Museum of the Bible
Commentary
by Sandy Simpson, 1/3/18
Let me start out by stating that I am all in favor of a museum that
shows the historicity of the Bible. If
it weren’t for some of the people involved this would be a valuable
resource. But I don't support giving
credibility to Rick Warren and his friends in support of the Museum of the
Bible. Warren has become the de facto
spokesman for this effort. It is great
they are featuring texts and archeological information about the Bible. But
I believe Warren is doing this to set himself up as an authority on the Bible
when he is actually guilty, on many counts, of not only disobeying it but of
twisting it out of all recognition. False teachers and those who hang
with them are constantly on the lookout for projects that will legitimize them
and make them look like they are biblical leaders in Christendom people should
follow. But true biblical leaders are those who do not teach heresy and do not stand up for false
prophesies. Though the Museum of the
Bible could do a world of good for those lacking an understanding of the Bible
and its place in history, it is also propping up some questionable “Christians”
who are behind it and those compromisers who stand with them.
A little history on
Warren
Rick Warren supports and profits from an unbiblical church growth
methodology he got from his mentor C. Peter Wagner, as well as unsound advice
in his books. His P.E.A.C.E. plan was a lie where he claimed Saddleback
and associates were going to “solve” a number of issues like hunger, lack of
education, disease, etc. He has repeatedly been disingenuous about the
popularity of his books, presented his church growth tactics to Catholics,
Mormons, Jews, etc., used the demonically inspired ideas of Carl Jung as one
basis for his church growth methodology, removed his statement of faith (such
as it was) from the Saddleback site when it came under attack, supports
Catholics and Protestants together movements, called for Muslims, Jews and
Christians to stand together in their "Abrahamic
faiths" and claims we all pray to the same "God", worked with globalist
Tony Blair and supported him for a "peace prize", basically supports
the concept of "Chrislam" (the attempt to
meld together Christianity and Islam), continues to work with Catholics and the
pope on a number of issues also stating "We all love Jesus Christ",
has spoken at a papal mass, and so forth. Following are a number of
articles on Warren.
Niche Marketing, Audience-Driven, Full Service Churches: How We Got Here? by Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Volume
8, No. 1, January/February 2003
Proponents of Willow-Creek Seeker
Sensitive evangelism and the wider public have little knowledge of the
historical genealogy of this movement. Most simply assume that George Barna and associates originated the marketing model now
employed widely in seeker sensitive evangelism. Barna,
however, is a late-comer, who actually adapted and expanded ideas that had been
earlier discovered by Robert Schuller.
The Market-Driven Church by Gary Gilley, 6/00
While we will examine the writing of
various individuals who speak for the market-driven movement, we will focus
often on the two flagship churches: Saddleback Valley Community Church in
Orange County, California, and Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago.
These churches serve as the models that are reshaping the way we "do
church" today. As a matter of fact, many refer to these churches and their
clones as "new paradigm churches." Churches all over the world, even
those who would claim to reject the church growth movement, are imitating the
many methods promoted by Saddleback and the "Creekers." Others have
written about church growth, but these two churches have made it work, and for
their success they are idolized and adored by the modern evangelical
community. Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
The Purpose Driven Life - An Evaluation by Gary Gilley, 11/03
A two-part evaluation of the popular book by
Rick Warren. Read Part 1, and Part 2.
Critique of the "Seeker-Sensitive,
Purpose-Driven" Church Method by Pastor Dan Norcini,
Copyright 1999 Sovereign Grace Bible Church
These early Christians knew what to
expect for confessing Jesus Christ before men. They knew the price they paid
would be dear but they possessed something which made all of their tribulations
seem light and momentary (2Cor 4:17) genuine faith working through genuinely
fervent love for the person of Jesus, who had loved them and given Himself for
them. Can the same be said of any of the converts of this system? Time and the
providence of God will tell. 10 part series.
The Church Growth Movement - An Analysis of
Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven" Church Growth Strategy by by Dennis Costella,
FOUNDATION Magazine, March-April 1998
AFTER PERSONALLY covering the
Saddleback Community Church "Building a Purpose-Driven Church"
seminar held in Southern California this past January, it became clear to me
that some of today's most influential religious leaders misunderstand and
misrepresent the true purpose of the church today.
