PHILOSOPHIES OF THE NEW AGE IN THE CHURCH GROWTH MOVEMENT

Who is undermining the sufficiency of Christ and His word? When we disobey God, and go outside His Word, there can be some real bad results, and we may end up in places we did not desire to be, involved with things we never thought we would ever be involved with.

We really need to do some rethinking concerning drawing upon the world of business, theirs and other techniques. Why? Revelation 18 warned us concerning the prophesied re-established Babylonian system, that [1] "...the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality", [2] "...your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery". vss 3, 23

Think about it a minute. These verses specifically tell us that the business world would incorporate the methods and thinking of this system, and become rich by it, and considered the "great" men, actually lords of the earth because the world accepted it, as the world too would be deceived by the system.

Think some more. What is actually influencing, even running the governments? The Corporate World. What is beginning to influence and run our educational systems? The Corporate World. In a recent newspaper article there was a story about some school districts even turning over the operation of the schools to corporations. And now churches? One futurist confirms the prophecy is happening when he said in a new book on business,

"The transformation of the corporation is part of the larger transformation of the socio - sphere as a whole... Taken together, they add up to a massive historical shift.... The force of change will be coming both from within and from outside the organization...

"In days of the Holy Roman Empire the Church, as the dominant institution in society, took major responsibility for the well being of the whole. Business is the dominant institution in modern society... As the dominant social institution on the planet, business and industry will pay a key role in shaping the future of the globe, whether for good or ill... the dominant institution in a society needs to take responsibility for the whole... It is genuinely new, and will require new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving..." Willis Harmon, The New Paradigm In Business: Emerging Strategies for Leadership and Organizational Change, J.P Tarcher, 1993, pgs 282, 285, 288, 289

If these things in Revelation 18 are true, and they are, or they would not be in the Word, then [1] Why is the church flocking to the business world, and [2] in addition to this, what else are these CGM churches also incorporating from the business world? And, if these things are not happening, if there is nothing really going on, then why did God say right after verse 4, "Come out of her, My people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues." Revelation 18:4

Durant, a contemporary writer observed, "While Christianity converted the world, the world converted Christianity". Dave Hunt, Global Peace and the Rise of the Antichrist, Harvest House, 1991, pg. 108, from Durant Civilization Vol. 13, Caesar and Christ, pg. 657. Unfortunately, by incorporating ideals of science and business, something unseen is going on underneath.

Aside from the outward aspects of these world philosophies coming into the church, what else has covertly been introduced with them in their "scientific" and "business" packaging? Looking for the source of the CGM concepts and of their worldwide truths, and into some of their recommended materials, over three years of research led us on interesting trails. In our research we found that woven in among the philosophies, and the materials provided and suggested by CGM experts and consultants, are the aspects and well know leaders of the New Age Movement and the occultism that go along with it.

In our last issue [Part 1] on the Church Growth Movement in Battle Lines, we pointed out that the Church Growth Movement [CGM] is largely based upon, to put it in their own words, "world wide truths". These include sociology, anthropology, behavior sciences, etc. We also noted that many CGM philosophies and materials have been incorporated from the business world. But what are the philosophies of the business world; where did they get them?

We indicated that the business world has adopted New Age philosophies, and influential people in the corporate world are claiming it is the dominant force over the church, to shape and transform society. Is this true?

In this article, using CGM recommend materials as a base, we will confirm our warning of what happens when we go outside the Word, by showing that the CGM has connected itself with New Age idealists from the corporate world and beyond. There is more to business than business today.

THE STILL, SMALL VOICE

One of the most common things we hear from people who have come out of churches that have adopted the CGM model and practices is, "We knew something was wrong, we just didn't know what it was".

This has been the experience of many; a deep belief something was wrong, but not being able to put a finger on it, knowing it was not in the Word, and wondering where it came from. Some who read the last issue on the CGM told us they now understood what was wrong, what the still small voice of the Holy spirit was telling them; what they saw was contradicting the Word of God.

There was something else, another reason for the red flags of the still small voice: Where did these philosophies come from? What is the source of all of these new terms, programs, philosophies and other church growth techniques, not found in the Word of God?

IN COMES THE LEAVEN

In one of his parables of the apostasy within the Kingdom of heaven, Jesus said,

"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened". Matt 13:33

In this verse and others [1 Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9] we are taught that it does not take much of false doctrine to mess things up. So in the following paragraphs were going to look at what we found as some of the sources and resources of CGM materials. Unfortunately the church has become like "Mikie" in the old cereal commercial; we'll eat anything. Forgetting the warnings of apostasy in scripture, we just accept any "expert" that comes along without checking to see the sources and resources for their materials, or to check them with scripture. We cannot be this way anymore! As we follow the trail back to the sources of CGM, you will see why.

One of the first associations we found that links the CGM with the New Age were the writers themselves of the business and leadership books sold in the catalog of The Fuller Institute of Church Growth [a sub organization of Charles Fuller Theological Seminary]. It needs to be noted that these books are out of a catalog put out by The Fuller Institute of Church Growth in the 1990-1991 issue.  How much more has been added ten years later to both business and the CGM?

THE BUSINESS LINK

One business leadership book Fuller sells is On Becoming A Leader by Warren Bennis. Is Bennis associated with the New Age? We found Bennis' books endorsed by New Age Journal, and New Age futurist Alvin Toffler. Inside this book we also found Bennis quoting in a positive way, the writing of New Age business writer Thomas Peters and the elitist New World Order organization, The Club Of Rome, occultist Carl Jung, and Marilyn Furgeson, author of the popular New Age book, The Aquarian Conspiracy.

It is also interesting that Furgeson also quotes Bennis in her own book. It was quite obvious that Bennis is associated deeply with New Age persons and groups. Next on the list from the catalog is Lawrence Miller's book Barbarians To Bureaucrats. Are there NA associations with Miller?

"Transformative ideas also appear in the guise of Business management." The Aquarian Conspiracy

Miller's book is endorsed by New Age idealist Buckminster Fuller, author of Synergetics [a book based upon ancient uses of geometry & physics Fuller says will save the world], Craig Hickman and Micheal Silva, authors of Creating Excellence - Managing Corporate Culture: Strategy & Change In the New Age.

AN EXPANDING "NETWORK" OF ASSOCIATIONS

When we did our four years [and still counting] research into the CGM [back in 1991], we went beyond the first level of books, i.e. those sold by Fuller, to research some of the authors and books that Bennis, Miller and others used as resources or who endorsed these books we found in Fuller's catalog at that time. We found it interesting to see the web of New Age associates increased and how they crisscrossed in using each other as resources.

For instance, we find one of Miller's endorsers, Buckminster Fuller, and his book Synergetics endorsed by Marilyn Furgeson, plus other New Age thinkers such as Norman Cousins, Samuel Elliot, Arthur C. Clarke, Arthur Loeb and so on.

Looking at Miller's second endorsers, Hickman and Silva, we found the sources of their book Creating Excellence... to be Marilyn Furgeson, Warren Bennis, Thomas Peters, Alvin Toffler, and others who are New Age thinkers.

Another book in Fuller's catalog is a popular book by Steven R. Covey, Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People. Covey also has an interesting list of positive New Age resources. Some of these include Thomas Peters [again!], Charles Garfield, author of Peak Performers; Anthony Robbins, fire walker and author of Unlimited Power; Tom Crum, founder of the New Age organization Windstar Foundation with John Denver; M. Scott Peck, author of several popular New Age books, such as The Different Drum, & The Road Less Traveled, and yes, Marilyn Furgeson.

