5 Points of Church Division

Contributed by:
Chris Humphreys
HEARTLAND BAPTIST CHURCH OF OKLAHOMA CITY
www.hbcokc.org

In case you haven't heard by now, there is an insidious teaching that is disrupting and destroying many a Southern Baptist church. It has even gone beyond the boundaries of the Southern Baptist Convention, but for our purposes, we will just talk about what is going on in our own backyard.

This new teaching has caught the attention of many in recent years, and seminary students, pastors and laypeople are following this teaching hook, line and sinker. It has reached epidemic proportions. It is about time something is done about it before it gets farther out of hand. Many prominent church leaders have already spoken out against this new teaching because they see what looms ahead unless this teaching is nipped in the bud.

Church splits have resulted from this teaching. Many Christians have been hurt over this teaching. To sit idly by and watch our beloved SBC torn apart is not a strategy we should be adopting.

This new teaching is named after one man. It has five points to it. The five points are built around an easy to remember acronym.

Yes, we are talking about. . .





Warrenism. And Rick Warren's five point P.E.A.C.E. initiative.

No, we are not talking about some dead theologian. We are talking about a living non-theologian who is creating all the commotion.

No, we are not talking about a historical doctrinal position held by Southern Baptists in their beginnings. We are talking truly about a new teaching that has more in common with New Age philosophy and liberalism than anything Southern Baptists have been identified with in its history.

No, we are not talking about something that the Baptist Press has picked up on and written extensively about to forewarn us of its abhorrent teachings. We are talking about something that is fawned over and promoted by countless Southern Baptist pastors and denominational leaders. It takes the secular press such as the Wall Street Journal to tackle this new teaching head on.

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and shrewd in their own sight!" Isaiah 5:20-21

"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their discretion; my people love to have it so, but what will they do when the end comes?" Jeremiah 5:30-31

P.S. After composing this article above earlier this week, I just found out yesterday that the Baptist Press has responded to the Wall Street Journal piece. Also, the Wall Street Journal has written another article on its series about the unspoken damages that Warrenism has created in many churches nationwide.

For Wall Street Journal Article Click Here.

For Baptist Press Coverage Click Here.