Assemblies of God Seminary going Emergent?

[billiefan2000]

Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and Professor Earl Creps Promote Contemplative Spirituality


Assemblies of God Theological Seminary appears to be heading towards Emerging and Contemplative Spirituality. One example of this is Professor Earl Creps' syllabus, which include materials from Henri Nouwen, Brian McLaren, Ken Blanchard, Dan Kimball, Erwin McManus, Sally Morgenthaler, Leonard Sweet.

*Dr. Creps Blog

*The Leadership Network (the Creators of the Emerging Church) Interview with Earl Creps

Assemblies of God: Committed to Spiritual Formation, Contemplative and Emerging

Earl Creps, director of the Doctor of Ministry program and associate professor at AOGTS, is a heavy proponent of both contemplative and emerging. In his course syllabi over the last five years, Creps has classes with titles such as "Leading the Emerging Church" and "Models of Ministry in the Emerging Church." Syllabus reading materials include those from Henri Nouwen, Brian McLaren, Ken Blanchard, Dan Kimball, Erwin McManus, Sally Morgenthaler, Leonard Sweet. A visit to Creps' "Spiritual Adventures" blog gives a hearty helping of emergent discussion. In one blog, Creps tries to show how there might be a union between Pentecostalism and the emerging church, saying the relationship is "gaining some traction." While Creps ends that discussion with "I am painfully orthodox doctrinally," resources he offers throughout his blogs and websites would paint another picture. Under Apologetics Resources, Creps recommends Leonard Sweet's book, Quantum Spirituality. Listen to Sweet, as he describes the New Light in his book: "I have followed those 'New Light leaders' ... [S]ome of those who led [me] into new light are: ... Matthew Fox, Richard Mouw, Rowan Williams." Others that Leonard Sweet thanks include: Morton Kelsey, M. Scott Peck, Walter Bruggemann, Ken Wilber, Thomas Berry and many other New Age sympathizers. And then:
[INDENT]The first of these five untheorized observations is that New Light embodiment means to be "in connection" and 'in-formation' with other Christians. Deeper feeling and higher relating go together. The church is fundamentally one being, one person, a comm-union whose cells are connected to one another within the information network called the Christ consciousness." —Quantum Spirituality, P. 122[INDENT]

He goes on:

Energy-fire experiences take us into ourselves only that we might reach outside of ourselves. Metanoia is a de-centering experience of connected-ness and community. It is not an exercise in reciting what Jesus has done for me lately. Energy-fire ecstasy, more a buzz than a binge, takes us out of ourselves, literally. That is the meaning of the word 'ecstatic.'Quantum Spirituality, P. 93
This ecstasy Sweet speaks refers to the New Age ecstasy that occurs in an altered state of consciousness. (See more research on Sweet.) Sweet has written an endorsement for Creps new book, Off-Road Disciplines. With Creps influence at AOGTS and his admiration for Leonard Sweet, it looks like Sweet will play a role in the future of many Assemblies of God students. Read More of this article.

Assemblies of God Theological Seminary Supports Dr. Earl Creps by Making Available His 1700 Resources on the Emerging Church

Endorsements on the AGTS website for these
resources include:

"Assemblies of God professor Earl Creps, a man for whom many in the emerging church movement give thanks daily."—Marcia Ford

"I have instructed my web people to link to your marvelous resource. There is truly nothing out there like it. I can't thank you enough." —Leonard Sweet

RECOMMENDED AUTHORS BY AGTS and Dr. Earl Creps:

Dallas Willard
Leonard Sweet
Richard Foster
Eugene Peterson and more...

Earl Creps and the Emerging Church

Emerging Leaders Forum
November 18, 2005 - 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
"Earl Creps will share on the subject of "Ministry in a Postmodern Culture" with this group of Emerging Leaders."

His Own Words

"Being on the road and the internet a lot has connected me with ... friends like Len Sweet, and numerous Districts of the Assemblies of God, along with other parachurch organizations like Youth Specialties ..."
His Required Reading to Students

Smith, Chuck, Jr. The End of the World As We Know It: Clear Direction for Bold and Innovative Ministry in a Postmodern World. Waterbrook, 2001. (272 pages)

McLaren, Brian. A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey. John Wiley & Sons, 2001. (192 pages)

Sweet, Leonard. Postmodern Pilgrims: First Century Passion for the 21st Century Church. Broadman & Holman, 2000. (224 pages)

See more required reading by Dr. Earl Creps

Earl Creps Upcoming Book on Spiritual Formation

Article and links available here: Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and Professor Earl Creps Promote Contemplative Spirituality

[LostNoMore4]

If I'm not mistaken, isn't Assemblies of God a branch of the Pentacostals? I was just having a discussion about this on another MB right now.

Anyhow - I believe there was an Assembly of God church in Ohio a couple of years ago that was reportedly accepting money from FEMA, and the people who reported this were former members that found out, and then left that church.

Color me surprised that they've gone Emergent...

[mattfivefour]

The Assemblies of God has been heading away from the Lord for a long, long time. I remember back in the late 80's my wife and I stopped in at an Assemblies of God church in Plentywood, Montana one Sunday morning as we were passing through town.

It was deader than a doornail in the service. And when my wife stood to give a testimony (apparently nobody there ever gave testimonies in the part of the service where testimonies were "invited") anointed by the Holy Spirit ... a couple of the old saints were moved to tears. After the service they told us that they could not remember the last time anyone had given a testimony in their church. when we asked about messages in tongues or prophecy or healings, they said they couldn't remember that either. (And this was a "pentecostal" church!!!) In fact, come to think of it, I think my wife and I were the only ones to raise our hands in worship during the service.

Now that was 20 years ago. And I heard similar tales from people who visited other Assemblies of God churches. So the fact that those who grew up in them and became pastors and teachers, some of whom are running the bible colleges now, I am not surprised that they are going emergent. When people are starving ... KNOWING there has to be more to New Testament Christianity than happens during most church services, they will chase after whatever seems to promise it to them.

Too bad that for a couple of generations the preaching of the FULL gospel in the power and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit has been all but abandoned. Our churches are reaping the result.

[Robert]

Yes, very sad. And a sign of the times so say the least.