Being an ethical minister

Here's a prototype of an Ethical Standard for Ministers.

Why is this relevant?

1. Apparently CC has no ethical standards.
2. This standard makes it unethical to participate in a church that was formerly pastored.
   

Thinking About Forgiveness

Here’s a way to think about forgiveness that might be a bit challenging to how many of us were taught to think about forgiveness. Personally, I fought this idea tooth and nail until I did a Biblical survey of all of the relevant texts and reached a conclusion that was surprising to myself.

Unilateral vs Bilateral Forgiveness Models
There are two basic models of forgiveness. One is the unilateral model and the other is the bilateral model.

The Unilateral Model
Most of us were raised with the unilateral model of forgiveness. We learned that forgiveness is the responsiblity of the sinned against. In fact, we may have even told people ourselves that if they don’t forgive someone who has sinned against them that they are in sin themselves. We took the words of Jesus about forgiveness in part, because we did not see them in whole. In the process, the people we told to forgive were often revictimized by us when they were unable to forgive their offender.

We said that the person who does not forgive is only harming themselves taking our lead from the pop-psychology movement.

We short-circuited the God given sense of justice that is in the sinned against person. We may even have suggested some sort of secret ritual where suggested forgiving a person without even communicating that in any way to the one who was forgiven. We did not leave judgment to God.

I no longer believe that the unilateral model fits the whole counsel of Scripture. What really fits the Biblical record the best?

The Bilateral Model
The Bilateral model of forgiveness sees forgiveness as an exchange. It involves the repentance of the sinner and the forgiveness of the one who was sinned against. The goal is reconciliation. It recognizes that God has placed in every person a need for justice. Repentance produces works which show the repentance. Repentance is a change of mind which results in a change of actions.

In the bilateral model forgiveness is an exchange. Forgiveness should always be offered by the sinned against. It may not be received by the sinner. As Christians we must be willing to offer forgiveness, but we cannot grant it until the other person repents. Our sin comes if we do not accept their repentance.

God is our Model
God is our model in all of this. God offers forgiveness. Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. But not everyone is forgiven? Why not? Because it has to be received with repentance. If forgiveness with God is the form of an exchange then why should it be different with us?

If we are always to forgiven then why would the Scriptures say this? John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

David Allender's newer book on forgiveness covers this subject quite well.

Phoenix Preacher moves

Phoenix Preacher has been following all things Calvary Chapel. In the recent days that means that they have been concentrating their efforts on Skip Heitzig and the unravelling of Calvary of Albuquerque.

Phoenix Preacher have moved off blogger and onto a different host. Their address changed to here. There's always a lively chat going on in there. Be sure to say hi to my buddy Tundra Man if you go in there.

It's official - Skip has left the building

The official word came from Calvary of Albuquerque yesterday. Skip Heitzig has officially resigned the board of Calvary of Albuquerque. No word yet on whether or not he will remain at Ocean Hill Church.

Skip resigns, sorta?

There was word in the Albuquerque Journal yesterday that Skip Heitzig has resigned from his position as head of the Calvary of Albuquerque board of directors. It was also reported on TV news yesterday.

The Journal article left it open for future involvement in the church.

This has not yet been confirmed by the church.

The Place of Judgment

Why Does God Judge
I was reading an interesting verse as I have been reflecting on the scandals around Skip Heitzig.

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The Barnes Commentary had an interesting comment on this verse.

The judgments which God brings upon his own people make it certain that the wicked will be punished. If he does not spare his own people, why should he spare others?

That is a powerful point.

Rejoicing at judgment
There is a general belief that it is wrong to rejoice at someone's downfall. Yet, the New Testament shows examples of believers being commanded to rejoice at the downfall of the wicked. One such example is when Babylon falls and the church is told to rejoice. It's even a given as a command to rejoice, taking the Present Active Imperative in the Greek.

Rev 18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Local group meets with Skip calling for his resignation

Following the spirit of Matt 18, a group composed of people who are local to Calvary Albuquerque met with Skip Heitzig and presented the demand that Skip Heitzig resign from the board.

Skip refused to resign. In retaliation he banned the members of the group from the church grounds.

What will it take to get Skip Heitzig to resign from the board? Will it take a promise not to prosecute him later for his actions?