The Book of Numbers - Rick Warren's
purpose-driven attack on American Christianity by Chris Lehmann, MSN Culturebox,
Posted Monday, March 17, 2003, at 11:33 AM PT
This, rather than the abundance of
marketing techniques and showman gimmicks that inflect Warren's style of
self-presentation, is the most troubling feature of Warren's purpose-driven
approach. It has historically been the nature of the Christian God to be
something of an unstinting task master. Warren's God "wants to be your
best friend." And this means, in turn, that God's most daunting property,
the exercise of eternal judgment, is strategically downsized. When Warren turns
his utility-minded feel-speak upon the symbolic iconography of the faith, the
results are offensively bathetic: "When Jesus stretched his arms wide on
the cross, he was saying, 'I love you this much.' " But
God needs to be at a greater remove than a group hug. Surely we lose something
if we apprehend the Bible, and the language of faith, as little more than a
lesson book. "If you're not preaching life application," Warren has
told one interviewer, "you're not really preaching." Yet if you're only believing in life application, what are you
really believing?
Rick Warren Connections - especially to the ecumenical Third Wave New
Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and "Positive Thinking" Movement compiled by Sandy Simpson, 1/04
Connections of Rick Warren to the Third Wave and Schuller.
The Church Growth Movement by James Sundquist, 5/03
Three part series on the Church Growth
Movement, Bill Hybels and Rick Warren.
Biblical Christianity or the Church of
Laodicea?
Carl Jung's Influence on the Church
Influence of Carl Jung on the Church Part II
Recognizing Deception & Apostasy - Chapter 8, The Church Growth Movement
by Dene McGriff
In the next chapters, we are going to
discuss several major movements in evangelical Christianity: The “Meta Church” and then the “Cell Church” Movement, followed by a
discussion of the Apostles and Prophets Movement. If we are in the “last days”, one would expect some
very good counterfeits. The Meta Church, also know
as “The Purpose Driven Church” or “Seeker Friendly Church” represents an extremely
successful movement in terms of church growth.
Rick Warren & The Church Growth Movement by Mike Oppenheimer
A number of articles on Rick Warren
and his "purpose driven" agenda.
Community Connections - About Rick Warrens associations and
endorsements (read this first before you read anything else on Warren)
Growing a
Purpose Driven Church - Background
and history -what is this all about?
Rick Warrens
Global Peace Plan - Is
this a solution to the world’s problems?
The seeker
friendly church - A
new way of doing Church to reach the 21st century population
The Purpose
Driven Life - Book
review on what some have overlooked is being said.
Hank Hanegraaf
& CRI Continue To Endorse Rick Warren by Sandy Simpson,
1/30/04
We can no longer support CRI if they continue to endorse Rick Warren and his
"purpose-driven" agenda and teachings.
Lifting Sails Or Revving Outboard Motors
by Orrel Steincamp, The Plumbline, Volume 9, No. 1, January/February 2004
In New Testament evangelism the wind
of the Spirit always blows in concert with the message of the cross. In
the apostolic record true evangelism--the authentic message of Christ's death
and resurrection--was not only Spirit-directed but Spirit-attended. In
Paul's systematic description of the Gospel in Romans, we find the content of
the Gospel he preached. He did not just refer to the cross in passing,
but he explained the Gospel, giving a detailed account of what Jesus
accomplished at the cross. It was this message that Paul relied on, this
message that Paul was confident the Spirit of God would endorse. The
cross in New Testament preaching is always presented in the context of man's
sin and presented as the only
remedy for man's sin. There is absolutely no reliance on any other attraction to
draw people to Christ. Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures. This is the purpose of Christ's death on the cross. He
paid the penalty for man's sin--it was finished at the cross. This is the
Gospel; the New Testament suggests no other purpose for Christ's death and
resurrection. In stark contrast New Paradigm churches focus more on the cross
as a source of resolving a whole host of personal problems. This is not
to deny that God does, according to His will, often resolve many personal
problems, but this is a by-product of Ms grace in our
lives.
The Vanishing Gospel by Dave Hunt, The Berean
Call Newlsetter, 2/04
And to attract those thus corrupted,
many of the largest and fastest-growing churches mimic the world in "seeker-friendly"
and "youth-oriented" services that exploit sensuality and compromise
the truth.
The Gospel: A Method or a Message?
