The Way of The Organic Church - Appendix

By John Beardsley - August 30, 2011 / Updated October 2011 with added names

Birds of the Feather Gathering Together- The Starlings of The Jesus Manifesto

Here is the rather “Sorted Line up” of 26 43 published endorsers of The Jesus Manifesto, is this going too far to show these endorsements? Or is this part of a group of Birds of the Feather Gathering Together?

These birds I would compare the behavior to that of the invasive European Starlings, they have to thank their fellow species of birds for the nests they steal driving off native species, they mimic other birds, are boisterous, loud, they are hated by farmers and for the mess the awful mess they leave behind everywhere they go.

Compare that spiritually speaking, picking off and devouring the good fruit of the churches replacing the churches (nests) for their way of doing church patting each other on the back, fleecing believers of their funds with their conferences, books and other wares… They leave believers bewildered, dazed and confused with their assorted Emergent, Ecumenical, Organic and Liberal teachings. Need I mention the awful mess they leave behind as they introduce so many into a postmodern paradigm for Christians!?

 Quoting directly from the Jesus Manifesto book site:
“Endorsements by Ed Young, Matt Chandler, Rowan Williams, Jack Hayford, Shane Claiborne, Ed Stetzer, Calvin Miller, Reggie McNeal, Gregory A. Boyd, Mark Batterson, David Fitch, Dan Kimball, Margaret Feinberg, Scot McKnight, Mark Chironna, Francis Frangipane, Todd Hunter, John R. Franke, Alan Hirsch, Chris Seay, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Anne Jackson, Steve Brown, Ken Ulmer, Tommy Barnett, Sally Morgenthaler, and others.”

---- I do not see any notable Bible Believing teachers in that list!!! But check out this flock of Starlings:

Here are just some of the links more will be added this is a work in progress - 

1.  Ed Young

DR. ED YOUNG PROMOTING CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM FOR HIS SOUTHERN BAPTISTS
http://apprising.org/2011/07/14/dr-ed-young-promoting-contemplative-spiritualitymysticism-for-his-southern-baptists/

ED YOUNG, JR SCANDAL CONTINUES
http://apprising.org/2010/04/29/ed-young-jr-scandal-continues/

ED YOUNG, JR PAYS HOMAGE TO JOEL OSTEEN
http://apprising.org/2010/02/19/ed-young-jr-pays-homage-to-joel-osteen/

When Did the Trinity Become Non-Essential Doctrine? by Dave Miller on February 21, 2011 --- Young together with TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer
http://sbcvoices.com/when-did-the-trinity-become-non-essential-doctrine/

2.  Matt Chandler

ACTS 29 PASTOR MATT CHANDLER ON BEING A REFORMED CHARISMATIC
http://apprising.org/2010/05/20/acts-29-pastor-matt-chandler-on-being-a-reformed-charismatic/ (Video part of link)

3.  Rowan Williams

Archbishop - or Arch-heretic? Stone of Triumph - or Stone of Shame?
http://www.thechristianexpositor.org/page118.html

Williams was variously described as a pro-homosexual, yet supporters described him as 'intellectual, radical and holy.'  Williams' was said to be content with the 1998 Lambeth Conference declaration against homosexual unions and the ordination of practicing homosexuals…”

 However is on the record: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowan_Williams#Gay_bishops
“Gay bishops Further information: Homosexuality and Anglicanism

“Though acknowledging that he was simplifying the Church's position, Williams said in September 2010 "There's no problem about a gay person who's a bishop. It's about the fact that there are traditionally, historically, standards that the clergy are expected to observe." Asked what was wrong with a homosexual bishop having a partner, he said: "I think because the scriptural and traditional approach to this doesn't give much ground for being positive about it."[45]””

4.  Jack Hayford

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/hayford/general.htm " Hayford praised Richard Foster for his efforts in bringing together all the streams of the church. (Foster is the head of Renovaré, an international ecumenical organization that espouses the use of guided imagery and visualization as means of obtaining "personal spiritual renewal.")"http://apprising.org/?s=Jack+Hayford&submit=go http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/fprophets.html#jhayford

5.  Shane Claiborne

IS SHANE CLAIBORNE A CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM?
http://apprising.org/2010/09/26/is-shane-claiborne-a-christian-muslim/
"Yeah, unfortunately the Bible just keeps getting in the way of their lovefest with Islam so as Campolo says:

We don’t have to give up trying to convert each other. What we have to do is show respect to one another. And to speak to each other with a sense that even if people don’t convert, they are God’s people,… (Online source)

