Affiliation?

What does it mean that Calvary Chapel is an "affiliation"? How does that compare to being a "denomination"? Who is the pastor of a CC pastor? Who affiliates with whom? What causes disaffiliation?

Basic Definitions
The more basic question to start with is what is a "church"? Moving past the common misconception that church = building, in the root meaning the word "church" also means "assembly". That implies more than 1 person. The pastor is not the church. The pastor and all the people are the church. This point matters a great deal when discussing affiliation.

What does "Affiliation" Mean?
A Calvary Chapel is "affiliated" with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa which is affiliated with other like-minded local Calvary Chapels. But what does that mean? Surprisingly, it's not the church which is affiliated at all, but the pastor who is affiliated. And his affiliation is with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. And the head of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa is Chuck Smith (hence the BLOG title).

So when a pew warmer says "I go to Calvary Chapel of Tucson" for instance, what he is saying is that I fellowship together (I "church") with other people who are also pastored by a person who is in affiliation with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa which is headed by Chuck Smith.

See the distinction? To restate - it's not the church which is affiliated with Calvary Chapel, it's the pastor. This is why Calvary Chapel is NOT a denomination. Denomination affiliate the church with the larger group. Calvary Chapel pastors are all connected together since they are part of the same group.

Not a Denomination?
Seems strange? It is different than most other churches and similar at the same time. Other denominations have local church pastors and a denominational structure. The local church affiliates with the denomination and the pastor is a member of a separate group, often called the ministerium. His superintendent is his pastor.

Who is my pastor's pastor?
Look at it this way. Your CC pastor is a member of two churches. He is a member of the local church, just like you, and he is a member of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa through his affiliation with CCCM. Chuck Smith is his pastor in that relationship.

Don't expect your pastor's pastor to rope in your pastor if he gets out of control. Remember you are not being pastored by your pastor's pastor, only your pastor is pastored by Chuck Smith. With 1000 churches, Chuck Smith can't pastor all 1000 pastors. Calvary is trying to solve some of these issues by putting in place regional pastors. This is being resisted by the local pastors who don't want the accountability structures or resist the denominationalism that it implies to them.

That Sounds Catholic, not Protestant!
Yes, it does. The analogy is to the Roman Catholic church with a Pope and Cardinals. Chuck functions as the Pope and the regional pastors are his bishops/cardinals.

However there is an important difference. The Catholic Church has accountability which Calvary Chapel lacks. The local pastor is controlled by the Bishop not the local congregation. It takes an action by the Bishop to remove him. There is no way to remove a pastor of a Calvary Chapel since he's his own little Pope, just like Chuck. Look at it this way. CC is even worse than the Roman Catholic Church. All the problems with none of the avenues of justice to resolve them!

Disaffiliation?
That's a fairly simple question. All you need to do is become a net negative to the head boss and you will be punted to the curb. He did it to his own son, Chuck Jr, so don't expect less yourself.

Chuck Smith defines what Calvary Chapel means and what it will take to become disaffiliated. Today the list is 1> Pretrib is necessary, 2> Can't be Calvinist, 3> Don't emerge or be seeker sensitive...

What will be added to the list tomorrow?

Calvary Pastor Rakes Chuck Over the Coals

Calvary Chapel pastor, Daniel Fusco, has written an article summarizing his view of what's wrong with Calvary Chapel and Chuck Smith. Although he misses some pretty spectacular issues he hits some big and fairly safe points. They are:

Issue #1 - When the Jesus Movement became the Calvary Movement
Issue #2 - A Non denomination that IS a Denomination that is NOT a Denomination
Issue #3 - Hero Worship and the Uneven Scales
Issue #4 - A New Emphasis on Dividing the Body of Christ
Issue #5 - When Protecting the Pastor means Hurting God's Kids
Issue #6 - When the Holy Bible replaced the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Trinity

Good job, Daniel. When you posted on the Phoenix Preacher you admitted CC had problems but every time I pressed you to elaborate you dodged them. I am glad to see you admitting to these problems and taking some action to remedy them.

Smith's Settle with Kestler

The lawsuit has been settled between the Smiths (Chuck and Jeff) and Mike Kestler for control of CSN. For the most part, Kestler walks away the winner.

God's word, plus static, on Calvary Satellite Network

LA Times Article from Feb 2007

Amid accusations over sex, money and control, Pastor Chuck Smith is about to surrender much of the evangelical radio empire to a man he calls morally unfit for ministry.

WHEN Chuck Smith, founder of the worldwide Calvary Chapel movement, decided to invest big in radio, the Orange County evangelist joined forces with a pastor he trusted...

CC vs EC - Charge #8

The final charge is

8 - The great confusion that exists in the divergent positions of the Emergent Church results from their challenging the final authority of the Scriptures. When you no longer have a final authority, then everyone's ideas become as valid as the next person's, and it cannot help but end in total confusion and contradictions.

This one has several aspects which reflect on CC and Protestantism in general. Everyone does have their private interpretation of Scripture in Protestantism. That's not just a problem within the EC, but all of the Protestant Church.

For CC, this is an implicit assertion that it is only Chuck Smith's interpretation that matters. The final authority on what constitutes a CC is Chuck Smith and the position papers he endorses - ex cathedra. Pope Chuck at his worst.

The criticism of the EC is that they are a movement without a central authority. LOL.

CC vs EC - Charge #7

Chuck comes out against contemplative practices in the church:

7 - Should we look to Eastern religions with their practices of meditation through Yoga and special breathing techniques or repeating a mantra to hear God speak to us? If this is needed to enhance our communication with God, why do you suppose that God did not give us implicit instructions in the Scriptures to give us methods to hear His voice? Is it the position of my body or my heart that helps me to communicate with Him?

Where is the place for prayer in the Christian life? How serious should we be about it? What about fasting? When was the last time you heard Chuck Smith preach on fasting or any of the other spiritual disciples which are clearly found in the NT?

Jesus prescribes fasting for the church

Mat 9:15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

Is Meditation Eastern?
Christianity is Eastern. It was born in the Middle East. Meditation is part of the Christian faith and the Jewish faith. In the NT we read:

1Ti 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

The same is in the Old Testament:

Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

CC vs EC - Charge #6

Homosexuality has been a hot topic at CCCM for a long time. In this charge, they write:

6 - Should we seek to condone what God has condemned, such as the homosexual lifestyle? Should we tell them that their problem is a genetic disorder rather than a blatant sin that God condemns over and over in the Bible? How long before they tell us that they have discovered that rapists, pedophiles, and adulterers have a genetic disorder and need to be understood rather than condemned?

The CC message seems long on condemnation here and little on the message that Christ came to save sinners. Not to make them good sinners, but to save them.

This is a pet peeve of Chuck Smith which led many attenders there after hearing Smith preach on it week after week that Chuck Smith can find anti-homosexual content in every verse in the Bible. True enough. When it comes to bad behavior there's more than a small amount of it to be found among CC pastors.