Contents
Problems with Calvary Chapel Movement
Problems with Calvary Chapel Movement
By David Cox
The Calvary Chapel movement was built around Chuck Smith, now deceased. The CC movement was built around this pastor, and there are over 1500 churches related to Smith’s church. The movement is very strong in believing in the inspiration of Scripture.
Non-Cessationist position
The principal thing that I see wrong from the beginning is that they do not believe in the cessation of spiritual gifts. So essentially they are still within the Pentecostal mindset. Chuck Smith came out of the Pentecostal movement by the way.
Ecumenicalism
min 50 – One of their leaders works closely with Billy Graham organization.
min 33 – Denounces Emergent Church as being liberal. (Good!)
min 37 – Speaks well of Billy Graham.
Spiritual Abuse
A good amount of research put forth.
Why so many are departing Calvary Chapel Movement?
Rock Music as new worship Style
I got this from http://www.understandthetimes.org/cotd/videocotd28.shtml
Many who attended Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in the past under the leadership of Pastor Chuck Smith are wondering what changes to expect now that a new generation is at the helm. The following video clip of “worship” at the Cornwall, England Creationfest in the summer of 2013 sanctioned by the new leadership of CCCM should provide a clear answer to that question.
This proves that you can put Christian words of a hymn to trash Rock music and it is still trashy Rock music! The amazing thing about this video is that people actually think this is worship?????
CC view towards Islam
http://www.letusreason.org/ecumen26.htm
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/search9.html
http://www.modernpulpit.com/2009/04/10/why-i-left-calvary-chapel-a-non-denominational-denomination/
Burroughs Gospel Worship 14 chapters (263 pages) which are each a sermon on how to properly worship God. (format PDF)
“Jeremiah Burroughs’ Gospel Worship has greatly influenced my understanding of biblical worship. It is one of the most important books I have ever read.”
–R.C. Sproul
Download: Burroughs Gospel Worship.
Why do you have a video with Bob Coy? He is a heretic, adulterer and known pedophile!
I went to Bob Coys church. He taught us to NOT put the pastor on a pedestal. I never heard of any pedophile allegations. Your evidence please?
Hi Lynn,
I posted this some time back, so I reread what I wrote. I do not see any reference to pedophile allegations in my post. Can you explain your question so we are on the same page? You bring in an accusation that I did not make, and then want me to defend that accusation. huh?
Concerning “putting the pastor on a pedestal”, let me just say a few things. I am a pastor of 30+ years, so I am not speaking from ignorance or from having a gripe against any pastor. I have “been my own pastor,” taking that responsibility since about 1986. While I am conscious of the responsibilities that fall to us as pastors, I am not ignorant of abuses of my fellow pastors. These abuses come with the territory, and EVERY pastor has to contend with the desire and temptation to become overbearing as his people are fed by the Word of God at his hand, and he has the opportunity to become overbearing for evil. I am going to try to be precise with my words here.
Every ministry is a factor or function of the people leading it, and to a degree those in that movement or ministry, as lay people. They pay the bills mostly. There is a tendency to exalt “YOUR” pastor over all others. I understand that. That would be “normal” to me, because why would you go to that church if across town there is a better church, better preaching, better pastor, etc. I also understand that not everybody is the same (thank God for that) and some people are rubbed raw with some types of things while others love it. If you don’t believe me, just go to a good country church one Sunday, and then a high society and sophisticated church in the city the next and you will wonder why those people are there (hard to justify in our minds extreme opposites it would seem). Okay.
But there are signs of a wolf, and signs of a shepherd. A wolf controls everything and everybody. A good pastor understands the priesthood of every believer (and teaches that and allows that in his ministry), and that right and privilege that God endows every believer to make the final decisions in his own life. The wolf would shy away from that and tend to teach and create an atmosphere of control and checking everything with “your spiritual authority” or your spiritual leaders. (Watchman Nee wrote a whole book on the submission of laypeople to their pastor, what a topic for a wolf pastor!) We are to teach the flock to do the work of God, so having taught the biblical principles, we simply let them go and do their thing. It is like livestock. The farmer or rancher doesn’t micromanage their reproduction. He just lets them do their own thing, and they will reproduce naturally. If they are sick and weak, he treats that and again, let them do their thing afterwards. Salvation works. We muck up things.
Somehow some pastors that have a tendency towards being a wolf or super controlling wants to micro-manage the lives of his members. This is bad. We need to teach our members to compare everything in their spiritual lives and church life to Scripture, and recognize and reject what is not biblical. That is my position.
I have seen people in the Calvary movement. And as with a lot of groups that are not the best (I am still looking for the best and cannot find it) there are good people in there. So I am not denying that. But you must look at tendencies, and be aware and beware when these tendencies go extreme. Like a frog in a kettle of cold water over the fire, you never see it coming until you are boiled! So mark the signs, and meditate on them. That is my point.
They are a liberal cult
David Cox: I did not realize that there were specific rules for music worship other than the desire to express genuine adoration of God from the heart of the musician and the worshiper. Even though that type of music would not resonate with me, I think that God is more capable of determining what is true worship than humans are. I’ll leave it to him.
To Ray: That is a troubling statement coming from someone whom I suspect has no first hand knowledge of what Calvary Chapel really is.
BTW, ANY church has flaws- the worshippers, the staff and the pastors still remain all sinners saved by grace. If the biblical teaching is sound-That’s good enough for me and I can make my own discerning decidions regarding all the other stuff.
What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It positively helpful and it has aided me out loads. I am hoping to contribute & assist other users like its aided me. Good job.
Great post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Very useful info specially the last part 🙂 I care for such info a lot. I was looking for this certain information for a long time. Thank you and good luck.