, Beresford Job, Dan Walker, and Jon Zens.
I do not necessarily endorse the views of all these individual or their web sites. However, I believe they all stand for the Biblical Jesus and the Biblical Gospel. This discussion continues to be very important, in my view.
Article by some house church leaders about Gene Edwards
Another related article: Gene Edwards: An Objective Critique
Originally the article confronting Gene Edwards appeared on at least the following sites:
HOUSE CHURCH DIRTY DIAPERS CHRONICLES NUMBER SIX – The Gene Edwards Disaster – Dan Trotter’s site at that time.
The Gene Edwards Controversy – House-Church .org site which is now Chigwell Christian Fellowship site
Gene Edwards- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – New Testament Restoration Fellowship (NRTF) site
Gene Edwards- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Searching Together site
An Email Received 5/31/05
6/6/05
and my response
Hi,
I came across your website while searching for some Gene Edwards books. I wanted to share a piece of advice with you.
First, you would do well to mind your own business and not criticize whole movements, people, and particularly individuals like Gene Edwards. It sounds childish, old-fashioned and impotent when a Christian denounces another Christian in the name of “true doctrine”. Your “zeal” for correcting and criticizing is not Christ’s life in you, but your own mental hang-ups and personality issues. Just like the rest of us. We’ve all done that at one time or another. Look into the Lord Jesus and step out of this self-righteous religious zeal.
Second, show us the way by practically revealing how your idea of church can be applied. Rather than listing your 17 principles, copying/pasting Scripture verses which we all know by heart, and launching clichés such as “proclaim, invite, warn, contend for the faith” etc., tell us how your church is doing, give us encouragement that there is a way to do church outside of the Catholic/Protestant system, share how work to build the house is done.
Finally, get some first hand experience of the cross. It will tune you down, break your pride, and increase your need for other Christian workers and brothers. Preconditions before you start telling Christians who and what to follow.
Take care, B.
Jim’s Response to B. sent 5/31/05
6/9/05
B.,
I would be a fool not to take your criticisms seriously. I’m grateful that there are still people left who would love others enough to confront them.
You have guessed right: I am childish, fleshly, self-centered, lacking in love, self-righteous, proud, jealous, etc. etc. But I don’t want to be. Jesus is breaking me and remaking me.
But even if that is all true, it’s a different issue as to whether one should proclaim, warn, confront, correct, rebuke.
Who has convinced you that it is childish to proclaim, warn, confront, correct, rebuke? You did not learn that from reading the New Testament.
The only question is are we motivated by love.
What makes a follower of Jesus different from a mystical pagan who follows his guru? They both can appear nice, humble. It’s the truth. Mystical pagans are convinced that truth is relative and unimportant and they promote the “deeper things”. They self-righteously look down their nose at anyone’s concern for the truth.
Our Lord Jesus reveals himself in the word. We are transformed by the truth of the word. The New Testament is very clear about the need to warn of false gospels and false Christs.
You and I have an opportunity to be friends in spite of our differences.
Jim Baumgaertel
Proclamation, Invitation, & Warning
https://procinwarn.com
- Article by some house church leaders about Gene Edwards
- Dan Trotter – of House Churches
- House Church Discussion
- Frank Viola’s Newsletter April 2006 Promoting Contemplative Spirituality
- Storytelling or Myth-Making? Frank Viola and Ivan Illich
- Frank Viola – MinistryMind
- Frank Viola, George Barna, & the Emerging Church
- Link between Contemplative & New Thought Movements: Brother Lawrence
- The “House Church Movement”
- Four Ways Christians Are Deceived
- Frank Viola Promoting Contemplative Spirituality
Churchianity – Issues of Concern Among Christians – Counterfeit Christianity