- How the Purpose Driven Life
Obscures the Gospel by
Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues Commentary,
January/February 2004
Each of us must choose between a man-centered,
man-made method loosely derived from parts of the Bible and the clear message
of the gospel. Rick Warren promotes the former ...
The Seeker Friendly Way Of
Doing Church by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call, 3/1/2004
A large part of the evangelical church has developed a pleasure-laden, cruise
ship mentality, but it will result in a spiritual Titanic. Seeker-friendly
church pastors (and those tempted to climb
aboard) need to get on their knees and read the words of Jesus to the church of
the Laodiceans (Rv
3:14-21). They were “rich, and increased with goods,” yet
failed to recognize that in God’s eyes, they were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Jesus, standing outside their church, where they had unwittingly
displaced Him, offers them His counsel, the truth of His Word, which alone will
enable them to live their lives for His pleasure. There can be nothing better here on earth, and for all eternity.
A Bridge Over Other
Waters by Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 3/27/04
What really becomes the purpose of
this essay contest by Templeton? I see this as a way to merge Christians with
those of other faiths in a common goal - a focus on purpose. A global
spirituality is fast becoming the norm, the question
we have to ask ourselves as Christians is whether we will participate with
them. See the Templeton Essay by Sandy Simpson.
What's Wrong With The 21st Century Church? by Dr. Robert Klenck,
August 8, 2000
This is a synopsis of much of what the
seeker-sensitive or church growth movement (CGM) is all about, and it is enough
information to convince any with ears to hear that this movement is something
that true Christians should avoid at all costs. Read the Synopsis, Article 1 and Article 2.
The Pied Pipers Of Purpose by Lyle D. Leslie, Sarah H. Leslie and Susan J.
Conway, 4/04
Pragmatism in church transformation and the church growth movement are
carefully studied and compared to biblical principles.
Outcome-Based Religion by The Cutting Edge, 2004
One of THE major signs that the End of
the Age is truly approaching is when you see the great majority of Christian
churches falling away from the Fundamentals of the Faith. A pastor or church
leader that knowingly moves away from teaching the "full counsel" of
God, and begins incorporating unbiblical and human elements in his services and
his teaching, is literally -- and Biblically -- opening the door to Antichrist.
How many well-meaning pastors have ever thought of this sober fact as they lead
their churches into areas that are not Biblical? This is a
series of articles on the background of the "new paradigm"
churches.
Index -
Outcome Based Religion
Preface -
Outcome-Based Religion
Chapter 1 -
The True Church
Chapter 2 -
The Origins Of Modern Apostasy
Chapter 3 -
Twentieth Century Apostasy 1900-1965
Chapter 4 -
Fundamentalism 1950-1975 - A House Built Upon The Sand
Chapter 5 -
The Charismatic Movement
Chapter 6 -
The Rise And Fall Of The Religious Right 1979-2002
Chapter 7 -
New Values For A New Millenium
Chapter 8 -
Playing Church By The Numbers - Part 1
Chapter 9 -
Playing Church By The Numbers - Part 2
The Rules Of
The New Paradigm Church Game
2017 Rick Warren Update on Purpose Driven
Life sales claim by James Sundquist, 9/12/17
I received an email from Os Guinness
(Guinness Book of Records). He spoke at Rick Warren’s Saddleback
Church. He said he teased Rick Warren that the Guinness Book of Records
sold more books than Warren’s PDL Book. He would know. But Guinness
own site states 138 million sold. They sell 2.5 million per year. So in
2012 that figure would have been about 123 million, when Warren had sold 32
million, when they made their claim they attributed to PW. That is
about 7 times Warren’s sales (both are nonfiction). But even 123 million
does not make the top ten.
You can find more on Warren and church growth
here:
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/churchgrowth.html#rwarren
There are also other participants on the board of the Museum of the
Bible such as:
Mary E.
Banks
Mary and her husband, Melvin, are on the
teaching team at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas which is Joel Osteen's
church. (http://www.godsloveatwork.com/maryebanks) Anyone who is on the staff of Osteen’s church
would be in support of what he is teaching.
Let’s look at Joel Osteen, who is a false Word of Faith teacher. He famously confirmed the following prophecy:
“God has promised him (his father John
Osteen) that he will be preaching into his early 90's, and he is only 77
now. God gave him a vision for “Seven Years of Harvest”, and we are just
beginning our 6th year of this special thrust for world evangelism. God has
promised our staff that He will bring our pastor's kidneys on a platter of
praise. The God who began this universe as a mighty Creator
is creating what our Pastor needs in his body” (Lakewood Church prayer request Jan 19, 1999).
