In the drive to transform the Evangelical Church in America into just one more member of the global spirituality crowd, the change agents who work 24/7 are, in the immortal words of Charlie Sheen, “Winning!”
Increasingly, I see it as my duty here at Israel Watch to inform you, the reader, about this breathtaking sea-change taking place—of course in the context of how it all affects Israel. While the overall agenda to change the Church has many legs, a major weight-bearing leg is the view of Israel and Bible prophecy.
I am now fielding phone calls and emails from people who want to know more, so for a time, our reportage here will reflect this growing need.
Recently, this space revealed the drift by Drew Sumrall, grandson of famed Pentecostal preacher Lester E. Sumrall. Not surprisingly, “New Spirituality” guru Brian McLaren alerted his wide readership to young Mr. Sumrall some weeks back. It isn’t the first time McLaren—among other things, the bestselling author never misses an opportunity to criticize Israel and her Christian supporters—has championed a Pentecostal.
It should go without saying (but I’ll do it anyway) that if McLaren greets you “warmly,” you should be very worried…if you care about your own denomination’s orthodoxy, and your own credibility with Bible-believing Christians.
In other words, cultivating relationships with new leadership in conservative Christian circles is a tactic. It is part of a broader agenda to sweep away the last vestiges of biblical thought from the American Church. It is a tactic, pure and simple. It’s similar to Fuller Theological Seminary employing the unorthodox Tony Jones, who has announced that he no longer believes in Original Sin. This fits well with Jones’ other hobbies, such as writing about Biola’s “Queer Underground.”
Stunned yet?
Naturally, among the pet projects of these change agents is a deconstruction of what I’d call Zionist Theology, or a Jewish Theology of History. They seek to isolate Israel politically, culturally, militarily, and especially, religiously. Keeping up with their various initiatives to this end would make an ice skater dizzy. Yet we need to be aware of what they are up to.
In an October 19, 2011 Brian McLaren blog, the Naked Spirituality author noted a blog by his good friend, Samuel Lee, a Pentecostal pastor. But Lee is a “new breed” Pentecostal, and the point I want to make here is that a major effort is underway—as we speak—to hijack pro Israel support among every major American denomination.
I would go so far as to suggest to you that in 10 years’ time, you will no longer recognize the Southern Baptist Convention. As it too strides toward liberal theology and a dance with ecumenism that would cause its founders to spin in their graves, the SBC will also fall in line with the new thinking on Israel, both theologically and geopolitically.
I say this as a member of the SBC.
Obviously, folks associate with those of like-mind, and as we see Millennials, their leadership, and their mentors emphasizing social gospel initiatives, ecumenism, and shifting theology, it follows that whole denominations will fall into line with the New Thinking. We can already see this happening where Israel is concerned.
And McLaren isn’t the only liberal/leftist worming his way into the heart of evangelicalism. Palestinian Christian lecturer and networker Sami Awad is now a mainstay in the WillowCreek Association, and is also becoming friendlier by the week with various Christian leaders in the U.S. Bob Roberts Jr. (notice how many Baptist pastors network with the “Glocal” leader) is now claiming to be “pro Israel,” while at the same time helping to mainstream terrorists like Egypt’s Muhammad Morsi.
Let me be very clear: one cannot be “pro Israel” and at the same time mainstream jihadists. It is common for folks like Lynne Hybels to claim to be pro Israel, pro “Palestine,” pro Jesus, etc. In this arena, one can’t have her cake and eat it, too.
Back to the Pentecostals.
A year ago, in Virginia Beach, the Society for Pentecostal Studies co-sponsored a conference at Regent University, in which Awad spoke and his “Little Town of Bethlehem” film was screened for various Pentecostal leaders, including Assemblies of God General Superintendent George O. Wood. All this is an effort by Mart Green and his friends to mainstream Awad and his Palestinian narrative.
Green is the president of Hobby Lobby and while he shuns the spotlight, he is quite a mover behind-the-scenes, financing the filming of “Little Town of Bethlehem,” a visually impressive achievement that is, however, nothing more than Palestinian propaganda. It could be a training film for the PLO.
Paul Alexander, president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and professor of social ethics and public policy at Eastern University, is also co-founder of Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace & Justice. Alexander, among other things, promotes the “With Love from Palestine” documentary. Alexander is an example of the younger, energetic leadership that is transforming support for Israel into support for “Palestine.”
Alexander also serves on the board of Sojourners, the leftist publication headed by Jim Wallis. The latter is another key figure cultivating relationships with evangelical, especially young ones and those in leadership. Wallis’s Sojourners is an opponent of the state of Israel (although they would dispute that, of course). One has only to look through Sojourners to see the leftist tilt and the constant criticism of Israel.
So today what we have is a spiritual stew consisting of traditional enemies of Israel in the mainline churches, and a rapidly growing force among evangelical Millennials.
Sadly, just as evangelical pastoral leadership has failed the country in adequately warning about leftist political forces now in control of our government; they are also largely silent in the face of growing hostility to Israel.
If one looks at the network a typical mega-church pastor enjoys, one will see a plethora of anti-Israel elements. For example, a single pastor might not have Israel on his radar (other than taking the typical Christian tour of the Holy Land), but his friends do. Just as I endorse my friends, many times simply by association, so too do these pastors endorse these infiltrators who are fomenting hostility to Israel.
Much more on this in the coming weeks.
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