Apprising Ministries continues monitoring the aftermath of the Elephant Room 2 for the Christian Research Network.

I’ve said before that the silent shockwaves sent out when ER2 detonated have likely caused more damage than we have yet to see.

There will probably be more cracks revealed as evangelephants, a term I first heard used by Todd Friel, continue moving in their rather ecumenical directions.

We also should include the Code Orange De-vival (COD), put on by hybrid Seeker Driven and Word Faith Prophet-Pastor Steven Furtick, into this muddy mix as well. COD featured a few ER2 participants—including Word Faith mogul T.D. Jakes—and it really did end up serving as it’s prequel.

You might remember that COD did also include past ER participants Attractional Prophet-Pastor Perry Noble and New Calvinist Matt Chandler. So, over the past two years there’s been a lot of cross pollination between the Young, Restless and Reformed and the Seeker Driven/Attractional camps.

Surveying the battlefield from this vantage point we should now become concerned when we see supposed Calvinists cozying up to people whose approach to the Gospel is already tainted by their use of methodologies originating in the rotten root of the Church Growth Movement.

Here I want to alert you to a February 7 post called Dear Acts 29 Members at the Acts 29 Network blog. It’s actually “a recent letter to the network” dated February 6 2012 where:

(Online source)

I’ll spare you the whole letter and simply draw your attention to a couple of things that we need to keep an eye on and which should strike us as rather odd. It would seem that ER2 co-host Mark Driscoll will be increasing his direct involvement with A29:

(Online source)

Now, it’s no secret I’ve been critical of A29, e.g. Mark Driscoll, Acts 29 Network, & The Emerging Church. That noted, I’ve also talked to dear Reformed brothers in A29 who’re not involved with its quasi-contemplative leanings, a growing charismania, and who aren’t pleased with Mark Driscoll’s drift.

However, just the same as I’ll have to do if the SBC doesn’t discipline protholics like Rick Warren and Beth Moore, these brothers are going to have to leave A29 if those problems aren’t cleaned up by it’s leadership. Speaking of leadership, the aforementioned Matt Chandler joins the A-29 board:

(Online source)

So, now we see that Matt Chandler is making a stronger connection with A29 and Mark Driscoll. The next item of interest in Driscoll’s letter actually dovetails into the final concern. Among the “list of items” he wants “focused on this year and would appreciate prayer for” is:

(Online source)

Gospel-centered theology sounds good; but we now have to ask, which Gospel? Here’s where we start to actually derail as Mark Driscoll goes on to tell us of upcoming events:

(Online source)

My point here is more to just make you aware of further cross pollinating going on within SD/A and YR&R. Like interlocking concentric circles, note the same names which keep showing up together since ER1, through COD, and then through ER2. Only it’s growing progressively worse now to include Rick Warren.

As I close this piece out, I’ll leave aside the obvious ecumenical drift of former Gospel Coalition member James MacDonald, who actually resigned from what Steve Camp calls the “Gospel Compromise” so he could invite T.D. Jakes to ER2, There’s More To The Resignation Of James MacDonald From Gospel Coalition.

Miles McPherson is firmly in the Attractional/Seeker Driven camp ala Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven and Leadership Network mythology; as is Craig Groeschel. You may recall that at his Code Orange De-vival Steven Furtick referred to Groeschel a number times as “my pastor.” Groeschel’s a mentor.

On the whole, this is really a rather curious assortment of semi-pelagian synergist speakers for supposed Calvinists; not the least of which is the sinfully ecumenical Rick Warren, who has reversed the Reformation. Yes, I know that New Calvinist mentor John Piper has pronounced Warren doctrinal and sound.

But this only begs the following questions: Do Driscoll, Chandler, and Acts 29 et al, really think the repudiation of the Protestant Reformers to come below from Rick Warren is doctrinal and sound? And if so, then do they actually think men like John Calvin were wrong about the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

We begin with this statement from Warren, which flies right in the face of the Protestant Reformers:

I see absolutely zero reason in separating my fellowship from anybody. (Online source)

In the real world, which is the only one we have, Rick Warren has just set himself against the Lord’s Protestant Reformation; i.e. the Reformers were wrong to separate their fellowship from the Roman Catholic Church. Really? Acts 29 and Gospel Coalition members are actually okay with this?

We also have the following from a 2005 report on Warren by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

“Now I don’t agree with everything in everybody’s denomination, including my own. I don’t agree with everything that Catholics do or Pentecostals do, but what binds us together is so much stronger than what divides us,” he said.

“I really do feel that these people are brothers and sisters in God’s family. I am looking to build bridges with the Orthodox Church, looking to build bridges with the Catholic Church,…” (Online source, emphasis mine)

However, nothing binds the Christian with practicing Roman Catholics because the Church of Rome long ago condemned the Gospel; in fact, this was at the very heart of the Reformation. Surely we should expect someone with Gospel-centered theology like Mark Driscoll and Matt Chandler would know this, right?

I already told you recently in Rick Warren And Teachings Of Demons about the section of his Purpose Driven Church website called Purpose Driven Catholics where Roman Catholics were directed to Roman Catholic teachings; including sites that were evangelizing people for the Church of Rome.

Shouldn’t this acceptance of apostates as part of the Body of Christ and the promotion of Rome’s false gospel (cf. Galatians 1:6-9) by Rick Warren be of concern for Acts 29 and Gospel Coalition members? I would say, it better be; and if you think he’s changed, then you really need to think again.

The following tweet was from February 7, 2012; note Rick Warren is standing with his Roman Catholic “brothers and sisters.” When is enough finally enough in this New Downgrade No-Controversy:

(Online source)

See also:

PACHYDERMAL POST-MORTEM

JOHN PIPER, RICK WARREN & FOSTER-WILLARDISM

JAMES ROBISON AND RICK WARREN WORKING TO REVERSE THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION