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The Right Direction?

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The Right Direction? THE RIGHT DIRECTION? An examination of where the New Evangelical policy of no separation from those associated with error and apostasy has led the theological college WEST. R. E. Palgrave This article can also be found on the Bible League Quarterly website: http://www.bibleleaguetrust.org for easier access to the links referenced in this document. It was the policy of the British Evangelical Council (BEC) and Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones not to engage in church-level fellowship with evangelicals remaining in the ‘mixed denominations.’1 Individual churches, evangelical or otherwise, in denominations belonging to the World Council of Churches (WCC) were excluded from membership of the BEC. The BEC Official Statement: Attitude to Ecumenicity2 was clear on its policy that it would not accept into membership churches belonging to the Ecumenical Movement as to do so would compromise the Gospel and blur the distinction between truth and error.3 In 2004 the BEC became Affinity and its new ‘Director,’ Jonathan Stephen, made it clear that he intended to ‘develop the Anglican dimension’ within Affinity.4 This has resulted in Affinity taking churches into membership which belong to the Church of England. Furthermore, churches belonging to other mixed denominations, such as the Baptist Union, have been permitted to join Affinity.5 In addition to his position as ‘Director’ of Affinity, Jonathan Stephen became the Principal of Wales Evangelical School of Theology (WEST) in 2006.6 WEST is a theological college in South Wales for those entering the Christian ministry. As stated on the history pages of the WEST website,7 it began in 1936 as the Barry School of Evangelism or Barry Bible College and was evangelical in its theology. In the 1960s Rev. John Waite became the Principal and the College became Reformed. In 1985 the College became known as the Evangelical Theological College of Wales (ETCW) and Dr. Eryl Davies became the Principal. Under Dr. Eryl Davies the College introduced degrees validated by secular universities. In 2005 Dr. Davies stepped down as Principal but he continues to take an active role in the College as Research Supervisor. In appointing Jonathan Stephen as Principal the College willingly opened the door to his non-separating policies. His views were known to the College because of his proposed Essentially Evangelical8 organisation and the direction in which he had publically confirmed that he would take Affinity.9 In a leaflet produced by Wales Evangelical School of Theology (WEST) entitled The Right Direction Jonathan Stephen made the following statement: ‘I rejoice in the increasing partnership between Reformed Anglican and Free churches and, as Director of Affinity, will continue to promote it. But if biblical non-conformity should short- sightedly refuse to support and invest in its own training institutions, then it will soon discover that it has colluded in its own demise.’ 10 1 The term ‘mixed denominations’ refers to denominations that are largely teaching error but where a number of evangelicals choose to remain. 2 British Evangelical Council Official Statement: Attitude to Ecumenicity (BEC Newsletter, June, 1968). 3 See R. E. Palgrave They Have Forgotten… (Unity in Truth Literature, 2012). Tel: 07967 118852 or email [email protected] 4 Jonathan Stephen speaking at the launch of Affinity as reported in the article entitled To Affinity and Beyond by John Benton (Evangelicals Now, May, 2004). 5 Affinity (Issue 6, 2006, No.2). 6 http://www.west.org.uk/history/ 7 Ibid. 8 Essentially Evangelical was Jonathan Stephen’s proposed network of Free Church and Anglican Christians together. See Rev. Geoff Thomas’ article: http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?646 9 John Benton To Affinity and Beyond (Evangelicals Now, May, 2004). 10 This quotation from Jonathan Stephen used to appear on the WEST website http://www.west.org.uk/Home/Why- WEST However, it was removed from the site at the end of December, 2012. 1 As this article will show, however, it is the New Evangelical, unbiblical and non-separatist organisations that are prepared to associate with error and apostasy, which are colluding in their own spiritual demise and, sadly, the spiritual demise of all who blindly follow them. WEST’S ALLIANCE WITH THE SARANG COMMUNITY CHURCH SaRang Community Church is a Presbyterian Church in Seoul, Korea, with about 80,000 members.11 It was founded in 1978 by Pastor Han Hum Oak. In 2003 Pastor Oak announced his retirement and named Jung-Hyun Oh as the new pastor.12 Pastor Oh13 has been described as ‘a very distinguished missions strategist and administrator.’14 As Jonathan Stephen reported in Evangelicals Now,15 links were established in 2007 between WEST and the SaRang Community Church through one of WEST’s Korean students. The SaRang megachurch was eager to extend its mission to Europe and had an interest in Wales due to the fact that the Welshman Robert Jermain Thomas (1839-1866) was one of the early Christian missionaries