Two weeks later, John Osteen died.
Osteen has also taught the following:
When interviewed by
Larry King on June 20,2005, Osteen avoided a similar question and
was non committal to Jesus being the only way. King asked Osteen where Jews or
Muslims would go if they don't accept Christ.
KING: “What if you're Jewish or Muslim,
you don't accept Christ at all?
OSTEEN: “You know, I'm very careful about
saying who would and wouldn't go to heaven. I don't know ...
KING: “If you believe you have to believe in Christ? They're wrong,
aren't they?
OSTEEN: “Well, I don't know if I believe they're
wrong. I believe here's what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith
this is what I believe. But I just think that only God with judge a person's
heart. ... I don't know all about their religion. But I know they love God. And
I don't know. I've seen their sincerity. So I don't know. I know for me, and
what the Bible teaches, I want to have a relationship with Jesus.
Osteen posted the following letter of apology
letter on his Web site:
“Many of you have called, written or
e-mailed" (regarding his Larry King Live appearance). I appreciate your
comments and value your words of correction and encouragement," he said.
"It was never my desire or intention to leave any doubt as to what I
believe and whom I serve. I believe with all my heart that it is only through
Christ that we have hope in eternal life. I regret and sincerely apologize that
I was unclear on the very thing in which I have dedicated my life.”
He then said he believes that "Jesus Christ alone is the
only way to salvation," referencing John 14.“It
wasn't until I had the opportunity to review the transcript of the interview
that I realize I had not clearly stated that having a personal relationship
with Jesus is the only way to heaven,” he
said. http://www.charismanow.com/a.php?ArticleID=11413
It seems to me that it wasn’t until people
complained that he even looked to the transcript. This is disappointing. I
think there is no doubt, based on what he said to Larry King, that this is what
he believes. Making this more puzzling is his avoidance to clearly state that
Christ died for our sins, and without believing the GOSPEL we cannot have
a personal relationship with God. (Mike Oppenheimer, Joel Osteen-Preaching a
False-Positive, with a Smile, http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac29.htm)
“Our words are vital in bringing our dreams
to pass. It’s not enough to simply see it by faith or in your imagination. You have to begin speaking words of
faith over your life. Your
words have enormous creative power. The moment you speak something out, you
give birth to it.” (Joel Osteen, Your
Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, CD-Rom
(New York: Hachette Audio, 2004).
“There’s power in what you visualize,” Osteen said in Nov.16,
2004 sermon “take a few moments each day to visualize things you want in
your life so God can bring them to pass He then tells a story about a coach and
his team “Close your eyes and envision winning the game”, “they produced
exactly what they saw.”
Visualizing is an occult technique that
brings you immediately into the spirit realm that we are not to be involved
with. This has been popularized by David Cho from Korea. (Mike Oppenheimer,
Joel Osteen-Preaching a False-Positive, with a Smile,
http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac29.htm)
Osteen is a word faith teacher, and word
faith is not Christian teaching but a distortion of Scripture “Many of you today know this, you
believe it down here in your heart. But the reason that you're not
experiencing as much as you should is because you're
not declaring it. You've got to give
life to your faith by speaking it out. Your words have creative
power. When you go
around saying, 'I have favor, people want to be good to me and supernatural
doors are opening.' When
you make those declarations of faith, you are charging the atmosphere.
And your own words can help to bring it to pass. That is why we
should get into the habit of every day consistently speaking God's favor over
our lives” (Joel Osteen, “Experiencing More of God's Favor,”
Tape # 212, Daystar, July 10, 2004)
Faith and fear as a force comes right out of
the word faith camp from people like Kenneth Copeland and his disciple Creflo Dollar. Osteen says, “Fear is a force just like
faith is a force. If you give into fear and start to dwell on that junk
and start to act on it, that fear
can actually bring things to pass just like faith can bring things to pass.