Let’s take a quick look at some of Covey's resources and their associates. One is M. Scott Peck. Peck is a writer of two very popular books just mentioned. But whom is Peck associated with? One endorsement on the cover of The Different Drum reads "Peck has done it again!" - Marilyn Furgeson. Obviously Pecks books appeal to New Age thinkers, and they do. Peck believes that man is evolving into gods. An occult bookstore I was recently in even sells a M. Scott Peck Road Less Traveled Calendar. A real unfortunate thing that is happening, pastors are quoting Covey from the pulpit and even recommending his books to their members and staff.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

What is really wrong with this picture? First we can see that churches are sometimes unknowingly [hopefully], being taught by New Age idealists. I said "sometimes" unknowingly because some pastors I have spoken with and showed them the New Age connections to these materials, still continued to use them. This includes a favorite and well known pastor. And they just are not inviting in the one, but also the many; i.e. the string of resources that these author use. Now if New Age idealists write these books, and their resources and associates are New Age, what type of teachings do you suppose are coming into the churches? One word given to us warns;

"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate", says the Lord, "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you..." 2 Cor 6:14, 17

Now, would you think that these New Age idealists are believers in God as is written in scripture? Are they of light or of darkness? Obviously they are not believers, and the New Age is of darkness, not light. In fact, their philosophies and ideals oppose Christianity. Would you think that books endorsed by New Age Journal or written by New Age authors are clean or unclean?

We need to understand that those in the New Age believe that fundamental Biblical Christianity is a no more than an outdated irrelevant myth and a danger to their goals. In fact, Warren Bennis, along with New Age futurist Willis Harmon , says that the church is no longer relevant in today's society, that it is up to the corporate world to teach values and spirituality to their employees and families; in the corporate setting.

Do we want to be bound together with those who are opposed to Christ and believe that Christianity is a wall to their One World Eastern type religion and their New World Order? We need to realize that if we incorporate and get advise from the writers of these books that the CGM sells via Fuller and other CGM organizations, we are also getting the advise of the other numerous writers they referred to.

We followed the path of many of the endorsers and resources [about 20 books] of some the books that Fuller sells. They all had New Age philosophies, many times covered under the guise of business or science.

What else is wrong with this? It is that these books are even in a Christian organization and catalog! What happens is the ease by which the philosophies of these writers can enter churches. Most Christians know little or nothing about the New Age. So when a respected person or organization within Christianity promotes, sells or quotes a writer or book, they are giving credibility to them, their philosophies.

CHRISTIAN AUTHOR CONNECTIONS

Christian Authors Are Also Linked This problem not only happens with the secular books that the CGM promotes, but also, yes also, in some books by pastors and other authors in the CGM.

For instance, in a book co-authored by Church Growth experts Don Cousins, Leith Anderson, and Arthur DeKruyter called Mastering Church Management, published by Multnomah and at one time promoted by Christianity Today, Inc., we find some of their positive resources are also of the realm of the New Age idealists. Thomas Peters is one referenced. In his book In Search For Excellence, he resources Warren Bennis and Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

One part of Mastering Church Management has in it, Abraham Maslow's scripture - contradicting Hierarchy of Needs. Yet another promotes Kenneth Blanchard's One Minute Manager. Blanchard himself is a graduate of Anthony Robbins Unlimited Power course and was also at one time engaged in a cable TV advertising promotional of this course. Positive thinker Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral and Peak Performers author Charles Garfield also endorses Blanchard’s book.

It is interesting that Garfield also resources Blanchard in Peak Performers along with a list of heavy New Age thinkers such as Rollo May, Ted Turner [Turner Broadcasting], deep New Age idealist Aldous Huxley, Morton Hunt, Jean Houston, along with Warren Bennis.

Now if I did not know better, since Mastering Church Management was written by highly respected people [they have numerous books in Christian bookstores] and sold by the respected but out of scripture Fuller Institute of Church Growth, and in Christian bookstores in general, it must be all right. Not only must this book be all right, but also all those resources and their resources must be credible and acceptable.

This same concept applies to Honest To God  by pastor Bill Hybels, a very respected person in CGM circles who has a corporate style CGM mega church of over 19,000, Willow Creek Community Church. In Honest To God, Hybels quotes New Age Men's Movement philosopher Robert Bly [As does Promise Keepers book The Masculine Journey]. Bly's books and philosophies can be found in New Age bookstores. And remember M. Scott Peck, the writer who believes we are all evolving into gods? Bill Hybels book also uses Peck as a positive resource from The Road Less Traveled  and The Different Drum.

Remember that it was even on the cover of The Different Drum  that Furgeson said, "Peck has done it again". Incidentally, in a twenty-page interview by Playboy Magazine, Peck stated he thought pornography was good. Not a very good resource to draw upon. But church leaders are doing it!

In Honest To God, Bill Hybels also endorses a book called Please Understand Me; Character and Personality Types, by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates. He said this book helped his marriage. Bill stated in his book that Please Understand Me is an in depth look at the theories of Carl Jung and on personality types from which the Meyers - Briggs Type Indicator Test in the book was derived from. In this and past newsletters we have pointed out that Jung was an occultist, astrologer, believed the Bible is a myth, and was demonically possessed by two spirit guides; Philemon and Ka.  The Word said this was going to happen, didn't it?

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." 1 Tim 4:1

Personality type tests have their root in ancient mythology and astrology. There are occult books on the ancient occult symbol, the Enneagram, and personality and character types. Yet we also found these personality type tests offered in the Fuller Catalog. Now, because a respected person wrote Honest To God, the unknowing person may believe that Bly, Peck, Jung, Please Understand Me. and their philosophies are all right. But they are not.

LOOK WHO'S COMING TO DINNER!

It should be quite evident there is a serious problem here. Look who, and what, has been invited into the church! The Word tells us,

"For many deceivers have gone into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the anti Christ... Anyone who goes to far and does not abide in the teachings of Christ, does not have God..." 2 John 7, 9

Question. Do those in the New Age acknowledge the Jesus of the Bible? No. Do they abide in the teachings of Christ? No. Then what are they doing being used in the body of Christ, either from the secular books or books written by Christian authors?

We are told,
"If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [of Christ] do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting: for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds." 2 John 10, 11

"But"[some say], "We just utilize some of the good insight out of their books and throw the rest away". Sorry, no buts. The Word says do not receive them! Again, they not only do not abide [stay in] the teachings of Christ, they are not even in them. And, unfortunately, we are seeing that Christian pastors and authors are also not abiding [staying] in the doctrine of Christ, but going outside, utilizing those who follow the New Age; a very present danger when we look outside the Word.

Can we participate in their "evil deeds"? Yes. If we use them and their philosophies as resources, as helps, we help spread their anti Christ philosophy and give them credibility in the church.

"You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" 1 Cor 10:21

REMEMBER, GOD SAID AN APOSTASY WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!

The question is, do we want to be a part of helping it spread? The CGM is doing just this. Not only by teaching their "world wide truths", but also by bringing in teachers and futurists of the New Age Movement.

FOLLOWING PROPHETS OF BAAL

"The church at the end of the twentieth century is going through changes of major proportion right along with the culture. We have long known, alerted by the works of Alvin Toffler and other futurists, that major shifts have been underway for decades now as we move from an industrial to a technological society."

This statement was on a paper I received from some concerned people who told me it was given to them from the mission director of their church. The paper had titles on it such as "Paradigm Shifts At The End Of The Twentieth Century" and "A New Paradigm For The Twenty First Century".

The writer of this paper then goes on to quote New Age futurists Alvin Toffler and Thomas Kuhn. Recall Toffler is also part of the trail of resources in the CGM recommended books, Barbarians To Bureaucrats; 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; On Becoming A Leader, also all the others that have The Aquarian Conspiracy in their line somewhere. Thomas Kuhn is also found in the trail. Alvin Toffler's book, Power Shift was also listed in a Fuller Catalog. Here we have another example of the church, utilizing CGM thinking, listening to and following the writings of New Age futurists.

PROPHETS OF THE NEW AGE

What really is a futurist? They are the prophets of the New Age. They are the ones calling for the old "paradigm" to be put aside for the ancient occult prophesied [falsely I might add] new "paradigm" of the New Age. They are the modern day prophets of Baal.

And who is following them? The statement on the paper said, "We have long known, alerted by the works of Alvin Toffler and other futurists". The writer is referring to his sector of Christianity. What ever happened to "'We' have long known, alerted by the prophets of God"? The writer of this paradigm shifts paper [incidentally, "paradigm shift" was a phrase coined by Thomas Kuhn] also says,

"The Church will create a new paradigm to fit a new cultural situation. It is already happening before our eyes. Old institutions, organizations, and agencies are creaking at the joints and stretching as fare as they can. New forms are emerging.

Doesn't this sound exactly like the statement of Willis Harmon?

The question is, 'Will these new forms be driven by the cultural norms and ideas, or be firmly rooted in the broad biblical paradigm? The answer is obvious. First, even in this writer's own paper we see him listening to the New Age prophets concerning a forth coming society and the need for the church to change with it. Second, the CGM calls for churches to change to fit the culture. Third, the CGM is driven by the cultural norms and ideas as seen in the books and philosophies of the world they sell and promote, and as seen in the changes that happen in CGM following churches.

Does it appear that there is some blindness here? And isn't the doctrine of the Bible narrow and not broad? Marilyn Furgeson said of this paradigm shift,

"The premonition was recorded that a minority of individuals would some day be yeast enough to leaven a whole society. Serving as a magnetic culture, they would attract order around them and transform the whole." The Aquarian Conspiracy, pg. 45

It does appear that the leaven of the New Age is in the church. Especially since we have seen the introduction of the words of their prophets and other followers into the church. Peter warned,

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring about themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their perious ways; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of." 2 Peter 1:2

Can we see how this is happening in the church? What does the word say about leaven? It would be hidden within the good meal, and it would not take much to leaven a whole lump. Thus we can see that through the CGM's introduction of New Age prophets and teachers, this very thing is going on today. We constantly are failing to learn from the lessons in the scriptures concerning what happened to Israel and Judah. We are doing the same thing. How? First, God told Israel,

"Thus says the Lord, 'Do not learn the way of the nations...'." Jer 10:1

Did they listen? No. Are we listening today? No, we are incorporating the ways of the world and the occult into the church.

Second, they were told,
"Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephriam has become a cake not turned. Strangers devour his strength, yet he does not know it... Hosea 7:8, 9

Has the CGM mixed itself with the nations? Yes. Do they, or churches that follow their philosophies see that they have invited strangers in? No. Do they know that these strangers are devouring their people, their strength in God? No.

Third, they were told,
"Thy holy people possessed Thy sanctuary for a little while, our adversaries have trodden it down. We have become like those over whom Thou has never ruled, like those who were not called by they name." Is 63:18-19

It should be seen that this is happening today. The adversaries of Biblical truth are coming in, and coming in invited with their Babylonian philosophies, being, as Furgeson said a "yeast", acting as a "magnetic culture" for the purpose of transforming the entire society, including the church. And what is suggested? That the church change itself to follow the culture. Yes, to become like them, in order to reach them. As with the New Age, those in the CGM and related ideals are saying the same thing!.  But what happened before has happened again, and with the same Babylonian system.

"We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; Disgrace has covered our faces, for aliens have entered the holy places of the Lord's house." Jer 51:51

"The adversary has stretched out his hand over all her precious things, for she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, the ones whom thou didst command that they should not enter into Thy congregation." Lam 1:10

THEY SEE IT, WE DON'T

"This picture is complicated because one of the most visible phenomena is the growth of Christian evangelical fundamentalists - a group who appear to have little in common with the followers of the Asian gurus passing through. It is only by talking in depth with many of these people that one discovers underneath a quiet but spreading commitment to an M-3 kind of metaphysical perception." Willis Harmon, Global Mind Change; The New Age Revolution In The Way We Think, Warner, 1988, pg. 121.

[Willis Harmon is the president of a New Age organization, Institute of Noetic Sciences, and a founder and Fellow of The World Business Academy]

This is an interesting statement from a New Age futurist [prophet]. We quoted Willis Harmon in the first issue on the CGM in Battle Lines concerning his perception, that it is the corporate world who will dominate the world and be the key to world transformation.

What he is saying that he sees that many evangelical fundamentalists are following the path of the New Age, but that it is quiet, an "underneath" or hidden [like leaven] within the precepts of Christianity. In other words, they don't even know what they are following. Harmon is saying, it is confusing that, although fundamentalists outwardly have nothing in common with Eastern mysticism, underneath they are committing to their philosophies. A mix of Christianity and New Age.

What does he mean by an M-3 metaphysical perception? It is called "Transcendental Monism"

It is the New Age belief that the universe is really the mind, an enlightenment of a universal consciousness, and a need to engage in a paradigm shift. In short, the philosophies of the New Age; a following of the New Age metaphysical views of reality and the universe.

"But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also." Matt 13:25, 26

Now, this would seem an absurd thing to believe. However, we must realize that if the church has incorporated New Age books, New Age idealists and their teachings [as we have seen], then it is obvious that we have also incorporated their philosophies as well. Why is it that New Age followers see this, but we don't?

HOW BLIND ARE WE?

One book that stands out in a Fuller Institute catalog that amazes me is Megatrends For Women, by two New Age prophets Patricia Aburdene and John Naisbitt. The catalogue's promotion of this book says,

"Women of the 90s are challenging the male dominated status quo, integrating female values into the social, political, and economic megatrends of the day... Megatrends For Women documents the current achievements of women and the sweeping changes women need to be appraised of to excel now and throughout the future".

What are two things this book covers that women need to be appraised of? Listen.

"Whether theologians or nuns or New Agers, women are transforming both religion and spirituality by rejecting the notion of a male divinity and embracing the archetype of the Great Goddess." Cover flap!  We must ask, How did Fuller miss this?  Or did they?

This book has an entire chapter on the emergence of Goddess worship, the positive effect it is having, and another on Women In The New World Order, stating,

"In time the New World Order will come to stand for something very different from what it means today. It will mark the beginnings of the integration of women into a New Order, a new global power structure that celebrates the positive traits of both male and female. Women have opportunities as never before... to serve, to shape the New World Order", pg. 318

Now, is Harmon right about New Age philosophies spreading in Christianity? Yes, but since the time his book was written [1988], the New Age philosophies are not a quiet spreading anymore; but like Jesus said would happen, "...then the tares became evident also".

To see a visual example of how this is happening (highly recommended): GO TO CHART

...Really, Really Blind!

Isreal did not listen when they were told not to get involved with things outside His word.  They did not listen and were eventually taken over by the nation of the very system they incorporated; Babylon.  We have God's Word, his prophecies and warnings.  But are we still too blind to see this blatant incorporation of New Age idealisms?  Yes!  Why?

Remember what God told Israel?  The verses above bears repeating.

"Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephriam has become a cake not turned. Strangers devour his strength, yet he does not know it... Hosea 7:8, 9

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring about themselves swift destruction.  And many shall follow their perious  ways; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of." 2 Peter 1:2

Perhaps are a pastor or board member in a church that has gotten involved in these things.  Perhaps you go to a church where you see these things happening.  Hopefully your eyes have been opened and you will turn away from it.

Where is this all leading? In the following article [Part 3] we will look into the hidden metaphysic that is in the very structure of the CGM and show how the Church is one more cell needed to complete a universal whole system.