The Church Growth Movement's Evolution Into The Emerging Church
Part 4 -  Building On Principles Of Nature: Erwin McManus' Eastern Religion Influences

Mosaic’s stated goals and ideals are that of making "radical disciples for Christ". It is McManus’ belief that churches have fallen away from the basics of what the Biblical church should look like and be doing. While some of the goals and other things that McManus says can be taken as true, it is the foundation of which he bases the way to get there and the goals based on that foundation that are of concern.

I would place Mosaic in the category of the CGM and Emerging Church, but with more of an outward profession of the eastern religious ideology of the New Age. McManus’ initial influence for Mosaic came after visiting Bill Hybel’s Willow Creek church and Rick Warren’s Saddleback church¹. While McManus disagreed at that time with the approach of both of these Church Growth systems [Corporate styled], he is still associated with them. As examples, he speaks at leadership conferences with them, and Rick Warren wrote the Forward in McManus’ book, "An Unstoppable Force".² However, like Hybels and Warren, McManus also goes outside the Word of God and uses some of the same outside influences that the latter two do. I will get into the difference in approach, style, influences, and foundation shortly.

Mosaic was at the time of the original article on them, an exclusive type of church requiring membership. Membership also has a few rigid requirements to it. Required 10% tithe "and beyond", and active participation in various groups and required attendance to group meetings. Total commitment to the church is a must. One can attend Mosaic without being a member, does not have to tithe the 10%, but cannot be involved in any type of ministry, yet can still receive counseling and "be loved", "cared for", "accepted", etc.³

The structure and organization fits that of what is considered by some, a "Service Commune".  McManus says that the benefit of becoming a member is the ability to serve Christ.  I would like to point out that it does not take becoming a "member" of a particular organization to serve the Lord.  As Paul pointed out in Corinthians, there are many members of the body of Christ, and many gifts given to serve.  Many of these can be, and are, done outside the realm of an organization.  Paul also pointed out that it is our very lives which are given in service to Jesus in everyday living that benefits the Kingdom of God.

In the realm of the CGM, it is membership and the small group requirement that serves as the means for changing the member's thinking and is used for the introduction of those things from outside the realm of a Biblically pure based church.

Now these things may sound innovative, but cannot be found as the Biblical method of coming to know God. There is obviously some source outside the Word of God where these things came from.  For instance, where did the idea come from that the arts or creative process inspires a person or that witnessing these things puts the audience in a frame of mind to hear the message?  Like I said, they may sound innovative, but they are actually quite ancient.  I will illustrate this later.

When doing research, I attempt to see whom the writer uses for endorsements, references, quotes, and how he used these in the writings. These persons, as well as the content of the writing, can show the underlying sources and influences and where they came from. Such is the situation with "An Unstoppable Force".

A Greek philosopher who wrote in riddles. He believed all things are one, that the world consists of law-like interchange of elements symbolized by fire and governed by a law of change, and that the underlying law of nature manifests itself as a moral law, and the theory of nature and human condition are intimately connected.

Martin Segailman

Psychologist and writer of the positive thinking book, "Learned Optimism"

Joel Arthur Barker

A "Futurist" who is supposed to be the one who pioneered the concept of paradigm shifts in explaining the importance of vision to drive change within organizations. He writes business books. One such book is "Tactics Of Innovation: How To Make It Easier For People To Accept New Ideas".

Phil Jackson: NBA Coach

Jackson practices Zen Buddhism and wrote an endorsement for a book on Zen called "No Beginning, No End: The Intimate Heart Of Zen" by Kwong Roshi. Jackson also wrote a book called "Sacred Hoops", from which Erwin quotes from.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Wright was an "Organic Architect" who designed structures according to nature and the surrounding environment and stated that people derive countenance and sustenance from the atmosphere of the things they live in.

Gregory Bateson

Anthropologist, Social Scientist and Cyberneticist. One of the things he wanted to accomplish was to see the schematic of our minds were attuned to the ecology of a place. In this he said that if we failed to understand that ecological conditions that are part of the sense of a place, self destruction is risked.

Marshall McLuhan

He studied the media’s effect on people and had a perception that media was an extension of the human body, electronic media was an extension of the nervous system and that it imposed assumptions on the psyche of the user.

Jacob Bronwski

Historian and mathematician who believed there was no absolute truth. and believed that art depicts the truth of human experience. He taught the need for a universal ethic that fosters tolerance, mutual understanding, appreciation of differences and a sense that all people share a common destiny in nature’s "cosmic drama"

Robert Root-Bernstein

Professor of physiology at Michigan State University where he performs research on autoimmune diseases, the evolution of physiological systems, the nature of scientific creativity, and sciences-arts interactions.

Not quite a list of apostles, prophets, or disciples of Christ.  In fact these are not associated with the word of God at all.  So in these, we can see the possibility of the integration of the ideals philosophy, psychology, anthropology, sociology, evolution, and other aspects of Eastern religions, i.e. New Age, into the building of the church.  Mixed with the Bible, this gives a false sense of McManus' teachings and that of CGM as a whole, seemingly being of God.  However, this is against all that the word of God speaks of; mixing the World and aspects of other religions with his pure word.

Now let's see the effect and influence that can happen when going to these resources.

"In this book we’ll use several different metaphors to describe pastoral leadership, the first of which a pastor as a spiritual environmentalist. He has the unique task of leading the people of God to become who they really are. For a species to survive and propagate in a given ecosystem, a least five basic characteristics need to be present. One, a balanced ecosystem; two environmental adaptation; three spontaneous reproduction; for the nurturing instinct; and five, life-cycle harmony.⁵

According to Scripture, everything is connected, and every action has at least some effect on the whole. In the same way the church is part of the whole; she is both influenced by the world around her and called to influence the world in which she exists. Too often the church does not realize that she is part of a greater societal and spiritual ecosystem and that her role is to be the very fiber that produces health within that ecological system"⁶

In these quotes one can see the aspects of evolution and Eastern religious beliefs of the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts".  As noted in another article, this type of environmental thinking comes out of the concept of "Deep Ecology" witch is part Evolution and part Buddhism.  You can see information about this ideology in the article "Birthing Of The False Church Through Ecumenism"

We need to ask if Scripture puts the church as part of some ecosystem in the world, or does it say that we are not part of the world. As McManus stated, when man sinned the earth groaned. However, the natural is falling away, the spiritual [the body of Christ] does not and is not part of any natural system.  Also, is the church supposed to be influenced by the world around it? Only those who adopt things from the world. We are told not to be conformed to the world or the things in it.

Jesus said in his well known prayer to the Father concerning his disciples,
"I have given them my word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world... Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."  John 17:14, 16.

Rather a simple concept here.  We are not of the world, we are separated from the world by the word of God, which is truth; not the words and concepts of those of the world; not Environmentalists.

In looking further at what McManus says, the doctrine he speaks of is more than just "metaphor", it is also a belief system.

"The second environment deals with an external factor, and that factor is change.  Every living system that is fruitful is required to adapt to the environment in which it has been placed.  Species that thrive are species that adapt.  Species that do not adapt to change do not survive because change is an ever-present reality.  This is the difference between macroevolution and microevolution. This is not describing the change of one species into another species, for God clearly created each species according to its own kind, but it is the improvement of a species within its own kind."⁷

"The church must acclimate to a changing world, or she will destine herself to irrelevance or even extinction. What this means for the pastor as spiritual environmentalist is that he must understand the changing environment in which he church has been called to serve.

One of those dramatic changes in our environment is the shift from words to images. To do church in a way that is entirely text driven is the kiss of death."⁸

So when we hear by the CGM leaders that there is a need for the Church to be "culturally relevant", that concept came from the theory of Evolution, and Buddhism, not God. So this is the foundation from where McManus starts and justifies the rest of the philosophy. In order for a church to survive, it must adapt in the same way a species adapts, or it is gone. In seeing what he states here about the improvement of species of its own kind, I would say this is quite Darwin and deep occult.

Keep in mind McManus' statement about "our environment" shifting from words to images.  This is a subtle thing going on even within the church and I believe it will be instrumental in the acceptance of the anti-Christ.

Now one must ask, if this is the belief system that is being taught, how long can the "non members" of these type churches remain non members when they are taught this false evolutionary concept of non adapting?  Adapting means joining the crowd in order to survive.

And what did Paul tell Timothy about teaching? Text or images?

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim 4:2-4

Images, metaphor, and symbols have long been a method of other religions to teach and transform people, and is also part of the New Age method. The demon possessed psychologist Carl Jung wrote a lot about symbols and transformation as did one of his followers the late myth expert, Joseph Campbell.

What is the real truth then?  McManus and other CGM leaders - futurists say that the church must change to fit the culture or die.  The Bible says that the World must change to fit into the principles of God's word of life or die eternally.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

A Call To Become Modern

In his attempt to convince the church to adapt or die, McManus says;

We seem blind to the tremendous opportunities that await us. The search for the experiential, the desire to connect to those things primal and natural, the cynicism toward commercialism and even materialism, the extraordinary openness toward spirituality and mystery, the value and longing for community, and the reawakening inevitably of the aesthetics and the search for beauty are all hidden in the postmodern journey."⁹

This sounds more like Buddhism and its philosophies.  It is much deeper than this.

In his desire to convince the need of moving forward to keep up with the culture, McManus interjects another aspect outside the Bible; Physics. He says,

"How do we regain the kind of momentum that ignited the first-century church? How can we give up on speed without falling behind? Does nature have something to say about this? Science tells us that the cosmos has a great deal to teach us. The formula for momentum is P=MV2.....¹⁰

McManus then uses several pages in showing how he believes this applies to churches and leadership. In his chapter "Change Theology", McManus continues on this same thought saying,

"Within the word momentum, we find the inescapable reality of change. Remember our definitions of speed, velocity, and momentum: They are all in relationship to time - more specifically to the distance covered in a certain period of time. The movement of a church is really no different"¹¹

While making some true statements on the need to change one’s heart, get rid of traditions, he takes us back to the core of the foundation; becoming relevant. When doing research on the Church Growth Movement I found this same theme prevalent in the business books sold by Fuller and those associated with them.

And again we see that he has interjected a combination of science in relationship to a theory of nature.  (More on this in the article on Ecumenism)  When McManus compares the church to a scientific formula [momentum] in saying it is no different; it this true?  We still have to remember that the church is not part of nature.  Nature is withering.  And in the realm of this spiritual body of Christ, what is the real change agent.  According to the word of God, it is the Holy Spirit.

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5

"Beauty we may regard, then, as a normal and proper intention of the Way of Art, affirmative in its sensuous glorification of life, and this grounded in physiology. To this degree, the Way of Art coincides with the Way of Beauty. However, there is another and further, possible degree or range of the revelation of art that is beyond beauty, namely the sublime, which has been defined as "that which arouses sentiments of awe and reverence and a sense of vastness and power outreaching human comprehension... And from the perspective of viewing art, the same Nietzche declared; "Art is the proper task of life, art is life’s metaphysical exercise.... Art is more worth than truth."¹²

This is a good example of the thought that images are worth more than text.

McManus also has art, or the arts, as a significant part of his building of the church. He says,

"The Christian faith grew through story - not text. Only later did the stories become Scripture. While the Scripture must be held in the highest regard, we must not neglect the power of story"¹³

"One of the arts that leaders must craft is the selection of great stories."¹⁴

"Another significant tool in the process of cultural architecture is aesthetics. In any culture the expression of beauty is a significant shaper of the cultural ethos. In many ways aesthetics are an expression of what a culture holds true through the abstract medium of images and sounds. Music, poetry, and dance are not simply extraneous expressions of culture. They are the soul of the culture. When a culture holds certain values and ideals as true, the expression of those truths goes beyond words. Art uses a canvas as a medium for communicating the soul of people.

Art expresses culture; art transmits culture; art creates culture"¹⁵

So now we can see why McManus incorporates these things in his services. It appears that he equates the arts as having equal, if not more power than the word of God.  A bio on McManus from a book store website says about being a "Creative",

"Erwin Raphael McManus sees the imagination as the principle vehicle through which we create a better self, a better world, and a better future."  Source: goodreads.com/author/show/24712.Erwin_Raphael_McManus

While the words may be a little different than those of Joseph Campbell, the concept is the same. It is almost like these things are a replacement for the power of the Holy Spirit whom is the real shaper of people and the church. Does God need the assistance of these other things?  And what expresses, transmits and creates the Church?  Is it the Arts?  Are the Arts the soul of the Church?  Not according to God.

I said near the beginning of this article that I would give an illustration of how these innovative techniques are really ancient philosophies.  The following are quotes from a book on the religion of Theosophy.  Theosophy is the root of the New Age religion in America.  The book is "First Principles of Theosophy" by C. Jinarajadasa, Theosophy Press, 1901, fourth printing, 1928.  It is a book on Buddhism with some Christian terminology.  As you read these quotes, see how they compare with the concepts in "An Unstoppable Force".   I have underlined some of the key doctrines from "First Principles of Theosophy" that exist in the concepts of "An Unstoppable Force".

"The influence of the nurture of aesthetics goes beyond the arts. An aesthetic culture is also the environment from which the world’s greatest scientists, thinkers, and leaders will emerge. Robert Root-Bernstein, a professor of physiology at Michigan State University and McArthur Prize fellow writes in "Hobbled Arts Limit Our Future" concerning the arts: ‘The arts, despite their reputation of being subjective, emotional, nonintellectual pursuits, make science and invention possible. As a scientist and inventor who has had a lifetime association with art and music, I know whereof I speak’."¹⁶

"The big implication for the church is that we will lose our ability to communicate to culture if we do not regain a commitment to the development of aesthetics... Any leader who engages in this endeavor must go beyond having a value for aesthetics and must understand and use the power of aesthetics for the creating and shaping of ethos."¹⁷

McManus states that "Ethos" is created and shaped by aesthetics.  "Ethos" is the characteristic and distinguishing attitudes, habits, and beliefs of an individual or group.  It was originally a Greek word used to describe the power of music and other arts to influence emotions, behaviors and morals.  It was a belief of Aristotle.   Is it aesthetics that shape the ethos of a Christian or Christians?  Not according to what we have seen in 2 Timothy 3:13-17, Romans 12:2, John 17:14, 16

"The second element is captured in the imagery of water. The apostolic ethos is fueled by intimacy. Jesus prayed that we would be one, even as he and the Father are one.... Water is a great metaphor for community."¹⁸

This is a prime example of the incorporating eastern mysticism into the church.  There a many other different symbols we see every day that have as a purpose to communicate this ideal.  There will be another article on this subject.

While reading McManus’ material it is easy to say "yes" on many points. And this is one of the ways that make these exceptionally blatant falsehoods from the East acceptable.  But it is this means by which he wants to get to the "making disciples for Christ" that he can end up making disciples of these Eastern philosophies which are becoming a part of accepting the anti-Christ.

These are the disturbing trends I spoke of at the beginning of the article; which are even less covert deception in the doctrines that are being brought into the church, and the readiness to accept that which is so blatantly false.

One sad thing is that CGM leader Rick Warren's books, "The Purpose Driven Church", and the "Purpose Driven Life", are sought out by many.  And the fact that he endorsed Erwin McManus' book shows he also would agree with this incorporation of these things that oppose the truth of God.  But as noted before, the things in "An Unstoppable Force" have been part of the CGM since it started years ago in a rather subtle fashion.  They are not subtle any more.

In Isaiah 2:5-6 quoted at the beginning of this article, God is calling on Israel to walk in the light of the Lord.  However they also brought in things from the outside which resulted in God turning away from them.

Jesus of his disciples,
"And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not voice of strangers." John 10:5

We still have not learned the lessons from Biblical history and are following that path which God warned not to follow.  Instead of fleeing from these outside influences, the voices of those who are not from God, many run to them.  Why does this happen? It takes knowing the voice of the true shepherd to be able to know when the voice of a stranger is speaking.

Two problems that allow these falsehoods to come into the church are that many do not read the word in order to learn the voice of Christ, and those who are new have not had the chance to hear it long enough to see that they are being deceived.

A third problem is pastors who are beguiled by the CGM for some reason forget they are to preach the word, not the world.  They do not realize the danger of going outside of the Bible for teaching.  What are they going to receive in doing this?  The doctrines of demonic sources such as The Great White Brotherhood.

John warns,
"They are from the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them." 1 John 4:5

And this is where the CGM gets there material and what they speak.  The question is; who does John say listens to those who speak of the things of the world?  Those of the world.  This is a disturbing thing that so many listen to them.

Footnotes

¹ Erwin McManus, "An Unstoppable Force", pg 16
² Ibid, Forward
³ Ibid, pgs 215, 216, 220
⁴ Excerpt from Mosaic newsletter on line.
⁵ Erwin McManus, "An Unstoppable Force", pg 14
⁶ Ibid, pg 15
⁷ Ibid, pg 16
⁸ Ibid, pg 17
⁹ Ibid, pg 60
¹⁰ Ibid, pg 67
¹¹ Ibid, pg 79
¹² Joseph Campbell, "The Inner Reaches of Outer Space", pg 122
¹³ Erwin McManus, "An Unstoppable Force, pg 118
¹⁴ Ibid
¹⁵ Ibid
¹⁶ Ibid
¹⁷ Ibid
¹⁸ Ibid