Ok, we say hi to Humpty Dumpty again; right Tony, we can keep “trying to convert”…um, “God’s people” and…ah, “even if people don’t convert, they are God’s people.” I see it now; after lying awake as I sleep in the light tonight, I can then start my evening tomorrow morning by taking a shower with cool, dry, hot water. Gothcha boys. And as I close this, for now, in the article I just quoted above Claiborne confesses:

When a devout Muslim brother asked Tony and I to have this cross-generational dialogue about interreligious cooperation for an interfaith publication, we jumped on it. (Online source, emphasis mine)

My question is: If Shane Claiborne has a devout Muslim “brother,” does this now make Claiborne himself a Christian-Muslim? I mean, apparently he’s in the process of approaching this in the opposite direction from those alleged hybrid Muslim-Christians, who’re practicing Muslims that supposedly “love  Jesus.” So could it be that, in Shane Claiborne, we’re witnessing a new breed hybrid of Christian-Muslims practicing Christianity but who also love Muhammad?"

6.  Ed Stetzer

http://apprising.org/2010/02/19/curious-associations-ed-stetzer-dan-kimball-and-tim-keller-missionshift/

"Here we find along with Stetzer and Kimball, among “The framers” the further curious association of Reformed pastor Dr. Tim Keller and Alan Hirsch, who’s long been deeply involved with the Emerging/ent/ence Church rebellion against Sola Scriptura. In fact, Hirsch is the author of The Forgotten Ways (TFW) with its foreword by EC theologian Leonard Sweet which, besides Stetzer’s carries the endorsements of EC luminaries like Andrew Jones (aka Tall Skinny Kiwi) as well as Sweet’s good friend, and spiritual twin, Brian McLaren who says of the book:"

Every chapter  has the kind of rich insight and inspiring challenge that we have copme to expect from Alan Hirsch
—Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy and The Story We Find Ourselves In

7.  Calvin Miller

http://apprising.org/2005/10/06/the-twin-pythons-of-deception/  

Life Wide Open has just been republished in a new edition for a new set of readers. Deborah Dombrowski writes:

“In light of the fact that in David Jeremiah’s 2003 book, Life Wide Open, he favorably quotes feminine spiritualist Sue Monk Kidd ( When the Heart Waits), contemplative Calvin Miller (Into the Depths of God), Buddhist sympathizer Peter Senge (The Fifth Discipline), emerging church leader, Erwin McManus, and mystic sympathizer Jim Collins, it may not be any wonder that he has partnered up with Ken Blanchard who is a board member of the Hoffman Quadrinity Process Institute and a participant in the interspiritual, New Age organization, Heartland Circle.” (http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/)

8.  Reggie McNeal

Connected with Leadership Network http://leadnet.org/about/staff-info/reggiemcneal

Tied with Rick Warren Saddleback and Peter Wagner NAR
http://christianaudio.com/fts-the-purposeful-church-download-rick-warren-john-maxwell-peter-wagner-reggie-mcneal

The Collapse of the Church Culture By Reggie McNeal
http://www.lutheranrenewal.org/archives/feb2005/newsletter_1.html

And showing a touch of the contemplative and very strong connections with the church growth movement teachings and George Barna:
"Reggie McNeal is scheduled to appear in the SED to promote his new Mission/Kingdom presentation in front of SED leaders. The ironic and insane thing is that Reggie is now sales pitching that “Lifestyle Evangelism/Club Membership” was a failure because of member works righteousness ‘burn out’. Now he’s pushing a softer ‘people development’ healthy alternative—contemplative and Missional.  This is insane because it is he and other Third Party Experts, that sold that failed idea to the LCMS in the first place and the LCMS leadership ..." http://www.roguelutheran.com/RL/Home/Entries/2010/4/19_Wheat_Ridge_Ministries_Part_2-separating_the_wheat_from_the_shaft_&_how_the_SE_District_morphed_into_Progressivism_as_evidenced_by_the_Wellspring_Conference_Center..html

Reconnected to many of the names here:
http://www.liveintentionally.org/2009/09/08/the-nines-free-online-leadership-conferenc/

9.  Gregory A. Boyd

http://apprising.org/2008/12/12/greg-boyd-heretic/

“Open theist Greg Boyd is not only gaining increasing popularity within the nearly comatose spiritually evangelical community but he’s especially soothing to the itching ears in the postliberal cult of the Emergent Church This is evidenced by e.g. Rob Bell having Boyd come speak at his Mars Hill Bible Church.”

10.  Mark Batterson

And a Google search reveals a bit of a mystic/contemplative bent: In his book, ID: The True You uses the mystics like many of the others here on page 54, while discussing that "Life is an eternal quest to discover who God is" and how we learn more about God over time with a nice quote by AW Tozer for legitimacy departs the Biblical and quotes the mystic Saint Teresa of Avila, "As I see it, we shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God."

