CHRISTIANITY ACCORDING TO RICK WARREN
Rick Warren's Ecumenical Path to Rome Continues
 

Commentary by Roger Oakland
Understand The Times International: Roger Oakland Ministries
www.understandthetimes.org
1.800.689.1888

CHRISTIANITY ACCORDING TO RICK WARREN

Since the advent of the Internet, vast changes have taken place with regard to the term “reaching the world for Jesus.” No longer is a pastor or Christian speaker confined to a pulpit or a local congregation. While radio and television opened the door for exporting the messages of men and their successful methods and styles, the Internet has provided steroids for expanding this phenomenon. Rick Warren, “America’s pastor,” has perfected this method and has now become known as “pastor to the nations.”

The interview with Warren and Raymond Arroyo of EWTN outlines how this process works. For those who are not familiar with EWTN, then more information is necessary at this time. EWTN stands for Eternal Word Television Network. This American-based network is better known as the Roman Catholic Television Network founded by Mother Angelica, which began broadcasting in 1981.  Nelson Arroyo is one of the main hosts who appears on the network on a daily basis. 

During Warren’s interview with Arroyo, he is asked to describe how the P.E.A.C.E. Plan was established in Africa. As part of this explanation, Warren outlines how meeting a young pastor who was already following him and listening to his messages over the Internet was influential in changing his own life. Here is what Warren stated in his own words:

He [the young pastor] said, “I know who you are.” I said, “How do you know who I am?” He said, “You’re Pastor Rick.” I said, “How do you know who I am?” He said, “I download your free sermon every

week.” I said, “Now you’re in a village with no water and no electricity. How are you downloading my sermon every week?” They’re putting the Internet in every post office in South Africa. They’re calling it PITS Public Information Terminals. He said, “Once a week I walk an hour and a half to the nearest post office. I download your free sermon. I walk an hour back and I teach it to my people.” He said, “you know, Rick, you’re the only training I’ve ever had.”

Ray, that was a turning point in my life. I said, “I’ll give the rest of my life for people like that.” And I’ve spent most of the last decade in little villages around the world you’ve never heard of, helping these barefoot evangelists, these priests, these pastors, these deacons, these ministers, these bishops who are serving faithfully when I have so much and they have so little. And out of that we’ve developed the PEACE Plan, P. E. A. C. E. [1]

Warren’s response to Arroyo that shows the scope of his Internet influence is not an over exaggeration. There are countless pastors worldwide who are “Warrenites” and follow every move he makes on a daily basis.  However, while Warren may be exuberant about the influence his messages have in shaping the minds and the theology of the tens of thousands who are following him, there are some questions that need to be asked with regard to the nature of this model. What if Warren’s messages, although popular, were not always biblical? Is it healthy to follow the teachings of one particular man and ignore the warnings of the Bible? Should we not be like the Bereans and always keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and His word?

Is it true that successful pastors are like magnets attracting followers because of their ability to use church growth methods? Is this what discipleship is all about?

Defining Christianity

Warren’s P. E. A. C. E. Plan is a necessary component of Warren’s overall Purpose Driven Plan. This acronym is explained based on information posted on a Saddleback Church website:

The PEACE Plan is our response to the five global giants that negatively affect our world: Spiritual emptiness, Self-serving Leadership, Poverty, Disease, and Illiteracy. We overcome each of these giants by Planting churches that promote reconciliation, Equipping servant leaders, Assisting the poor, Caring for the sick, and Educating the next generation.[2]

On the surface, the P. E. A. C. E. Plan sounds like a noble Christian effort to make the world and the church a better place. Further explanation from the same Saddleback website seems to confirm this. We read:

There aren't enough doctors, teachers, or missionaries to solve the world's giant problems. But there’s an army of ordinary people, in the church, waiting to be mobilized to do something only the church can do; spread the hope of Jesus Christ. The PEACE Plan is ordinary people, empowered by God, making a difference together wherever they are. [3]

The word “church” used in this context needs to be examined in light of Rick Warren’s overall strategy to implement the P.E.A.C.E. Plan globally. This is something that most Christians who are following Warren are not familiar with. Since the implementation of the program, Warren has constantly been referring to his three-legged-stool plan that makes the P.E.A.C.E. Plan complete. The third leg of the stool that he calls the faith sector is also referred to as “the churches.”  For example, in an interview with Tim Russet on December 24, 2006, Warren stated:

 A one-legged stool will fall over, a two-legged stool will fall over, and business and government alone cannot solve these problems. They haven’t, or they would’ve. The third leg of the stool is the churches. There’s a public sector role, there’s a private sector role and there’s a faith sector role. [4]

What Warren means by the “faith sector” or the “churches” would require several chapters for a book. It is well known that he promotes the idea of working together with people of any faith as long as there is a common goal to “do good”. For the purpose of this commentary, I will simply quote what Rick Warren told Raymond Arroyo about the inclusiveness of the “church”:

It is really incumbent on all Christians, of every brand and stripe that we join together on things we share in common. And when I say, do you believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Yes. Do you believe Jesus Christ rose? Yes. Do you believe He died on the cross? Yes. Do you believe in hell and heaven? Yes. Do you believe the Bible is God’s Word? Yes. Then we are on the same team. We might not agree on all of the minors, but we are Christians!

So far, Warren’s answer and his definition of “the church” seems to be accurate and biblical. However, in his list of essentials of the faith he failed to clearly present the entire gospel and that salvation is based on faith in Jesus Christ alone. Further, as often demonstrated, Warren has the ability to change from one thought pattern to another in the same sentence. What he says next in this same context is very suspicious when he goes on to explain the size of the church. He states:

 And, here’s the thing—people don’t realize how big the church really is. It’s the largest organization on planet earth. We don’t have anything to apologize for. There are 600 million Buddhists in the world. There are 800 million Hindus in the world. There are about 1.5 billion Muslims. But there are 2.3 billion Christians who would say I believe Jesus is who He claimed to be—the Son of God. That means 1 out of every 3 people on this planet. The church is bigger than China. The church is bigger than China and India put together. Nothing as big and we have more outlets. I could take you to 10 million villages around the world, the only thing in it is a church. That’s why, there is no global problem—poverty, disease, illiteracy, whatever—that can be solved without the church.

Warren’s own words say it best. However, perhaps a few more questions will help clarify some points that need to be addressed. Are there really 2.3 billion “Christians” in the world who fully embrace the “essential” doctrines of the Christian faith or is this an exaggeration of the facts? Again without debating this point in this commentary, common sense provides the clear answer that this 2.3 billion figure cannot be in reference to the bride of Christ. Is Pastor Rick and his Purpose Driven agenda a tool for ecumenical unity that embraces all forms of “Christianity” that lead towards a unity with Rome?

Worse yet, when Warren loosely labels “the church” the “faith sector” (also defined as the “third leg” of the three-legged-stool which supposedly provides global solutions for global problems), such a concept is borderline delusional. It amazes me how so many have been duped. How can Bible-believing evangelicals not see through this veil?

[1] transcript
[2] http://saddleback.com/connect/ministry/the-PEACE-plan/lake-forest
[3]ibid
[4] Michael Ireland, “Rick Warren Talks about AIDS, Celebrity Status, Elections, January 9, 2007, http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/1460297.html