CHRISTINE CAINE TO PREACH WEEKEND SERVICES AT SADDLEBACK CHURCH
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Oct 3, 2012 in Current Issues, Features, Rick Warren, Southern Baptist Convention
Christian Research Network is a sister work of Apprising Ministries. Below CRN Associate Editor Erin Benziger of Do Not Be Surprised… brings to our attention that pastrix Christine Caine, whom I told you in The Budding Femance Between Word Faith Pastrix Christine Caine And Kay Warren is with the nefarious Word Faith outfit of Hillsong Church in Australia (see video intro below), will be preaching for Rick Warren.
Rather odd when you consider that while answering the question Is It Wrong for Men to Listen to Female Speakers? John Piper appeals to Warren as an authority on the subject:
The Bible is clear that women shouldn’t teach and have authority over men. In context, I think this means that women shouldn’t be the authoritative teachers of the church—they shouldn’t be elders. That is the way Rick Warren is understanding it, and most of us understand it that way. (source)
I guess there’s a divide between Warren’s “understanding” and his practice:
On 6 and 7 October, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church will welcome popular speaker and author Christine Caine to preach the weekend services. Saddleback’sSlice blog announces the event:
Next weekend, Saddleback will host author, speaker, and activist Christine Caine. Caine travels the world teaching the gospel and equipping leaders. She’ll be speaking on “The Courage to Let Go of Your Past,” the last message in our Uncommon Courage series. SOURCE
Caine’s popularity within American evangelical circles has grown quite rapidly in recent months. She began the year speaking at Steven Furtick’s Code Orange Revival, and preached weekend services at Elevation Church as well. SBC pastor Jack Graham appears to be quite impressed with Caine, as is popular SBC Bible teacher Beth Moore. In June of this year, Caine was “honored” to speak at a youth conference at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church. Most recently, Caine was a featured speaker at Joyce Meyer’s Love Life conference. In fact, as was demonstrated in a post at Do Not Be Surprised, Christine Caine actually refers to Word Faith teacher Meyer as her “spiritual mother.” Caine’s increasing influence, then, perhaps ought to elicit concern, not celebration.
In light of the above, it may not surprise that Caine now has been invited to preach the weekend services at Saddleback Church. As Ken Silva has demonstrated atApprising Ministries, a budding friendship has been brewing between Christine Caine and Rick Warren’s wife, Kay. In his article, Silva expresses concern at the fact that, in embracing Christine Caine, Kay Warren “was honored to embrace a woman who is not only a Word faith prosperity preacher but is also sowing division within the Christian community by claiming to be an elder.”
Silva then reminds that the “Bible knows nothing of female elders,” but rather forbids them:
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor…
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Of further note is that, at this time, according to the Baptist Faith And Message, the Southern Baptist Convention does not sanction women pastors. Unfortunately, it now appears as though there is a growing number of SBC pastors and churches who are beginning to stand in opposition to this. This is not, after all, the first time that Rick Warren has welcomed a woman into his “pulpit.”
Earlier this year, CRN reported that Kay Warren preached several weekend services at Saddleback Church. At the time, CRN noted,
While standing in the role of pastor for four consecutive weekends, then, Kay Warren undoubtedly found herself teaching a mixed audience of both men and women. How can this be reconciled not only with the SBC’s stated position on this topic, but with the biblical prohibition against women taking authority within the church? Should the body of Christ remain silent on this issue? If it was important enough for God to offer explicit instruction in His Word, then it ought to be of equal importance to Christians today. SOURCE
Yet, here again we will watch as Saddleback Church, a registered church within the SBC, welcomes a woman into its pulpit against the authority and instruction of Scripture. Will the SBC, as well as the larger body of Christ, continue to remain silent in the face of such blatant disregard for the Word of God?
[mejsvideo src=”https://www.apprising.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ChristineCaine.mov” width=640 height=360]
Subscribe via RSS