The Big Scandal

This one is not going away, it's not just the scandal of the week, but it is probably the scandal of the year for Calvary Chapel. What is shows is insight into the structure of church governance at Calvary Chapel.

Resignation of Nelson Just the First Salvo
The resignation of Pastor Pete Nelson from Calvary (Chapel) of Albuquerque was just the beginning of revelations. Usually these things are handled quietly and nobody knows much about what is going on. In Pete's case somebody leaked a draft copy of his resignation to the press. Not only that but it gives a lot of details into the secret workings of the Calvary Albuquerque (CA) board of directors. Then the press got ahold of a letter from a former board member outlining charges of impropriety.

Skip Held Onto Power at CA
Turns out that when Pete took over the Senior Pastor role at CA he didn't get what he was promised. Usually CC pastors get to control the board. Problem in this case was that the former pastor, Louis "Skip" Heitzig didn't want to give up control (we find out why later on). He was founding pastor and thought he should keep his hand in the pie.

A Clear Ethical Violation
This is highly unusual in other denominations. There are explicit prohibitions in the Ethical Standards of most other denominations which make it clear that pastors are not to involve themselves with the actions in their previous churches. It's considered an unethical practice. But Calvary Chapel has no written ethical standards and the unwritten standards don't seem to include such a prohibition.

The Scandal Grows
This scandal has wider lines than just the resignation of a pastor at a megachurch. Turns out that the board which was handpicked by Skip "gifted" Skip with a termination package (remember Skip quit, he wasn't removed) of almost a half a million in cash and door prizes. Allegations have been flying that some of these were stolen by Skip on the way out the door.

Skip's Defenders Line Up
The legions are lining up to defend Skip. He had Franklin Graham (a one-time CA board member it turns out) defending him at a recent service. Greg Laurie of Harvest Riverside (CC by another name) also served on the board and wrote a letter of character witness for his friend Skip.

How it broke
This story was unusual since it broke outside the traditional lines due to a series of articles published in the Albuquerque Journal. If you want to on-line subscribe it will cost you $8, but thanks to some folks the articles are available at other places.

What are the other charges?
Some of the charges include:

• Heitzig took a $300,000 severance check from his hand-picked board (considered self-dealing).
• Heitzig took equipment for the radio station, a laptop and a couple of cars worth a total of about $166,000 as severance. (Usually somebody gets severance when they are let go, not when they quit). (Again considered self-dealing).
  
• Skip tried to take the radio station away from CA and put it into his own hands at the same time that the radio station was being used for security of loans at CA.
• Skip fired people from the board who were not in agreement with Skip's actions (Greg Zanetti).
• The CA board was made up of people who did not attend CA. Some of them are CC pastors in other churches (again an ethical violation in most denominations).
• Most of the CA board was made up of people who don't even live in New Mexico including Franklin Graham, Raul Ries, Greg Laurie and Paul Saber.
• The absentee board members showed more loyalty to Skip as an individual than they did to CA. They had a fiducial duty to watch out for CA.
  
• Heitzig's daily half-hour radio program, "Connection Ministries" cost the church nearly $7 million between 1994 and 2004.
• CA had about $7 million in debt when Heitzig "left" for Ocean Hills in California, roughly equal to the losses from Connection Ministries.
• Calvary leaders were unwilling to inform the congregation of their intentions or plans for the church's future.
• Employees such as Chip Lusko were paid by CA but did work for Skip's "Connection".
  

List of the links
Here's a list of the links to the stories.

• Albuquerque Journal - $8 registration charge to view articles. (search for Heitzig)
  
• Heitzig, Heitzig and Others Asked to Resign; Group Seeks Local Control of Calvary - March 5, 2006
• Nelson's Draft Resignation Letter - March 3, 2006
• Letter from former board member Greg Zanetti - November 8, 2004
• Ex-Board Member Says He Was Forced Out for Challenging Direction - March 3, 2006
• Heitzig Severance More Than $300,000 - March 4, 2006
• Website Calls for the Return of Pete Nelson - March 2, 2006
• Calvary Chapel Power Struggle - February 26, 2006
• Calvary Looks for Successor: Resignations Shock Church - February 21, 2006

As you can see, this story is not going away any time soon. This story is being followed in the Phoenix Preacher BLOG.

Scandal of the week at CC

The Senior Pastor of Calvary of Albuquerque resigned this past weekend.

The reason given in his final message was that he was unable to work within the structure of CC Abq.

What is the Structure of CC Abq?
Calvary Chapel's are led by the Senior Pastor under the Moses Principle. Legally, they have to have a board of directors under their articles of incorporation in most states. The board of directors is selected by the Senior Pastor.

Who is on the CC Abq Board?
At Calvary Chapel of Abq the board consists of John Fidel, Gino Geraci, Skip Heitzig, Raul Ries, Paul Saber, and Paul Scozzafava. Only one of these men attends CC Abq. The rest are pastors in other Calvary Chapels.

Former Pastor, Heitzig, on the Board
Skip Heitzig who is on the board, was the former pastor of the church. This probably does not concern most CC folks but if you are from outside CC the idea of having the former pastor on the board is unbelievable. It's considered a violation of the ethical standards of most churches to have the former pastor involved in his former church.

The Episcopacy at Calvary Chapel

CC operates in sort of a weird spot when it comes to church government. In spite of their claims to the contrary, most Calvary Chapels have what amounts to an Episcopalian form of church governance. Episcopalian government in the church is where the church is ruled by a hierarchy of bishops. These bishops place pastors into local churches.

But, CC has no bishops!
At the larger CCs, the board obstensively picks the next pastor and the board is largely picked from other CC pastors. Often these are prominent pastors in CC who are friends of the current pastor. Such an example is Calvary Chapel of Albquerque where the board consists of only one person from inside the local church. The rest of the board members are friends of the former pastor, They are mostly pastors of other Calvary Chapels.

The Congregational Form in contrast to CC
Calvary Chapel rejects the congregational form of government where the people of the church elect the board members. In such a church, when a pastor leaves an search committee is formed inside the church. The search committee is often elected by the congregation to represent their interests. That way the search committee reflects the local church situation.

Where does CC draw it's model from?
Calvary Chapel is modeled most closely to the Roman Catholic form of church government. It is true that there is no formal heirarchy of bishops at Calvary Chapel. However, there is an informal heirarch of bishops in CC. They have the superstars at the top in this multi-tiered system. The Superstars function as bishops.

So How does it work at CC?
If a new pastor is needed the board of the Calvary Chapel picks the new pastor. The board is made up of people that are hand picked by the previous pastor. As noted, often times they are pastors from other Calvary Chapels. Thus, Calvary Chapel has an episcopal form of governance when it comes to pastoral succession. The superstar pastors in the denomination all serve on each other's boards. When one of them leaves, the other chooses his successor. That way they protect their own jobs by stopping hostile takeovers within the local church.

A Papal Enclave?

Will there be an enclave to select the next pope when Smith dies? Is there a chimney at CCCM where we can watch for smoke? Will the regional pastors select the next head? Or will there be no head?

The Example of John Wimber and the Vineyard Movement
John Wimber was faced with the same issues at the Vineyard that Calvary Chapel faces. In 25 years, his denomination has grown to approximately the same number of churches (600 at last count) as CC although they have fewer megachurches in their fold so the total attendance is smaller.

The Hub Church
The Vineyard of Anaheim was the equivalent of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. It was the hub for the movement. In many ways, the Vineyard did things smarter than CC perhaps due to Wimber seeing the things that Smith did wrong. For instance, Vineyard pastors are often seminary trained in contrast to CC which prefers field trained pastors to classroom training. The Vineyard does not divide over non-essentials of the faith such as the timing of Christ's return. Their difference in eschatology translated into a greater emphasis on justice ministries. Wimber did not seem to view the church as an employment agency for his extended family.

The biggest problem with the Anaheim Vineyard is that it mirrored Wimber's faith journey and was very experimental. Groups like the Kansas City Prophets would be in vogue one year and then they would be anathema the next. The flux probably played better in So Cal than it would in other places.

What Happened When Wimber Died?
When Wimber died the hub church had serious adjustments, particularly with a large drop in attendance. Pastoral changes ensued. Finding a star with Wimber's drawing power is necessary to keep the church (which had a Wimber sized mortgage) doors open.