Job said, 'the thing I greatly feared came upon me.' Fear is a force just
like faith is a force. If you give into fear and start to dwell on that
junk and start to act on it, that fear can actually bring things to pass just
like faith can bring things to pass. Job said, 'the thing I greatly
feared came upon me.” (Joel
Osteen, Sermon, VL-007, April 30, 2000, Sermon on Website, May 2004)
To misuse Job, whom God said was a righteous
man, a man whom God used to challenge Satan (Job.1: 8) shows immaturity in
understanding Scripture. Job is expressing something he had in his heart that
he would die in such agony when he said, “Who long for death, but it does
not come” (Job 3:21). Not confessing it and it came to pass. We should stay
far away from people who cannot understand the mechanics of standing up for God
and doing what is right, and the spiritual warfare the ensues from it.
(Job.1:1, 8-10 2:4-7). (Mike Oppenheimer, Joel Osteen-Preaching a
False-Positive, with a Smile, http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac29.htm)
He accepts the word faith heresy “The
Bible indicates that for three days, Jesus went into the very depths of hell.
Right into the enemy's own territory. And He did battle with Satan face
to face. Can you imagine what a show down that was?” (Joel Osteen, sermon, CS-002 - April
23, 2000)
Let's look at a good portion of the sermon,
so we'll know this quote was not taken out of context.
“And the third thing, because of all of
what Jesus accomplished in the Resurrection; you and I have power and authority
over the devil and demon forces. I
can imagine when Jesus bowed
His head and died on that cross, that Satan and all those demons they gathered
in hell for a great victory celebration. I
can imagine it looked
something like the victory party in the locker room after the Super Bowl. You
can see them giving high five's and jumping around,
shouting with great excitement, We did it! We did it!
I told you we could defeat Him! Now we're in control. Now we can do whatever we
want. And can't you hear Satan laugh sarcastically and say to his demons,
Aren't you glad you followed me now? Aren't you glad you revolted out of the heavens?
I told you it'd be worth it.'
“Can't you see Jesus looking right into
Satan's eyes and saying, “Satan, I hate to spoil your victory party, but I
think you're celebrating a little bit too soon”? You may have knocked me down,
but you sure didn't knock me out. And it's not over until I say it's over.
Satan says, Listen, Jesus,
you're on my turf now. You don't have a chance down here. You're surrounded by
my demons. We're going to tear you apart. And Jesus just smiles and says,
“Go ahead, Satan, make my day!” (Congregation
applauds) Jesus says, “Look,
Satan, I'm down here to take care of business. I'm ready to do battle. I don't
want to be here any longer than I have to be because it stinks down here.”
“The Bible indicates that for three days, Jesus went into the very depths of
hell. Right into the enemy's own territory. And He did battle with Satan face
to face. Can you imagine what a show down that was? It was good
vs. evil. Right vs. wrong. Holiness
vs. filth. Here are the two most powerful forces in the universe have
come together to do battle for the first time in history. But thank God. The
Bible says, “Satan was no match for our Champion”. This was no contest. (Congregation applauds).
“Jesus crushed Satan's head with His foot. He
bruised his head. And He once and for all, forever defeated and dethroned and
demoralized our enemy. One translation says, “He paralyzed him and rendered him
powerless”. But thank God. He didn't even stop there. He went over and ripped the keys of
death and hell out of Satan's hands. And He grabbed Satan by the nap of his
neck and He began to slowly drag him down through the corridors of Hell.
All beat up and bruised because He wanted to make sure that every single demon saw
very clearly that Jesus was indeed the undisputed Champion of all time! Amen?” (Joel Osteen,
Sermon, CS-002 - April 23, 2000, posted on the
Web site, May 2004)
“Imagine” is right, because this is not what
happened. How can we know? The Bible tells us so. For this heresy we need to
take the time to explain the biblical position so no one is left thinking that
what Osteen has done does not affect the gospel, this same gospel that Satan
hates and wants to corrupt. Osteen does not come out and say what others do-
Jesus became sin on the cross but the implication is evident by his going to
hell under Satan’s jurisdiction. Hebrews 9:14 tells us that he offered himself
“without blemish to God.” Paul wrote of Christ’s “offering and sacrifice to Godas a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:2). Sin is not a
beautiful aroma to God.
Jesus went into Hades, where the faithful were, not hell,
where the wicked are punished. The word of faith teacher’s do NOT believe in
His victory the on the cross, but instead teach it was not completed on the
cross but in a battle in hell with the devil. This imaginative battle actually
brings destruction to the gospel where Jesus REALLY conquered Satan and crushed
Satan's head on the cross, not in hell. Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed
principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it.”
