The Editor
EP Herald
Dear Madam
You are commended for your initiative to include space in the Monday Herald relating to the church in the community. The Fathers House representative, Ryan Le Roux might have unintentionally exposed his groups questionable agenda in his 1000 word essay entitled “Making church relevant in the community”, Monday 10th June 2019.
Environmental relevancy is a commercial strategy to subliminally entice a consumer to part with their hard earned cash on an item or product that has an emotional high placebo effect that will make them return again and again. The church growth movement has successfully employed this method with sectarian faith groups popping up like hot toast for breakfast. In my 50 years of Christian ministry I have seen religious fads come and go and the emerging church or mega church movement is another such trend.
Has the church become a de facto commercial enterprise? The Scriptures warn that unsuspecting believers will become like merchandise – 2 Peter 2:3 “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not.” I have seen young adults, over the years, taken in with a lot of gobbledegook, mind bending jargon and emotional hype only to be left empty, disillusioned, confused, bitter and become secular atheists.
Several years ago I met with one of the most respected Anglican Bible teachers and author from the U.K., Rev John Stott. I asked him about the threat facing authentic and Biblical Christianity. His poignant response sprung to mind when I read Le Roux’s article. “In the not too distant future,” said Stott “the emerging church will experience exponential numerical growth so that it will boast of being 10 000 miles long and 10 000 miles wide, but in reality it will only be a half inch deep.” This egregorial hive mind set leads to “brain washing” and mesmerises attendees. People who purportedly hear God’s voice, become spiritual schizophrenics. It’s true that the church is in the world, but it ought not to be part of the world. A Christian sage once said:- “The place of a ship is in the sea but God forbid that the sea get into the ship”. Good sound theology and a Christ centred life is the only antidote for a sick and anaemic church obsessed with competing with the world.
Bruce Woolard
13 Rustique
Framesby North
041-3606060