But if that is not enough he uses Richard Foster well known in the area shall I say 'modern mysticism', emergent work and more! Batterson use him as a positive reference tying himself in with the rest of these nasty birds. ID: The True You pages 41, 108 or how about using Brian McLaren too? Pages 167 and 170... this is the only book I looked at and it didn't take long to see who he flies with!

No stranger to questions either going unanswered: http://apprising.org/2010/01/02/the-comments-that-mark-batterson-doesn%E2%80%99t-want-you-to-see/

11. David Fitch

http://apprising.org/2010/04/04/why-evangelicalism-is-failing-a-new-generation-as-is-the-emerging-church/  Ties back with Stetzer with his Missional stuff... And on his own site links to some of the usuals copied directly from http://www.reclaimingthemission.com/about-david-fitch/ 

12. Dan Kimball

http://apprising.org/2011/01/01/dan-kimball-of-the-emerging-church-and-lectio-divina/

"What’s wrong with that would be: This isn’t even Lectio Divina in the first place. The fact is, Dan Kimball is the one who writes promoting Lectio Divina, and then with no disclaimer in his teachings, he turns around and redefines what it is. Therefore, Kimball is the one who is taking things out of context, and not discernment people criticizing this practice of Counter Reformation spirituality, which I pointed out in Spread Of Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism: Lectio Divina most certainly does involve Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP)—meditation in an altered state of consciousness—the main vehicle of CSM aka “silence.” You see, this practice of antibiblical ascetism—and all the so-called spritual disciplines—would flower in the monastic traditions of apostate Roman Catholicism; i.e. this contributed to why the Lord would send His Reformers in the first place to bring us back to His Word."

13. Margaret Feinberg

Positive review of Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis
http://www.faithfulreader.com/reviews/031026345X.asp

Ties back to others
http://originsproject.org/about-origins/

 A Contemplative Teacher – The Sacred Echo
“With renewed verve, I began studying contemplative prayer, centering prayer, and Scripture prayer. I tried praying standing up, sitting down, and lying on the floor. I committed to praying early in the morning before work, .” The Sacred Echo: Hearing God's Voice in Every Area of Your Life - Page 16

http://books.google.com/books?id=5yzeqXsRyO0C&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=Margaret+Feinberg+contemplative&source=bl&ots=kEZZwtUfLV&sig=DJLNjJJ6lai_uA1RH3kCs4gSvAA&hl=en&ei=2eRaTvKeF8nv0gGE3smUCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

14.  Scot McKnight - also recently endorsed book by the other endorser Fitch here... http://apprising.org/2011/01/02/ecumenical-apologetics-weekend-of-rick-warren/

 

Really; “five of the world’s leading authorities” concerning the life of our Creator? *cough* Well, for now let’s leave aside Scot McKnight, a theologian well respected within the sinfully ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church,..."

15. Mark Chironna -  part of wacky Elijah List and Dominion link and other ties to Viola and Sweet

Destiny-Driven Dominionism
http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/07/destiny-driven-dominionism.html

 http://apprising.org/2010/10/17/rick-warren-dr-laverne-adams-and-dr-mark-chironna/
"As Steve Lumbley of the fine online apologetics and discernment ministry Apostasy Watch points out concerning Mark Chironna, he is part of “the TBN lineup of apostate preachers”

16. Francis Frangipane

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/newapostolic.html#ffrangepane

“Francis Frangipane's church has been involved in the laughter movement for a number of years and has written several books. Lighthouses of Prayer Quote from this page: ""God has entrusted us to fill His plans and purposes for reaching our cities for Him. He has called, chosen, and commissioned us to conquer our city". I see nothing in scripture about conquering cities. Christ said his kingdom is not of this world. We are to preach the gospel and disciple people. Francis goes on to say - "That's not too far-fetched to imagine. It's happened in past revivals and it's happening in cities today. In Resistencia, Argentina, (population 400,000) Ed Silvoso and his team joined forces with many of the pastors, incorporating prayer evangelism of an entire city! (Note: This is linked to the laughter/dominionist movement - see also http://www.generals.org/).”

17. Todd Hunter

https://mkayla.wordpress.com/tag/todd-hunter/  Regarding an interview with Frank Viola this blog makes the connections for us: (more detail in link) “So Todd goes – Calvary Chapel, Vineyard, Alpha Course, “Missio”, THEN claims a call to Anglican Bishop.  Not to mention the influence in his life from Richard Foster and Dallas Willard! Do they ever stop and take a look at this change in the path objectively? There is a definitive falling away going on here.”

