Below is the text of a letter I sent today to the Editor of Southern Baptist Texan Gary Ledbetter over this issue of SBC Pastor Ed Young, Jr. sharing his pulpit again with Oneness Pentecostal heretic Dr. T.D. Jakes.

Dear Mr. Ledbetter,

Please know that I have written this Southern Baptists of Texas Convention twice now prior to my letter to you concerning the issue of great importance below and without so much as even a cursory response. Let me just tell you sir that I am way less than impressed that a brother SBC pastor would be completely ignored by this Convention.That said, I’ll try and reach you.

By way of quick introduction I am an ordained pastor within the Southern Baptist Convention myself where this issue originates, president of the internet discernment and counter-cult work Apprising Ministries:
https://www.apprising.org/. In addition I am also an associate of Ingrid Schlueter, who hosts the Crosstalk Radio program on VCY America: http://www.crosstalkamerica.com/ and is General Editor of Christian Research Net where I am pastoral advisor and contributor: http://christianresearchnetwork.com/

The Lord has also been pleased to have me also as a columnist for Brannon Howse’s Christian Worldview Network: http://www.worldviewweekend.com/secure/cwnetwork/bio.php?AuthorID=66, as well being one of the featured writers at the Walter Martin Religious InfoNet: http://www.waltermartin.com/columnists.html of Kevin and Jill Rische, all of which I will assure you represents a very significant amount of listeners and readers within the Body of Christ.

I will inform you that this letter has already been published on Apprising Ministries because readers have a right to know that Southern Baptists of Texas Convention has treated an SBC brother’s well-founded concerns by simply ignoring them. So the reason I write is to you now is to make you aware that Ed Young, Jr. of Fellowship Church (which is SBC) has chosen to involve Oneness Pentecostal Dr. T.D. Jakes to his upcoming Creative Church Conference 2007 (C3 2007). As you may know Dr. Jakes denies the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which is the very nature of God Himself. I have also written the other Texas Convention and have not received a reply from them either.

I have also documented from Young Jr.’s own materials that he has already had Dr. Jakes preach at his church last year: https://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/01/ed_young_jr_has.html I have also previously reported at the various above outlets that Jakes is set to appear this year at C3 2007 hosted by Fellowship Church (SBC) in Grapevine, TX February 22-23, 2007. This means a heretic will again be sharing the preaching platform not only with Young, Jr. but also this time with dad Dr. Ed Young, former two time president of the SBC.

Just so you know my homework has been done I have written both Ed Young, Jr. https://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/01/letter_to_ed_yo.html and Dr. T.D. Jakes https://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/01/letter_to_dr_td.html personally and have received no reply just as I expected. However, my own personal research shows that Dr. Jakes’ theology is completely in line with Oneness Pentecostalism which I and others have clearly documented. If you didn’t know this view of God has been considered heretical for some 1800 years by what the late Dr. Walter Martin (SBC), a foremost expert in Comparative Religion, often called the historic orthodox Christian Church.

As such then to allow Dr. Jakes to share that SBC pulpit would put these men in violation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 – “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (NASB) In regard to his doctrine on the Holy Trinity, as of this writing 1/17/07 Dr. Jakes’ doctrinal statement still reads:

“THREE DIMENSIONS OF ONE GOD (1 John5:7; Matthew 28:29; 1 Timothy 3:16) We believe in one God who is eternal in His existence, Triune in His manifestation, being both Father, Son and Holy Ghost AND He is sovereign in His authority.” (http://www.thepottershouse.org/PH_doctrine.html)

I believe that you can see this is the language of classic Oneness Pentecostalism, which is itself a denial of the orthodox definition of the cardinal doctrine of the Holy Trinity long held by the Christian Church. The word “dimensions” means “a group of properties whose number is necessary and sufficient to determine uniquely each element of a system.” In this case the “group” and “number” is Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the “system” would be the one person of God.

As to the second clause of Jakes’ doctrinal statement where he uses the word “manifestations,” which is more in keeping with traditional Oneness Pentecostal language, this word means “a perceptible, outward, or visible expression: one of the forms in which an individual is manifested.” In this case we would be referring to the “outward, and/or visible expression” of how this one person of God has “manifested” or revealed himself.

Now that I have adequately defined what Dr. Jakes’ doctrinal statement we can now compare it to a clearly defined doctrine of the Holy Trinity held by the historic orthodox Church of Jesus Christ. Which is:

Within the nature of the one God there are three co-equal and co-eternal Persons (cognizant egos) existing simultaneously; The whole undivided essence of God belongs equally to each of the three Persons; God the Father; God the Son – Who is Christ Jesus of Nazareth – and God the Holy Spirit. And these three Persons are that one God. (https://www.apprising.org/archives/2005/09/keeping_you_app_3.html)

My question Mr. Ledbetter is this: How can we Southern Baptists possibly justify having someone like Dr. Jakes who does not believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as I have just defined it for you – and therefore does not believe in God – share an SBC pulpit? Dr. Jakes views also violate The Baptist Faith and Message definition of the Trinity as well. I write to ask you to possibly look into this issue because I have also previously written to SBC president Dr. Frank Page and received…a sort of reply: https://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/01/dr_frank_page_r.html

Later he did tell me he is “making some calls”, but I think we both know where that will lead. Nowhere. You may mark my words that if this C3 2007 conference goes on with Jakes in the pulpit he will be absolutely catapulted right into the mainstream of the apostatizing evangelical community at large. And what will happen next is the Brian McLarens of this world are going to come forward and say: “Since the Trinity isn’t necessary anymore, then why all the fuss about the Deity of Christ. Let’s just forget all the arguing about whether Jesus is God or not and just teach people they only need to follow His teachings. This way we will have much more unity and please God even more.”

We are a lot closer to something like this than you may even think. Please know that I am not looking for anything in this, nor do I have anything against any of these men personally. I am only doing my job as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to defend His Word, which I will continue to do to the end. If we can’t get some media coverage onto this and push it out beyond the SBC “good ol’ boy” network then it will simply be swept under the SBC rug. Since I have tried to intervene and found these men apparently have less than zero interest in this issue I now feel compelled that I must write to you Mr. Ledbetter as Editor of the Texan and just maybe they’ll listen to you.

And regardless of what Dr. Page does I am not about to sit idly by and let a someone like Dr. T.D. Jakes who teaches heresy concerning the nature of God preach from SBC pulpits without a fight. Please forgive me if I have come on too strong, however I see this as a defining moment when people in the evangelical community don’t seem to even want to stand for Who God is anymore.

I look forward to receiving your prompt reply as to what you might feel led to do concerning this matter of grave importance.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Ken Silva
President
Apprising Ministries
https://www.apprising.org/
Ezekiel 3:7-14