This victory happened on the cross (v.14), so what is Christ doing suffering in
hell by these same principalities and powers, as claimed? This doctrine is
dangerous and affects many others. If Jesus went to hell, then Jesus did not
speak the truth buy saying IT IS FINISHED. The death of Christ on the cross is
then insufficient, not having the power by itself to save anyone. Thus, Paul
could not have preached Christ was crucified for salvation.
Neither does Scripture say “Jesus took the
keys of hell and death from Satan.” This
again is a false word faith teaching. Neither did Satan
steal the keys from Adam as the word faith teachers espouse, because Adam
did not have them.
Here’s what the Scripture says in Rev. 1:18: “I am He who lives, and was dead,
and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Where does it say he took them? He
possessed them. Again, the word faith preachers go beyond what is written with
their imagination and make this up. This
is a great Bible myth. In Rev.
1:18 the word is Hades, not hell; the key is the emblem of power and authority.
Christ can both save and destroy, can both kill and
make alive; similarly Jesus said in john 10:18 that no man takes His life from
him, He lays it down himself. Death is still under His dominion, and He can
recall the dead whenever He pleases. He is the resurrection and the life.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
tells us that “Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again.” There are
no details like the name it and claim preachers have added with their fertile
imaginations. It may make for good story-telling, but to cheer at this shows
complete Biblical ignorance. Jesus said on the cross before He died, “Father,
into your hands I commit my Spirit” (Matthew 27:50; John
19:30). If He landed in hell under Satan, then who is His Father in whom He
committed his Spirit to? This is not a good picture; it mocks the most sacred
time of Jesus' ministry, the very purpose for which the Son of God came to
earth.
Not only does Osteen
present another Jesus but accepts others who clearly have another Jesus. (Mike
Oppenheimer, Joel Osteen-Preaching a False-Positive, with a Smile, http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac29.htm)
Dr. Robert
Cooley
Cooley is vice chairman of the board for Museum of the Bible and
president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (very liberal
institution these days, not like it was when it was Providence Bible
Institute). A biblical scholar and archaeologist, Cooley has served as
professor and administrator at a number of academic institutions and has
overseen excavation projects in the U.S., Palestine and Egypt. He is
a past president of The Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada, and was also senior
editor for Christianity Today. (MOB Site)
Christianity Today has become a very liberal magazine in our day and
age. Unfortunately “America's
leading Christian magazine has turned to promoting mysticism, contemplative
prayer and other New Age, anti-Christian practices.” (Christianity Today,
Contemplative Spirituality and the New Age, Lighthouse Trails, http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/christianitytoday.htm)
The rest of the board members are as follows:
Allon Lefever
Allon Lefever is an
entrepreneur and business management expert with 40 years of experience in the
agricultural, industrial and digital industries. He has helped found more than
20 companies and is an advocate for family-owned businesses. Lefever recently served as a business professor and
director of the MBA Program at Eastern Mennonite University. He and his wife
reside in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The
Mennonites have been promoting a number of unbiblical practices associated with
the Emergent Church and Contemplative Prayer.
Go to this site to read up on this issue: https://mennolite.wordpress.com/
Anne Beiler
Anne
Beiler is founder of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, the
world’s largest hand-rolled, soft pretzel franchise. Named Entrepreneur of the
Year by Inc. Magazine, Beiler grew her business from
a single farmer’s market stand into an international company with more than
1,200 locations worldwide. Today Beiler is a public
speaker and author inspiring audiences around the world. She and her husband
live in Salado, Texas.
She
grew up in an Amish/Mennonite church.
Read above for more details on the Mennonites.
Carlos Campo
Dr.
Carlos Campo is President of Ashland University. He has previously served as
chair of the Hispanic Education Alliance of the National Hispanic Christian
Leadership Conference, president of Regent University in Virginia and is a
longtime leader in Christian higher education. A leading voice in the Hispanic
evangelical community, Campo is a noted national speaker who resides in
Ashland, OH.
Ashland
Seminary has promoted “The Shack” and is involved in “spiritual formation”. See this list of Contemplative Colleges and
Universities: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/Colleges.htm
Gregory Baylor
Gregory
Baylor is senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he focuses his
litigation efforts on protecting the religious freedom of Christian educational
institutes through the organization’s Center for Religious Liberty. He also
works to protect the First Amendment freedoms of students, faculty and staff at
public colleges and universities. Baylor is admitted to the state bar of Texas,
the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous federal appeals and district courts. He
lives in Washington, D.C.
Harry Lee Crisp
III
Harry
Lee Crisp III, or Lee as he is commonly referred to, is currently Director and
Owner of Pepsi MidAmerica, and Director and Owner of
Crisp Container Corporation. In addition to running one of the largest Pepsi
franchises in the nation, Crisp has served in a number of leadership and
philanthropic roles, including principal benefactor of the Mayo Clinic,
founding member of the Smithsonian Council for American History, a patron of
the arts at the Vatican Museum, and Chairman of the Board for the Independent
Bottlers Association. Crisp, who has been awarded 44 patents, also recently
served as a Founder, Director, and Treasurer of the Marine Corps Heritage
Foundation, where he oversaw the National Museum of Marine Corps in Quantico,
Virginia.
James Moore Jr.
James
Moore Jr. is a beverage-industry consultant. Until 2000, he served as president
and chief operating officer of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, the
second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in the U.S. A U.S. Army veteran, Moore lives
today with his wife in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mark DeMoss
Mark
DeMoss is founder of DeMoss,
the largest public relations firm exclusively representing faith-based
organizations and causes. Located at the intersection of faith and culture, his
firm seeks to shape public opinion and move people to action on behalf of its
clients. In addition to his role as an adviser to Christian nonprofits and
faith leaders, DeMoss is author of The Little Red
Book of Wisdom. He and his wife live in Atlanta.
Rev. Bob
Hoskins
Rev.
Bob Hoskins is secretary of the board for Museum of the Bible and founder of OneHope, an international ministry. A children’s
evangelist, Hoskins spent decades as a missionary before establishing OneHope in 1987. He continues his work with OneHope today as a program ambassador and relationship
builder with leaders and governments around the world. Hoskins currently
resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
OneHope is partnered with a number of organizations,
some of which are doing good work, others that are allied with the New
Apostolic Reformation. (https://onehope.net/about-us/partners/)
Steve Green,
Chairman of the Board
Steve
Green serves as chairman of the board of Museum of the Bible. In his role as
chairman, Green has assembled a team of academics, designers, technology
professionals and other experts to create the 430,000-square-foot Museum of the
Bible, dedicated to a scholarly and engaging presentation of the Bible's
impact, history and narrative. It is scheduled to open in 2017 in Washington,
three blocks from the U.S. Capitol. "The Bible is the best-selling, most
translated book of all time and is arguably history's most significant piece of
literature," said Green. "It has had an unquestionable influence on
science, education, democracy, arts and society. This book has also profoundly
impacted lives across the ages, including my own." Green is also president
of Hobby Lobby, the world's largest privately owned arts and crafts retailer.
Founded in 1972 by his father, David, in 300 square feet of retail space, the
chain has grown to more than 600 stores. Along with its affiliated companies,
Hobby Lobby employs some 30,000 people companywide. Today, Hobby Lobby and its
affiliates (including Hemispheres and Mardel Stores,
a Christian bookstore and educational supply chain) have combined sales of more
than $3.3 billion. Green authored his first book—Faith in America—in
2011. His latest book, The Bible in America, explores the
history and impact of the Bible on U.S. history and in today's modern world. Green
and his wife, Jackie, have been married for more than 30 years and reside in
Oklahoma City, where Hobby Lobby is headquartered. Their family includes a son,
five daughters, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law and four grandchildren.
Quick
Facts: Steve Green, Chairman of the Board
Leadership:
Chairman
of the Board: Museum of the Bible
President: Hobby
Lobby, the world’s largest privately owned arts and crafts retailer
Passion: Making
the Bible more accessible to the world
Author: Faith
in America (Looking Glass Books, 2011); The
Bible in America (DustJacket Press, 2013)
I am supportive of making the Bible more accessible. But why did
he get so many unbiblical leaders involved to promote the Bible? Doesn’t that taint the message?
Conclusion
They certainly have put together some big
guns in the business world, etc. for this project. But for the above
reasons and more I cannot support this project. I can only hope it will
serve as a true representation of the Bible and help people rather than setting
them off to follow unbiblical leadership.