As this online apologetics and discernment ministry (OADM) Apprising Ministries continues monitoring Intel along the Internet front of this war against error it’s impossible not to notice a New Downgrade No Controversy.

Briefly, what I mean by the term is first of all an attempt to harken the Christian back to what became known as the Downgrade Controversy. In a nutshell, this involved Charles Spurgeon and his battle against  liberalism.

Today in the heart of the Christian community we see a new form of liberalism advancing deeply into mainstream evangelical territory. Instead of marshalling a fight, tragically, we’re actually witnessing its leaders embracing it.

Hence the New Downgrade has no controversy; rather e.g., we’ve witnessed James MacDonald use his Elephant Room 2, which he convened with his co-host Mark Driscoll, to mainstream reputed modalist T.D. Jakes.

Jakes, who is also one of the most blatant of all Word Faith prosperity preachers, received softball questions and was—in essence—allowed to say he’s a trinitarian who prefers to express that belief in modalistic terminology.

Such is the time we live in; one can now be an orthodox heretic. As far as Jakes’ WF heresies, I told you previously in T.D. Jakes Is Not A Word Faith Prosperity Preacher that MacDonald has insinuated Jakes has repented.

The evidence since ER2 does not bear that out. For example: WF Pastrix Paula White: As Paul Is To Timothy, So T.D. Jakes Is To Me and Christian Post On How ER2’s T.D. Jakes Installed Sheryl Brady As “Pastor”.

Consider that ER2 vet Steven Furtick, a rising prophet-leader within mainstream evangelicalism, announced T.D. Jakes Is My Favorite Preacher In The World. But opposed to Scripture, Jakes endorses women pastors.

So does Furtick as evidenced by Word Faith Pastrix Christine Cane Preaches Sunday Morning Sermon For Steven Furtick. Slithering out of WF circles this issue is coming into the heart of the professing Christian community.

With this in mind then, in Two Controversial New Shows Premiere in January Diane Anderson-Minshall tells us of two “new reality shows…still weeks away from premiering” but “already started stirring up controversy.”

The first of which I covered the other day in Я U Ready 4 Provocative Preacher’s Wives On TLC’S “The Sisterhood?” Anderson-Marshall of Reality TV tells us:

The Sisterhood is a new TLC show that follows the lives of five Atlanta women who are married to ministers. But these aren’t your grandma’s preachers’ wives and their openness about sex, drugs and the accumulation of finer things has some Christians up in arms. (source)

I would say, rather,  the main concerns are women as pastors, their over-all conduct, and the apparent need for self-aggrandizement. Anderson-Marshall then brings me into the equation:

While some, like Apprising Ministries want to clarify that these preachers reflect a relatively small (if growing) branch of evangelicalism known as prosperity theology, I’d point out that, with names like  “Phenomenal Life Church, Inc.” some of these churches sound more like businesses then places of worship. (source)

Diane Anderson-Minshall is “a lesbian-identified bisexual,” ((http://www.epochalips.com/?p=503, accessed 12-13-12.)) so I’m really not sure what her religious proclivities may be. So we can excuse her ignorance when she says the Word Faith movement is “relatively small.”

However, I do have a point of agreement with Anderson-Minshall when she says these social clubs represented by the women of The Sisterhood, masquerading as churches, “sound more like businesses then places of worship.”

Further reading

• ELEPHANT ROOM 2′S T.D. JAKES SHARES HIS MINISTRY PHILOSOPHY
• T.D. JAKES AND JOEL OSTEEN: JESUS IS THE PRODUCT
• MEGACHURCH PASTORS JOEL OSTEEN AND T.D. JAKES UNITE AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE