DIAPRAX AND THE CHURCH by Robert Klenck

DIAPRAX AND THE CHURCH

Short excerpts from Diaprax and the Church.
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WHAT IS THE CHURCH GROWTH MOVEMENT (CGM)?

The utilization of modern marketing techniques by the church, in order to draw and hold large numbers of people (by meeting their "felt needs"). The church then "converts" them, and "disciples" them through the use of modern organizational management (Total Quality Management‑style) techniques, so that they can effect "change" in the community, and the world. They become agents of social change, or "change agents." (5)

THE ROOTS OF THE CHURCH GROWTH MOVEMENT (CGM)

Pastors:

Three of the most well‑known pastors who are promoting this movement are Dr. Robert H. Schuller, Rev. Bill Hybels, and Dr. Rick Warren. All three of these pastors surveyed their communities, determined the "felt needs" of the community, and patterned their churches accordingly. Pastors Hybels and Warren were influenced by Dr. Schuller's book--Your Church has Real Possibilities, in which Dr. Schuller discussed his surveying, and both readily admit to this influence by Dr. Schuller.* (Pg. 5)

Rick Warren (as he prefers to be called), founded Saddleback Valley Community Church in Mission Viejo, CA after performing a community survey focusing only upon the needs of unbelievers, and he designed his church to meet those needs.* (Pg. 6)

The CGM is based upon a pragmatic approach. "The end justifies the means."

"As long as you are bringing people to Christ, into the fellowship of his family, building them up to maturity, training them for ministry, and sending them out in mission, I like the way you are doing ministry."
- Rick Warren

Firstly, if the people have not been taught all about Christ--not only that He is a God of love, but a righteous judge also, then are they being brought to the Christ of the Bible, or to a false Christ? Secondly, this "discipleship" is discipline to a disciple of the humanist, man‑centered dialectic process. And thirdly, pragmatism is not allowed by the scriptures. Method does matter to God. When Moses did not do as God said, and he smote the rock the second time out of his anger with the children of Israel (rather than speaking to it as God commanded), he suffered dire consequences. As a result of his disobedience, he was not allowed to enter into the promised land. When Uzzah steadied the ark of the covenant with his hand (against the command of God), he was struck dead (2 Samuel 6: 6‑7). (15)

The Book of Revelation, in Chapter 17 warns us about being involved in the ecumenical, one‑world Babylonian church that will be on earth in the very last days. When church leadership is no longer concerned about theology, and is more interested in ecumenism and entrepreneurship, the church is in great danger.(Pg. 18)

It is God who grows the church, not church consultants, or input from people affiliated with large congregations. The pastor's job is to preach and teach the Word of God, not to be the leader (CEO) of a "Teaching Church" that replicates this (TQM) process elsewhere. Preaching and teaching the Word of God and relying upon its sufficiency is what God wants us to do. (Pg. 19)

The United Nations has the agenda of a one‑world government, with the seemingly altruistic goals of: first, "saving the earth" from pollution by industrialized countries; second, to alleviate all social ills such as housing and food shortages, and third, the bringing about of world peace. In order to accomplish these global goals, individual national sovereignties must be abandoned, and there must be a global redistribution of wealth. A strong sense of nationalism impedes progress towards this one‑world government. The actual goal is the creation of a new worldwide feudalism with a new ruling elite. Of course, the Bible tells us who will rule the one‑world government to come--the antichrist. The church has no business getting involved with and even promoting the emergence of the one‑world church, and the one‑world government to come. However, this is exactly what churches involved in the Church Growth Movement (CGM) are doing, whether they realize it or not.(Pg. 20)