Costa Mesa will have this same problem no matter who the replacement for Chuck at CCCM might be. I think that they are probably in a better financial situation to weather the drop in attendance/giving that will naturally happen with a change in Senior Pastor. They probably have much less debt (if any at all).

If there were anyone at CCCM with the authority over Smith they would have demanded that he deal with this issue more effectively.

The Difference Between Wimber and Smith
Unlike Smith, Wimber realized he would someday die. I will give him credit for a better solution. Maybe it was because Wimber was dying slowly - years of heart problems and a protracted battle with cancer must have gotten Wimber thinking.

Wimber was concerned that the churches would have a struggle after him if he didn't do something to structure things in an intelligent way. Certainly, Wimber must have realized that the structures would not stand the test of time and would over time need to be altered as the needs changed. Wimber's genius was that he understood that it was better to have something in place for the structure to grow from than nothing which would lead to chaos and fracturing.

A bit of structure was invented. The Association of Vineyard Churches was put in place to handle the denominational tasks. There are regional pastors (CC has them too). The Vineyard International Consortium is at the top.

Smith's Choice
Smith likes to keep his head in the sand about the Calvary movement. That way have can have it both ways. Smith is of the sort that like to take credit, but shuns taking responsibility. Dave Rolph describes this as the "freedom" of Calvary Chapel.

From the outside, it appears that Smith's first priority appears to be to make sure that the family assets are protected. The local church (CCCM) and the business interests need to be in the hands of trusted family members.

Beyond the home line
What happens is that the rest of the Calvary Chapels will be left to market forces after Smith passes. CCOF is set up as a denominational control point but is it's legs get chopped out of it when it comes to any real authority in the local church. About all that they are left with is the claimed ability to rescind the "Calvary Chapel" name although even this is probably not enforceable.

I'd love to hear from people who a different view of Calvary and the Vineyard.

Chuck Smith on Eternal Security

Calvary Magazine
Interesting website for Calvary Magazine.

Chuck Speaks on Calvinism
There's an article there on Chuck's view of Calvinism. (Fall 2005 issue).

Chuck says "We" when He means "I"
I wonder about Chuck's use of the words "we" and "our" in describing Calvary Chapel. They do not seem to me to be the correct words. Perhaps the words that Chuck Smith should use are "I" and "My" because, in fact, that's all that he is talking about.

What is a Calvary Distinctive Other Than Smith's Opinion?
Calvary Chapel distinctives are Chuck Smith's views. They are shared by those who follow after Smith, but that says nothing more than the people who follow the Great Leader believe what he believes. If they don't believe what he believes they would not be following him. Smith could write, "I and the people who follow after me"...

Smith is Wrong on the History of Arminianism
Smith is historically incorrect when he states that the Arminian position denies Eternal Security. A reading of the Five Articles of the Remonstrants shows that they took no position on the subject of Eternal Security. The Remonstrants had people on both sides and like Calvary saw Scripture supporting both sides. To use a Calvary word, the official historical Arminian position was "balanced."

It was the Calvinists who took an unequivocal position in favor of Eternal Security.

Article Five from the Remonstrants
That those who are incorporated into Christ by true faith, and have thereby become partakers of his life-giving Spirit, as a result have full power to strive against Satan, sin, the world, and their own flesh, and to win the victory; it being well understood that it is ever through the assisting grace of the Holy Spirit; and that Jesus Christ assists them through his Spirit in all temptations, extends to them his hand, and if only they are ready for the conflict, desire his help, and are not inactive, keeps them from falling, so that they, by no deceit or power of Satan, can be misled nor plucked out of Christ’s hands, according to the Word of Christ, John 10:28: “Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” But whether they are capable, through negligence, of forsaking again the first beginning of their life in Christ, of again returning to this present evil world, of turning away from the holy doctrine which was delivered them, of losing a good conscience, of neglecting grace, that must be more particularly determined out of the Holy Scripture, before we ourselves can teach it with the full confidence of our mind.

How is Smith's view any different than the positions of the Remonstrants (Arminians)?

Smith is Wrong Again
Smith says in his column that is was taking hard stands on these issues that has emptied the Methodist church. To the contrary. It was the lack of taking stands on matters of truth that have emptied these churches. Churches, like Calvary Chapel, which take dogmatic stands, are filling up. The more complex ideas are simplified and made into bite sized pieces by places like Calvary Chapel the more they grow.

Smith Does Not Believe in the Law of Non-Contradiction
Smith goes on to say that there are Scriptures on both sides of the subject of Eternal Security. Since God is the God of truth, does God hold to two contrary positions? Clearly for Smith a thing can be a thing and not a thing at the same time. The Law of non-contradiction means little to him.

Smith's position is Arminian
Chuck Smith's answer to the eternal security position demonstrates that he is not in the middle, but firmly in the Arminian camp. In the article, Smith writes:
I tell people that, of course, I believe in eternal security. As long as I abide in Christ, I’m eternally secure. As long as I abide in Him, He’s going to keep me from falling and present me faultless before His glorious presence. I believe that and I experience God’s security.

That's a classic Arminian response but I'm sure that it impresses people to think that Chuck has solved the problem that theologians have grappled with for a long time.

The eternal security question is whether a person can fall from grace. The advocate of eternal security says that it is impossible to fall from grace. Smith says that it is possible to fall from grace. Therefore Smith does not believe in eternal security. It is double speak for him to say that he does.

Disclaimer
I am not a Calvinist. I do not believe in Eternal Security.

The Non-Denominational Denomination

Is Calvary a Denomination?
Dave Rolph wrote in the phoenixpreacher BLOG

The argument about denominationalism and Calvary could go on forever, without resolution. ... If you want to believe that CC is a denomination then you should at least concede that it is unlike any other denomination. No denomination that I know of is so loosely structured, with no support from its member churches, no requirements for ordination (and no central ordaining group), no central governing officials, no denominational office...

This is the case for what Dave considers Calvary to not be a denomination. Here's the reasons:

1. loosely structured


2. no support from member churches


3. no requirement for ordination


4. no central ordaining group


5. no central governing officials


6. no denominational office

Let's examine each of these and see if they are relevant to the question of whether CC is a denomination or not.

Loosely Structured
This is a pretty subjective definition. Calvary Chapel's share the same name and are a franchise like any other denomination.

Although CC does not have congregational polity, many churches which have congregational polity in their local churches are also loosely structured in their connection to the denomination. In many such cases the denomination cannot remove a local pastor since the call of a pastor comes from the church.

No Support from Member Churches
Perhaps it is true that Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa does not recieve regular offerings from the local churches but does that imply that the local churches do not support Costa Mesa? Costa Mesa publishes materials which the local churches purchase. Costa Mesa controls the Bible College which local churches send kids to. There is support for the denomination that goes to the denominational structures.

No requirement for ordination
Ordination does appear to be somewhat fluid in Calvary Chapel. It seems that the method of ordination with Calvary Chapel is to have pastors ordain other pastors rather than the ordination coming from the denomination. It may surprise Dave, but that has parallels to some other denominations. The pastors are part of the ministerium and are ordained through the ministerium not through the denomination. There is a one to one correspondence between the ministerium and the pastors of the denomination. Do Calvary pastors pay yearly dues to a ministerial association for Calvary Chapel pastors or do the costs of running the yearly pastor's conferences include this as a hidden charge?

No central ordaining group
There are other denominations which do not have a central ordaining group.

No central governing officials
Certainly this is the key point. Other groups have elected denomination official and separately elected ministerial officials. Calvary Chapel has regional pasts which seem to cover both.

No denominational office
What is the CCOF but this?

How does CC describe itself?
CC describes itself as a "church", a "movement" and a "fellowship".

Definition of Denomination
The definition of denomination from wikipedia is:

A religious denomination, (also simply denomination) is a large, long-established subgroup within a religion that has existed for many years.

What Makes CC a Denomination?

1. A sense of a cohering self identity.


2. Certification by a central authority of who is CC (the CCOF).


3. CC has distinctives. These are available in a book form.


4. Distinct form of church governance - polity.


5. The distinctives include a certain position on particular subjects, such as a rejection of five point Calvinism and an acceptance of a Dispensational framework for eschatology.


6. A written history "A Venture in Faith" of the church.


7. CCCM houses CCOF.

Raptured Rapture

The Rapture is Relatively Recent
The pre-tribulational rapture teaching started with Margaret McDonald in 1830. John Nelson Darby and the Scofield Reference Bible popularized the teaching. Today most Evangelical Televangelists are pre-trib rapture proponents. Calvary Chapel fits into this same theological camp - Dispensationalism. Wikipedia has a good article on Dispensationalism.

Is the rapture Scriptural?
Here are the typical proof texts most often used so support the pre-tribulational rapture teaching.

1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This one happens at the last trump. If this "last trump" is the last trumpet from the book of Revelation that places this at the end of the Tribulation period.

1Th 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The problem here is the timing of the resurrection. Those who are changed are changed after the dead in Christ are raised. If this is at the start of the tribulation period then when are the dead who die in the tribulation raised? At the end? How many resurrections are there if there is also one at the end of the 1000 years? Three resurrections?

1Th 5:9a For God hath not appointed us to wrath...

First lesson is to watch out for the elipses dots... Chuck Smith is famous in his writings for using them to ignore parts of verses which refute his teachings. The rest of this passage sets the context. We are not appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation. This passage is about our eternal destiny, not the rapture.

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

There is nothing in this passage about timing. In fact, the context shows believers present throughout this period, albeit protected by God.

Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

This one assumes that Revelation follows a time sequence. A close examination shows that the first three chapters are set in the form of letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor. The switch at chapter four is not a translation of the church into Heaven, but a shift of focus of the writer of Revelation to the Heavenly scene.

Accountability at Calvary Chapel

The CCOF website talks about accountability of local Calvary Chapel pastors. Here's what their mission statement says:

The second major function of CCOF is how we would like to encourage accountability to God, to His Word, and to fellow pastors. Accountability is first to the pastor who ordained the applicant to minister. We will also look to our regional lead pastors located worldwide to maintain the relationship of personal accountability with the Calvary Chapel pastors located in their respective regions. We will be accountable to one another so as to avoid becoming an offense to our Lord, our fellowship of pastors, or to other Calvary Chapel fellowships.

So there are several tiers of accountability.

1 - the ordaining pastor.
2 - Regional lead pastors
3 - Accountability to other pastors.

Who are the regional lead pastors? The CCOF site does not name them. What is their authority in the local church should a conflict occur? Do the people in local Calvary Chapels know who the regional pastor is if they are in a conflict. What if the conflict is with a regional pastor or with Chuck Smith? How does a person find out who to go to if there is a conflict?

The Organizational Glue

The claim is made by Calvary Chapelites that Calvary Chapel is not a denomination. If that is the case, then how are the Calvary Chapels held together? What determines if a local church is a Calvary Chapel or not?

For CC, it is the Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowships. This organization lists three purposes:

First, we want to serve the fellowships by providing materials that will define the Calvary Chapel philosophy as described in Calvary Chapel Distinctives. These materials will be gathered from sources such as previous pastors conferences, books, pamphlets, and sermons given by Pastor Chuck as he outlines and defines the call and ministry of a pastor.

The second major function of CCOF is how we would like to encourage accountability to God, to His Word, and to fellow pastors. Accountability is first to the pastor who ordained the applicant to minister. We will also look to our regional lead pastors located worldwide to maintain the relationship of personal accountability with the Calvary Chapel pastors located in their respective regions. We will be accountable to one another so as to avoid becoming an offense to our Lord, our fellowship of pastors, or to other Calvary Chapel fellowships.

The third major function of CCOF will deal with the pastor’s application for fellowship with other Calvary churches. The pastor’s personal record will be kept in both the CCOF office and the regional pastor’s office. To become a new CCOF church, or when there is a change of the senior pastor, the application process must be followed by every senior pastor to remain a recognized Calvary Chapel.

Not a Denomination?
They have distinctives, regional leadership and a paperwork process. Now exactly how is this not a denomination? Oh, that's right. Denominations are bad and Calvary Chapel is good therefore Calvary Chapel is not a denomination.

Researching Non-Profits

It is possible to do research on non-profit organizations on-line and fairly easily. If the non-profit files a 990 tax return it may be available at guidestar.org.

For instance, you can pull up the 990 forms for the Christian Research Institute for the past few years and find out how much the President Hank Hanegraaff was paid in salary (In 2003 he made 199,001 and his wife Kathy Hanegraaff made 124,500 for working part-time - for a grand total of $323,501). And who says religion doesn't pay?

Churches have much less information available since they are not required to file a 990 on their contributions/expenses. Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa does file a return but only for the profit making portion of their business. CCCM's form shows some interesting, incidental information such as the value of their property (about $20,000,000).

Death of the Anti-Christ

In Chuck Smith's book, "The Soon to be Revealed Antichrist" (Maranatha Publishers, 1976), Smith reveals the identity of the Anti-Christ. The unfortunate thing for Smith is that the Anti-Christ died last year. Smith figured Yassir Arafat was the Anti-Christ. I guess Smith got it wrong.

Discerning the tone

Good article here on discerning tone in email. Without a face to face or voice to ear connection people often do not know if the other person is being sincere or sarcastic. We are simply missing the cues that normally tell us what the other person means.

The same comments apply to BLOGs. The lesson is that it is easy to misinterpret the tone of others. Often this comes across to Calvary Chapel peopel as if the critics are bitter.

The Moses Principle

Personally I am torn on this issue but I am not sure it has to be an either-or. The children of Isreal rejected Moses as the leader of Israel. And they did it on at least two occassions. Everyone voted against Moses, even his own brother and sister. Yet, God supported Moses as leader of Israel and he persisted.

Acts 6 is about Jewish-Gentile fellowship and justice
The example of the selection of deacons in Acts 6 required choice from within because of the nature of the injustice that was being corrected. If the Jewish apostles had chosen men to administrate the Gentile widow's money then the charge that it was business as usual could have been made. That is why bringing in people from outside the traditional power circle can make sense - one area that Calvary has both excelled and failed at the same time.

It was better to allow the Gentiles to chose among themselves men that they trusted. That way it could not be a Jewish-Gentile split. That seems to be the message (at least to me) of Acts 6. Paul (and Luke in Acts) pick up this message in many Epistles.

Gal 3:28 has the final word. The Gospel is not Jewish nor is it Gentile. It is universal.

Perverting the Moses Principle
As to the Moses principle, in the case of the apostles initially it was fairly obvious (at least in hindsight) who was chosen by Jesus and who wasn't. Then along came Saul (Paul). He spends most of his ministry proving his apostleship. After all, he didn't walk with Jesus, nor was he an eyewitness at the empty tomb. His appearance was later and for the most part alone - other than a couple of folks that Jesus spoke to about Saul. These others are significant in Paul's testimony.

It seems to me that the only one who can testify about a person's authority and authenticity is the Spirit of God.

How then do we pick our leaders?
I suggest that God ultimately is the one who picks them. Human systems have developed to recognize this selection by God - imperfect as they are. Seminaries (or in the case of Calvary Chapel Bible colleges) allow the folks who are in the system to observe at close proximity those who will ultimately be candidates for ministry.

Ministry will always have an old boys network. Chuck Smith used the "Grasshopper, when you can snatch the pebble from my hand you will be ready" method with Greg Laurie and it worked for them. After Greg had scrubbed enough toilets at Costa Mesa Chuck felt he could trust him with a Bible Study in Riverside. The rest is history (albeit perhaps more revisionist than factual).

The Nature of the church
The church is a human-Divine institution. Divine because it is God's church. Human because we frail humans inhabit that institution. It is like the Scriptures, a product of the Spirit of God but with human frailty evident at every turn of a page.

The Problem Restated
People labor within the system that is at hand. Few try other systems. CC folks believe their leaders who tell them that the Moses principle is the best way to run a church. Others buy into the American notion that we should all have a say - even the unspiritual and undisciplined.

People leave congregational churches and go to authoritarian churches because they like the easy answers being provided for them. They are tired, in some cases, of the squabbles that come with diversity of opinion. They like that the pastor can make a decision and that's the way things will be.

Other people leave authoritarian churches and go to congregational churches because they have learned to think for themselves. Unfortunately some that think they can think for themselves are uninformed.

But is there no hope?
There is hope since the church is Christ's. He is the one who ultimately will discipline. This does not mean that there are no temporary injustices, to the contrary. However, it does mean that we have to recognize His headship. The church does not belong to Greg Laurie, Chuck Smith, nor the collective that we call "the congregation". The church is Christ's. It is His possession. If we really believe that then how could we not have hope?

Suing the Secularists

Calvary Chapel Christian School of Murietta is suing the University of California. This made the national press (read the USA Today article here and the first amendment center article here and the CCCSM article is here).

What do you think?

Financial acountability

Most churches will let you see their budget for the year (current or at the least previous). That way you know they are on the up and up. The pastor's salary is usually set by the board at those kinds of places.

That's not the way it is at Calvary Chapels. Calvary Chapels are one-man-shows. They control their boards and can, in effect, set their own salaries. The sky is the limit. They often run their local churches like their own private piggy banks.

They often make a pretense that they will show you the budget. In the past (while Romaine was alive) Calvary Costa Mesa used to say that you can see the budget. You just have to go to "Drill Seargent" Romaine who asked you to prove that you are a tithing member of the church before he will show you the budget. Leaves you wondering if anyone ever did it?

Does your local Calvary work the same? Check it out. Ask for the yearly budget at your local Calvary Chapel. See if they will let you see it. Send us a copy and we will put it up on this BLOG as an example of at least one Calvary which has openness. If there is no response that says a lot, doesn't it?

Snatched Away p 23

Snatched Away p 23

False date setting by Chuck Smith. These excerpts are from "Snatched Away" 1976 and 1980 editions. Chuck Smith predicted the return of Jesus Christ and he was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Snatched Away p 45

Snatched Away p 45

Do the Math! Israel becomes a nation May 14, 1948. A Generation is 40 years. The generation that saw Israel become a nation is the one that is the last generation. 1948 + 40 = 1988. Subtract off 7 years for the tribulation and Jesus has to return by May 14, 1981. Only one problem. It did not happen.

Future Survival p 21

fspage21

From Future Survival page 21, Chuck Smith's false teaching continues. This prediction is that the tribulation will end about 1986. This was 20 years ago this year. Yet there has been no official recantation of this false teaching.

Future Survival p 17

fspage17

From Future Survival page 17, Chuck Smith predicts the second coming of Christ will be in 1988.

Future Survival p 20

fspage20

From Future Survival page 20, Chuck Smith states that his deep conviction is that the rapture will happen before the end of 1981. Anyone remember what years the campus building projects at CCCM were done?

Future Survival p 49

fspage49

From Chuck Smith's book, Future Survival page 49.

The truth is out there

There is a BLOG which has seen a part of the truth of Calvary Chapel. That BLOG seems to deal with an adultery scandal at Calvary Chapel Satellite Network.

Is Calvary Chapel a cult?

What do you think about this question? Is Calvary Chapel a cult?

For the sake of discussion here, let's assume that cult means a group with aberrations in theology or practice which set it apart from significant points of historical Christian theology or practice. Of course, this does beg the question of which historical theology or practice so it will be necessary to both explain what Calvary Chapel teaches and then explain what has historically been understood and practiced in the church.

For instance, Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa teaches that the Trinity consists of three separate persons. Historically Christian theologians have rejected the word separate in favor of a more theologically precise word, distinct.

Another example is that of the resurrection. Chuck Smith teaches that the resurrection body is not physical and has no connection to the present physical body. He teaches that the Christian receives this body at death. Historially, Christian theologians have taught that the resurrection body is physical and has a connection to the present physical body in that the body is raised and made incorruptible. Also, the traditional view is that the resurrection does not happen at death but following some intermediate period.

Serious errors in the doctrine of the Trinity and the resurrection of the body are sufficient to declare that Calvary Chapel is a cult in theology.

What is Calvary Chapel?

Calvary Chapel is both a church and a group of churches. The original Calvary Chapel was Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa (CA) led by Pastor Chuck Smith. As a group Calvary Chapel consists of over 700 churches mostly in the USA, but also in other parts of the world.

Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa is a mega-church with over ten thousand attendees.

Calvary Chapel BLOG

This BLOG is to discuss Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa and the Calvary Chapel denomination.