18. John R. Franke - also an endorser to Fitch's latest work another endorser here propping up the work of each other

http://apprising.org/2011/06/30/we-know-more-of-the-bible-than-you-may-think/

 I know it’s not fashionable to use “proof texts” today in our postmodern culture that sees itself as so advanced in our thinking; indeed just *ahem* think,  now we will readily agree that there is no such thing as an absolute truth. The reason EC philoso-theologians like John Franke tell us is because no one can ever really know anything for sure as truth is an “irreducible plurality.” John Franke, Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2009]

19. Alan Hirsch

http://apprising.org/2011/07/29/erik-dykstra-and-the-crossing-church/

"Jeremy Roghan now continues by testifying that even non-believers were allowed to be pastors at TCC:

There was a young man named Jeremy who was on our FIT team.  He was a seeker who started going to The Crossing.  One week he took me aside and told me that he was planning on moving to Florida and did not think that he “buys” into this Jesus thing.

The following week, he was running around telling everyone that he was now going to become the next “campus pastor”.  I asked my leader what was going on, and how that it Biblical, he said that Eric thinks that Jeremy H. needs to be challenged to push him along in faith.
(Online source)

Before you’re tempted to write this off, consider that the PD/SS sector believes in what they call pre-conversion discipleship; yes, you read that right. Consider the following from emerging missiologist Alan Hirsch:

we need to reframe evangelism within the context of discipleship…even “the Twelve” (and “the Seventy”) were all what we would call “pre-conversion disciples.”"

http://apprising.org/2011/01/16/mark-driscoll-acts-29-network-the-emerging-church/  
Emerging Incarnational, concerned with structural revision within the church. Downplay large group worship and like house church. Alan Hirsch, Lance Ford, Bob Hyatt, Neil Cole, Jonathon Cambell. (Online source, emphasis his)"

20. Chris Seay

http://apprising.org/2010/11/20/dan-kimball-on-the-record/  Doug Pagitt, McLaren, and others such as Chris Seay, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, and Andrew Jones stayed together and continued speaking and writing together as friends.

21. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

http://apprising.org/2011/06/30/in-touch-magazine-of-charles-stanley-promoting-contemplative-new-monasticism/
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a writer, speaker, and activist who is a leader in the “New Monastic” movement. He lives in North Carolina at the Rutba House, a new monastic community.

 See for yourself from his site: Author, Speaker and New Monastic for more on why this is something to beware of many articles here on the Christian Research Network: http://christianresearchnetwork.com/?cat=227

22.  Anne Jackson

Haven’t heard of her but will let the endorsements speak for themselves http://www.permissiontospeakfreely.com/endorsements/
Endorsements from Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz), Shane Claiborne, Dan Kimball, c-rockers Charlie Lowell and Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay, Craig Gross Pastor, XXXchurch.com,

23.  Steve Brown - http://stevebrownetc.com/ clearly a friend to Tony Campolo http://stevebrownetc.com/our-favorite-lib/  and others friendly to the homosexual movement finding ways into the church

 http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/02/steve-browns-grace-in-church-course-at.html
“Brown says people should burn Dave Hunt's book that criticizes Richard Foster (because Foster is a hero of Brown's); and he told a whole audience to burn John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus — when he hadn't even read it! So Hunt's bad, MacArthur's bad, yet....”

 And one other quote fitting this same site: “Brown frequently speaks of how much insight he's gotten from this or that Roman Catholic or otherwise heretical writer, on various aspects of Christian living.”

24.  Ken Ulmer

http://apprising.org/2011/08/20/adrian-rogers-preaching-symposium-dr-philip-davis/
I filled you in on the non-gospel preached by United Methodist Church minister Leonard Sweet, a leading theologian who helped shape the Emerging Church, in the aforementioned Leonard Sweet Set For Adrian Rogers Preaching Symposium. “Bishop” Kenneth Ulmer is:

 … the Senior Pastor-Teacher of Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, California…[and] the Presiding Bishop over the Macedonia International Bible Fellowship,… (Online source) Ulmer is also a well known figure in the heretical Word Faith (WF) movement; unfortunately the video and audio is out of sync, but you’ll still hear Ulmer with classic WF fare including supposedly receiving direct revelation from God and claiming to speak things into existence:

http://apprising.org/2006/12/28/faith-forward-straight-into-the-worship-of-man/
Also representing the dominion theology of the “King’s Kids” in the Word Faith Church section of the ECoD is another “Bishop” called Kenneth Ulmer senior pastor of Faithful Central Bible Church where they’re “building champions for divine deployment.” FFF informs us Ulmer “will share lessons he’s learned from the expanding urban ministry of Los Angeles’ Faithful Central Bible Church, which purchased the Great Western Forum for its 20,000+ congregation…[and] discuss how churches can usher in social and economic change in metropolitan areas.” Well, if we’re not going to preach the actual Gospel of Jesus Christ our demonically deployed champions might as well make those poor souls comfortable before they’re off to an eternity in Hell.

