In the continuing sadness and frustration about what I would call urban legends and over-generalizations being made about "the emerging church" and their theological beliefs, I was reading a new book by Bob Whitesel that has something of merit to repeat here.
The book is called "Inside the Organic Church: Learning From 12 Emerging Congregations"
Bob has visited Vintage Faith Church two times and we are one of the 12 churches he went to for his study as he prepared to write this book.
Unlike those who write about "the emerging church" either in books or blogs, yet never actually visit one or take the time to specifically talk to leaders of existing emerging churches - Bob had the integrity and just plain common journalistic sense to go actually visit 12 different emerging churches. He spent time at each church, went into the worship gatherings and met with the leaders of each before he went and wrote about them.
So here you have a professor from Indiana Wesleyan University who has studied churches for many years and he wrote a book about emerging churches after actually visiting 12 different churches, so he could speak with more accuracy and authority about them. Here is what he said in the book:
"Much of the criticism about the emerging organic church has focused upon the worries and reservations that, due to their engagement with postmodern philosophies, organic [emerging] churches may subtly begin to embrace heretical beliefs.
Quite frankly, before I embarked on my journey I had a premonition that I would find a proliferation of unorthodox theology..... I was surprised to find this not be widespread in the emerging organic church. The vast majority of my encounters were with orthodox theology, coupled with denominational predilections. Thus, while the methodology is experimental, entrepreneurial, and inventive, their theology usually follows quite closely orthodox and denominational roots."
I have read the entire book and he does say there is a small percentage who would venture into theological areas he called "not orthodox and even aberrant". But he continues again and reinforces that they are a minority when he states again "to my surprise, the majority of these emerging congregations have adopted the theology and core beliefs of the denominations that birthed them."
My point in posting this, is showing when someone actually does research before they write or post blogs, they will find that the "vast majority" (his words) of emerging churches are orthodox theologically and hold to the historical creeds and core doctrines of the faith. According to Bob there are a minority of emerging churches he would see differently, but not the majority as is being spread and urban legendized in certain circles. Bob also didn't do what I see as as a pattern and basically equate "the emerging church" to one or two people's writings, often pulling quotes from their context, and then say with authority in books, letters or blog postings that you are reporting all the facts about what "the emerging church" is about.
May people who feel they want to be vocal and write books, or send letters, or write blogs about "the emerging church" please take Bob Whitesel's lead and have enough integrity, respect and professional maturity to follow his example. You may not have the time to go and visit 12 different churches, but if you are determined enough to want to go and publicly be expressing your opinion as facts and want to point out alleged error - you certainly can have the decency to take even a small amount of time to go to some emerging church web sites and check them out. Or have the decency to email the leaders or call them to ask them what they do or believe and to make sure you are aren't propagating incorrect accusations and bascally slander other Christians with generalizations and false stereotypes.
OK, I won't post anything more on this topic. Three blog entries in a row is enough for now and I have said about all I need to say about this - but I was re-thumbing through Bob's book tonight and read some of his words which was speaking about what I have been blogging about here .
Thank you Bob for being someone that we can respect because you took the time to actually study, visit and actually know what you are writing about before you went and wrote something about emerging churches. Thank you for not being afraid to say you felt that there were some churches which were a minority, doing some things you felt were "unorthodox". When you raise the question of something possibly being unorthodox, I know I will surely want to listen to you, since you have earned the right and the respect to do so. You have actually "done your homework" and spent time looking at a diversity of emerging churches and thank you for taking the time to do so, so your voice is more accurate and trustworthy.
