Explain Consistency!

Dr. Tom Ascoll will once again place a resolution on regenerate church membership before the SBC in San Antonio. This resolution is something I can support and plan on raising my ballot in support when it comes to the floor. This article does not question Dr. Ascol’s consistency of the resolution. However, I must ask if regenerate church membership applies only to those we cannot find with an FBI search warrant. What about those members that we have on our roles that are dabbling in open sin?

I remember when the book Purpose Driven Church first came out. I was attending SEBTS and it was required reading in one of my church growth classes. It received mixed reviews from my classmates. The gambit ran from; “this is the best book that has ever been written on church growth”, to “the author does not advocate preaching on sin”. I, personally felt that the book was very well thought out and personally looked at, and even tried to float some of the ideas. However, as you know, Purpose Driven Church is not something that you can take bits and pieces of and make it work.

While I have always tried to be fair in my assessment of varying situations, I have found myself in sort of a quandary on a particular issue with Dr. Rick Warren. I remember hearing Dr. Warren speak at a previous convention and he said, “whenever he gets discouraged he goes to a baptism.” He then left the podium and we say baptisms that were filmed for about 2 minutes then he returned to the podium to resume his message. Then he would say something similar to the above statement and do it again. At the end of that message I decided that we would begin filming baptisms in the church I served. Of course, that idea floated like a lead balloon. While I am not one that advocates bigger is a sign of God’s blessings, I do believe that Dr. Warren is a man of God and desires to follow Him. Thus my quandary.

What is this quandary? You can read about it here. It seems that Dr. Warren has a member that is a world leader in the entertainment industry, Mr. Rupert Murdoch. Why does this create such a quandary? While I do believe Dr. Warren believes the Bible, it appears that he is relegating his responsibilities as a pastor to hold accountable members in their spiritual growth–something he openly advocates–to the back burner. What is this open sin that Dr. Warren needs to hold Mr. Murdoch accoutable? According to the article it is the launching of business adventures into the hard core porno industry.

This is not some business that Mr. Murdoch has purchased and this porno business is just some small entity. As one news report on this back in December, 2006 says; “But BSkyB has been secretly expanding its activities in the growing business of pornographic television with its wholly owned 18+ Movies offering. The company has also been entering into partnerships with companies that broadcast pornographic television channels on BSkyB, such as Sport XXX Babes, XXX Housewive and Playboy.” From reports of this expansion, it appears that porno is a specific industry that Mr. Murdock is expanding into.

Why is this such an issue? Dr. Warren has referred to himself as being Mr. Murdock’s Pastor. Read what Dr. Warren said in a September 2005 interview; “I had dinner with Jack Welch (former chief executive officer of GE) last Sunday night. He came to church, and we had dinner. I’ve been kind of mentoring him on his spiritual journey. And he said to me, ‘Rick, you the biggest thinker I have ever met in my life. The only other person I know who thinks globally like you is Rupert Murdoch.’ And I said, ‘That’s interesting. I’m Rupert’s pastor! Rupert published my book!”

Dr. Warren now has the responsibility to call into accountability Mr. Murdoch for the appearance of hypocrisy. As a matter of record, Mr. Murdoch’s presses against rivals has used porno as a battering ram to gain the advantage. “For years the Murdoch press has labelled rival newspaper baron Richard Desmond a pornographer in articles charting his business which has included pornographic magazines and TV channels.” How much more hypocritical can one get?

Dr. Warren has an undaunting task ahead of him if he is to remain true to his understanding of sin and confession. As recently as May 1 Dr. Warren writes; “Sin is to be confessed only as widely as it affects others. Private sin requires only private confession to God. Personal sin that involves others requires interpersonal confession to the people involved. Public sins (those that affect a large group of people in our congregation) regrettably must be dealt with publicly as a warning to others.” What more public sin is there than owning a business geared toward porno?

I believe that if Dr. Warren does not begin implementing Matthew 18 principles with Mr. Murdoch, preachers all across the south owe the tobacco industry an apology.

What do you think?