25. Tommy Barnett –

http://www.dreamcenter.org/about-us/founders/ 
“Is the Senior Pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in America, Phoenix First Assembly of God, in Phoenix, Arizona. The church is known as The Church with a Heart, because of its 260 outreach ministries.” In September 1994, Tommy Barnett, with his son Matthew Barnett, launched the Los Angeles Dream Center as a home missions project. --- Wonder if they know what he endorsed! Does not appear to fit the typical Jesus Manifesto endorsers… Well except using a number of female pastors in one conference listed.  From a site no friend of ours researching the New Apostolic Reformation and the wacky Religious Right of C Peter Wagner and Jack Hayford I found the Jesus Manifesto endorser Pastor Tommy Barnett mentioned with a bit of interesting history. http://www.talk2action.org/story/2010/3/6/95620/29842 “The Master's Commission programs were also initiated in 1985 by Tommy Barnett [Jesus Manifesto endorser] at his Phoenix Assembly of God.  This is now an international program for post-high school students with a curriculum in discipleship, evangelism, and spiritual warfare.  In June 2008 Sarah Palin was the keynote speaker at the Master's Commission graduation ceremony at the Wasilla Assembly of God.  At the end of the ceremony the graduates were given samurai swords.

The Wasilla Assembly of God subsequently partnered with the Alaska Assemblies of God District Council to open Alaska's first Dream Center.”  “Spiritual mapping and associated spiritual warfare techniques were pioneered and introduced into the evangelical world as a way to "take territory" by C. Peter Wagner, Ed Silvoso, Cindy Jacobs, Ted Haggard, and Harold Caballeros. George Otis, Jr., producer of the Transformations series of movies, and Youth With A Mission's John Dawson are considered the authors of the definitive texts on spiritual mapping and spiritual warfare for taking control of cities.” “… The book includes a section on essentials for spiritual warfare by C. Peter Wagner and also includes "citywide strategies" from Ed Silvoso, Tony Evans, pollster George Barna (also featured in one of the Transformations movies), George Otis, Jr., and Paul Cedar, head of Mission America Coalition. (Barna – Pagan Christianity with Viola) For those of you looking to understanding more of the “Spiritual Mapping,” ties to some of today’s politicians and more here are some links to show just how dangerous this is to your spiritual welfare!

Divorcing Baal - Part 1: Divorce and Remarriage, Political Dominion Style
http://herescope.blogspot.com/search?q=spiritual+mapping

Jack Hayford And C. Peter Wagner On Spiritual Mapping
http://apprising.org/2011/08/27/jack-hayford-and-c-peter-wagner-on-spiritual-mapping/ - some really bizarre stuff with video!

26. Sally Morgenthaler

http://apprising.org/2010/12/29/the-emerging-church-and-evolutionary-christianity/
“You’ll see them refer to this as “transformation,” which quite literally means one will see reality in a new way. Earlier in Doug Pagitt Agrees With Evolutionary Evangelist Michael Dowd I explained to you why this CSM was so important to the EC’s evil agenda to penetrate the mainstream as its forebears in the original Cult of Liberal Theology once did the mainline. You see, mysticism is perfectly suited to the philosophy of postmoderism that now dominates much of this caprious culture in which we find ourselves; you see, as with neo-orthodoxy ala Karl Barth, postmodernism is “anti-logical” and “embraces Paradox”[1] while its deconstructionists viciously attack rational thought with what’s commonly known as irrational philosophy:

    Irrational philosophies accordingly stress the will at the expense of reason, as exemplified in the existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre or Karl Jaspers. (Online source) Now you have the background you need to understand why Ingrid Schlueter would write Emergent Church Leaders Promote Evolutionary Spirituality. Today Schlueter brings out: 

Emergent Church leaders Sally Morgenthaler, Spencer Burke, Doug Pagitt and Brian McLaren are joining “Evolutionary Evangelist” Michael Dowd in the promotion of evolutionary spirituality, long taught by leading New Age gurus like Barbara Marx Hubbard.” 

---

And there are more endorsers on the site since I put this article up in September! A few notables along the way but to endorse The Jesus Manifesto shows a tremendous lack of discernment or ignorance to what we have exposed in it: