Question:

Do you have any information about the ministry of Pastor Benny Perez of Pacesetters International? Would he be considered a part of the Emergent Church movement?

Answer:

Benny Perez is lead pastor of The Church at South Las Vegas. As of this writing his site www.pacesetters.org is down. But here is the link to his very high techie Emergent-looking Site www.bennyperez.org website. If you click on “Benny Perez: About Pastor Benny Perez” you will read that part of his “unique call to minister” is “community transformation.”

According to Charisma magazine (a most dubious source of Word Faith mumbo jumbo) he is “one of the top emergingvoices (sic) that will lead this generation.” Here is the above referenced Charisma article 30 Emerging Voices. There you’ll read:

Today’s emerging leaders aren’t afraid to push new buttons, sail into uncharted waters or blur the line between secular and sacred. Their faith has been shaped not only by the culture wars of the 1990s but also by reality TV, iPods and instant messaging. They are the first generation to use blogging as an evangelism tool in cyberspace. Today’s emerging leaders fully intend to reinvent church…

Although Perez would actually be more prone toward Pentecostal Word Faith excesses, all of the above are things also quite consistent with the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church and his age also lends itself well to drift further into that area.

Another source tells us that Perez’:

passion for Jesus has made him a leading voice to this generation. Pacesetters International is one of the fastest growing worldwide ministries reaching thousands with the presence of God… His vision is to empower people to live at a higher level in God through the surrendering of their lives and pursuit of an intimate relationship with Jesus… Pastor Benny became a full-time evangelist with Pacesetters International in September 1998 after serving as youth pastor at Marysville First Assembly of God near Seattle for six years… His youth ministry model — turning youth groups into youth churches with radical worship,…

This next article is about Judah Smith the brother of “Wendy, who is married to the well-known charismatic Benny Perez.” This also shows more of the type of abberations he is aligned with. And sure enough Perez is also listed among ministers at the infamous Trinity Broadcasting Network.

The words “avoid at all costs” seem appropriate here! This “unique” minister instead gives all appearances of being just another of the 40-ish hirelings sent forth in Disneyland churches to declare a reimagined social gospel and the love of man. I would recommend following 2 Timothy 3:5 about men like Perez who have the appearance of godliness, but [are] denying its power. Avoid such people.

For Christ’s Honor,

Ken Silva, pastor-teacher