to Korea. Furthermore, the WEST Council saw that the Korean megachurch could provide the financial help they required: ‘They realised that they themselves were not in a position to project the School to the next level — to build the internationally recognised centre for theological learning and training for ministry they were praying for. They saw that SaRang were prepared to invest substantially in the School and could secure its development. They understood that good stewardship on SaRang’s part demanded that they should acquire a large stake in the formation of a new Board. They agreed that the baton needed to be passed on.’16 When a church or Christian organisation contemplates a possible future partnership with other churches or groups, it is vital that they thoroughly examine the theology and practice of potential partners to ensure that they are Biblically sound and are not involved in any sort of spiritual compromise. As we shall see, long before 2007 the SaRang Community Church had links with both the Charismatic/mystical occult teacher Paul (David) Yonggi Cho and Rick Warren, author of the famous bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life. Tragically, however, the partnership went ahead. According to the Evangelicals Now article referred to above, in October 2008 Jonathan Stephen and Peter Milsom, the WEST Council Chairman (and current Director of Affinity),17 attended the 30th anniversary celebrations of SaRang. Further negotiations then took place in spite of difficulties which were arising in Seoul relating to a controversial building project that the megachurch was undertaking.18 Jonathan Stephen reported that at the end of February 2011: ‘Peter [Milsom], Sungho19 and I returned to Seoul — together this time with Graham John, a longstanding Council member who is continuing on the new Board — for the formal signing of the papers that would seal our gospel partnership.’20 11 http://english.sarang.org/ (‘History’ page). According to the SaRang Church website the 80,000 members consist of 9,000 children, 31,000 young adults and 40,000 adults. 12 See Wikipedia and the SaRang Church website: http://english.sarang.org/ 13 Pastor Jung-Hyun Oh is referred to as ‘Pastor John Oh’ by Jonathan Stephen. 14 Joining the Holy Spirit Movement with Discipleship Training http://www.davidcho.com/Neweng/news- event/2001-06-16-2.asp 15 Jonathan Stephen East Meets WEST (Evangelicals Now, May 2011). http://e-n.org.uk/p-5454-East-meets- WEST.htm 16 Ibid. 17 Rev. Peter Milsom has continued Affinity along the same lines as Jonathan Stephen. ‘…we do not require a church to have actually seceded from their denomination in order to join Affinity. We recognize that some churches believe that they should continue to witness actively to the truth within their denominations…’ http://exiledpreacher.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/interview-with-affinity-director-peter.html 18 Church Proceeds With Construction Despite Controversy (Korea Times, 20th January, 2010). http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2011/04/135_59372.html 19 Sungho Choi was a Korean PhD student studying at WEST in 2007. 20 Jonathan Stephen, op. cit. (See picture at: http://news.sarang.org/unron/unron_view.asp?db_idx=1482&section=W007 ). 2 Following the alliance with SaRang, Pastor Oh took over as the new Chancellor of WEST, replacing Peter Milsom.21 According to a letter from the WEST Chairman22 and published company information,23 the new WEST board consists of the following members: Rev. Sam Ko24 (Chairman of the Board), Mr. Chul Ki Ju,25 Mr. Hee Keun Kang,26 Rev. Myung-Ho Kim,27 Mrs. Sung-Joo Kim,28 Rev. Graham John,29 Mr. John Stevens,30 Dr. John Temple,31 Mr. Wyn Thomas,32 and Mr Lindsay Brown, International Director of the Lausanne Movement. It is surprising that the College should wish to associate with the Lausanne Movement as it is ecumenically compromised. At the Third Lausanne Congress in 2010, for example, the head of the World Council of Churches33 was invited to address the Congress.34 SARANG’S RELATIONS WITH DAVID YONGGI CHO David (formerly Paul) Yonggi Cho35 is one of the most influential Charismatic preachers alive today, and Emeritus Pastor (formerly Senior Pastor) of the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, the world’s largest church with about a million members. He claims that he received the call to preach directly from Jesus Christ, who he says appeared to him dressed like a fireman.36 David Yonggi Cho emphasises the gift of tongues, divine healing and the importance of the ‘cell-group ministry,’ for which he has appointed 50,000 leaders, 47,000 of them being female,37 contrary to the teaching in 1 Timothy 2. He is a proponent of the influential Charismatic Word-Faith38 New Age teaching which says that the believer is God and Christ39 and that faith is a creative force that can be used to shape one’s own world, a common occult and New Age belief.40 He teaches that the ‘third dimension’ is the material world, while the ‘fourth dimension’ is the spiritual world, and that one can influence the third dimension.
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