Christian Research Network is a sister work of Apprising Ministries. Readers of this online apologetics and discernment ministry know I’ve been warning of false unity and syncretism between mainstream evangelicals and hyper-Pentecostal/charismatics in the warped Word Faith camp.

Perhaps the most blatant was seen in Elephant Room 2 with Word Faith mogul T.D. Jakes ushered into heart of the church visible. Later I showed you that James MacDonald Was A Bit Late In Mainstreaming T.D. Jakes; turns out fellow ER2 member Dr. Jack Graham beat him to it.

Here CRN Associate Editor Erin Benziger of Do Not Be Surprised… brings to our attention another example of this creeping compromise with Brian Houston, co-pastor of the nefarious Hillsong Church Australia with wife pastrix Bobbie, bringing his Word Faith mythology to the SBC church of Rick Warren, General of the Seeker Driven  Army.

Of course we really shouldn’t be surprised as I told you back in July in Joel Osteen Moving One Step Closer To Mainstream Evangelicalism that Warren is set as speaker once again at Houston’s annual Hillsong Conference this year right along with Word Faith prosperity preacher Joel Osteen.

Against this sad backdrop Erin Benziger now tells:

In his most recent email newsletter, Rick Warren has announced that famed preacher Brian Houston of Hillsong Church in Australia will be speaking at Warren’s Saddleback Church on 29–30 December. Says Warren,

I’m so excited to announce that Pastor Brian Houston of the world-famous HILLSONG Church in Sydney, Australia will be speaking at Saddleback! Brian is flying over from Australia just to speak that weekend! Many of your favorite worship songs, like Shout To The Lord, came out of HILLSONG church. I’ll see you at this incredible end-of-the-year service! SOURCE

It is true that many contemporary “praise songs” have emerged from the Sydney megachurch, which now boasts campuses across the globe. Some would also claim that Hillsong has been known to propagate a seeker-driven version of the prosperity gospel.

Hillsong is co-pastored by Brian Houston and his wife, Bobbie. One may presume that a Southern Baptist such as Rick Warren would avoid lending credence to a group that appears to ignore the biblical mandate against women as pastors as found in Scripture in places such as 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Timothy 3:1–7.

Just this year, however, Warren’s own wife, Kay, preached an entire sermon series during weekend services. Kay Warren also led services at Saddleback just this past November. Clearly, then, Rick Warren is not averse to women in the pulpit, teaching biblical truth to mixed audiences.

In fact, Warren recently invited popular and prominent Hillsong personality, Christine Caine to preach at his church. Caine spoke during Saddleback’s weekend services on 6 and 7 October, helping to further her growing popularity within professing evangelical circles.

It appears that this latest invitation to Brian Houston of Hillsong only strengthens Warren’s apparent endorsement of the Hillsong ministry.

Further reading

• MARK DRISCOLL PROMOTING WORD FAITH TEACHER BRIAN HOUSTON?
• DUNG DROPPINGS IN THE ELEPHANT ROOM: T.D. JAKES—JESUS IS THE PRODUCT
• MEGACHURCH PASTORS JOEL OSTEEN AND T.D. JAKES UNITE AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE