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Response to Assembly of God Ken Burtram, Potomac District
Council Secretary-Treasurer, and AOG Pastor Garry Felton charges
against James Sundquist Subject: Response to Assembly of God Ken Burtram, Potomac District Council Secretary-Treasurer, and AOG Pastor Garry Felton charges against James Sundquist Dear Mr. Burtram, I am in receipt of your letter. A copy of my response below will also be forwarded to all those on the emails you publicly forwarded your response to me. In compliance with Matthew 18, wouldn't you be required to come to me privately with a personal grievance you have against me before you went public with it? To begin with, I would like to address your response to me with the same admonition that the Apostle Paul rendered: Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? My documentation is that Rick Warren is a false teacher with respect Scripture. My personal opinion is not the issue, as Peter warns us "no Scripture is given to private interpretation." I sent the warning about Rick Warren to thousands of pastors of the AOG churches of the United States, specifically at the request of Opal Reddin. So Garry Felton's response to me was not just an ad hominem personal attack on me but on Opal as well, as were many responses from AOG Pastors across the U.S. responded. Mr. Burtram states; "For you to mark him as a heretic because he questions your position is unacceptable and should be disregarded ...". Response: I have never labeled someone a heretic simply because they disagree with my position- they are labeled a heretic because they do not teach truth according to God's Word. And once again, my challenge to argue according to scripture has still not been met either by you or Garry Felton. If you are really Garry Felton's friend and brother in Christ, you should be confronting Garry Felton, not me, as he is the one defending Rick Warren. The letters we sent to the AOG pastors, including the initial letter to Garry Felton, we did not attack him personally (as both he and you have done to me), we simply appealed to him and warned him regarding Rick Warren, as we did not necessarily know which pastors were not promoting Warren or which wants had already rejected him. We have know that many have rejected Warren's teachings. Finally, for your letter to me to have any weight whatsover, you too must prove and reason from Scripture that I am not telling the truth. I am taking the appropriate actions, according to Scripture. Jesus Christ teaches us that our yeas must be yea and nay, nay. Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (note Jesus gives this commandment in light oaths and covenants that he forbids and Rick Warren promotes and even requires at his Saddleback Church). So, just that it is clear and your yea is yea and your nay, nay, is your position that Rick Warren is a true teacher of false teacher? Is the AOG promoting and implementing Rick Warren's teachings and programs or not? Garry Felton is not, as you say greatly to be respected, rather he is delinquent if he is not defending his own congregation against Warren's teachings, and by his own email to me aligns himself with Rick Warren. Therefore it is perfectly proper and biblically mandated for me to expose him as well as Thomas Trask (who also promotes Warren), publicly. Garry Felton has yet to provide ANY proof that I have borne false witness against Rick Warren. Your allegiance to Garry Felton, and attacking me, in manner as he did me, gives the impression that you are in alliance with him. And just like Garry Felton, you too have failed to provide any proof that I am not telling the truth with respect to Rick Warren's teachings and programs. And just like Felton, you and Thomas Trask castigate the messenger (as he did with Opal Reddin) and others (see Agape Press article), and demonstrate little or now compassion for the victims of Rick Warren's teachings and programs, or private label versions such as AOG's We Build People. My choice is to fear God rather than man. What is your choice? So, do what you must do, we will not be silenced. I enclosed below more documentation regarding Thomas Trask who is promoting the Azusa Street Centennial. Choose today whom you will follow. Instead of circling the wagons around men, why don't you circle your wagons around the truth, which will set all of you free! My final exhortation to you can be captured in the following Scriptures: Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
By Pastor Bob DeWaay In 1973 as a student at North Central Bible College of the Assemblies of God, I remember sitting in chapel when the president of our college spoke about the dangers of the Latter Rain movement. He told us, ?We are a non-prophet organization.? In the late 1940?s the Assemblies of God had lost many congregations to the heretical Latter Rain movement and many of my Bible College teachers could still remember those days. They warned us to steer clear of any who claimed to be apostles and prophets. We were told to avoid anyone who claimed ?new revelations? from God and to stick to the Bible alone as authoritative revelation. My teachers were godly men like John Phillips, Wesley Smith, and William Snow whose teachings were grounded in Scripture. Because I had some hyper-pious tendencies as a new Christian, they warned me and encouraged me to learn the Greek, learn hermeneutics, and to not go outside of the clear teachings of the Bible. It was Assemblies of God Pentecostals who brought my wife?s family to the Lord while I was engaged to her and ultimately brought me to the Lord. From the Bible College teachers to the pastors I had early in my walk with the Lord, all of them warned against the type of teachings routinely promoted today, teachings that are attacks on the gospel. In fact, one day a guest speaker in chapel espoused the prosperity gospel. In class immediately after chapel, our teacher warned us that this was false teaching; it shamed many godly Christians he had known over the years who gave much of their money to churches and missionaries who consequently lived their entire lives quite poor. How things have changed. This April there will be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street revival. The celebration advertisement promises ?The Spiritual Experience of a Lifetime.? On page 8 of the glossy promotional brochure is Thomas E. Trask, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God who is also a program participant. Trask calls the event, ?a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Pentecostal/Charismatic church to come together to celebrate what began in the Book of Acts.? The docket of speakers for the event reads like a Who?s Who of Heretics: T. D. Jakes, Fredrick Price, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Jerry Savelle, Creflo Dollar, David Yonggi Cho, and Bill Hamon to name a few. What these speakers all have in common is that their teachings are incompatible with the doctrines taught earlier in the Assemblies of God and at North Central Bible College from 1971 to 1974. Bill Hamon (bishophamon.org claims he is not only a bishop but a ?prophet-apostle?) promotes latter day apostles with new revelations, the very teaching I was warned against when I attended Bible College. And T. D. Jakes promotes the ?oneness? anti-trinity heresy I was warned against back then. The question is: who represents Pentecostalism today? What happened to the generation of Pentecostals that rejected the prosperity message, who rejected the apostles and prophets of the Latter Rain movement, who rejected ?new prophetic revelations,? and who rejected the oneness message? That generation was firmly grounded in the authority of Scripture and the clear proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have mostly passed from the scene of history. Today, everything they warned about is being played out at the Azusa Street Centennial, portrayed as the glorious legacy of Pentecostalism. We cannot pretend that these teachings are compatible. If what is being preached at this modern day Azusa Street is true, then the teachers at North Central Bible College and most of the pastors in the Assemblies of God (as witnessed by position papers from the 50?s through early 70?s) were in error in the early 70?s to warn us about these teachings. If what is being taught at the Azusa conference is false, then current Pentecostal leadership owes an apology to its predecessors and needs to repent of this compromise. Orrel Steinkamp is a retired Assemblies of God minister. He publishes ?The Plumbline? (74425 Co. Rd. 21 Renville, MN 56284) in which he warns about the errors that have come into the movement. He has archives of research material that show how aberrational and heretical doctrine has infiltrated the Pentecostal movement. Orrel represents the type of leadership that I sat under in Bible College. Sadly, there are so few men like him left on the scene of history that one wonders if the entire Pentecostal movement will become rallying place for heretics of every shape and size. If the Azusa Street Centennial is indicative of the movement in general, this has already happened. Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com ****** RICK WARREN'S GLOBAL PEACE PLAN VS. SCRIPTURE BY JAMES SUNDQUIST APPENDIX C Thomas Trask, General Superintendent of Assemblies of God
Here is what Jim Brown reporter for Agape Press and America Family Radio recently told me in a March 24, 2006 email, regarding Tom Trask's telephone call to him about his abuse of spiritual authority and typical of the many SOS phone calls I receive, as well as does Southwest Radio Church, regarding treatment of Christians in churches in most denominations who oppose Purpose Driven teachings or their church being ?transformed?: ?Here's a summary of the call I received from Gen. Sup. Thomas Trask A very angry Thomas Trask called me yesterday, claiming I was "doing a major disservice to the Kingdom" by interviewing Pastor Ray Barnett regarding the Adour debacle in the NY presbytery. He accused me of never contacting the AOG national headquarters before publishing so-called "lies" from Adour and Barnett. I let him know that I called his office twice requesting an interview on the matter, but I never heard back from them. Trask said since the denomination is so large they receive thousands of media inquiries like that every year and his secretary probably forget to pass the messages on to him. I told him that while he was on the line, we could do an interview and he could have his chance to explain why Adour and Barnett were dismissed. He said he would never do an interview with us because he's not willing to address "false and slanderous allegations." He yelled several times that I was "doing a major disservice to the Kingdom," and said my journalism was "trash" and just "a bunch of garbage." He also asserted that the only reason I wrote the story was to attack the AOG denomination. He then told me he was going to tell his denomination about my shoddy work and then he abruptly hung up. All during his angry diatribe I was thinking -- this man heads the Assemblies of God denomination. I pity the men and women across the country under this man's leadership.? ************************** ----- Original Message ----- Dear Sir, I have read with some interest your email attacks against the ministry of Rick Warren. Although I do not think that I know you personally, I did know Dr.Opal Reddin; she was one of my teachers at CBC many years ago. She has also been a regular guest within the Potomac District, being the mother-in-law of one of our long-standing District pastors. I have respected her greatly over the years, even though I have disagreed with some of her recent positions. I also know Rev. Garry Felton. Garry is an Assembly of God credentialed minister in good standing with the Potomac District and well respected by all of us who know him. He is an excellent pastor, a gifted student and teacher of God?s word, and a skillful leader who has been recognized by his colleagues through election to the Presbytery Board. For you to ?mark him? as a heretic because he questions your position is unacceptable and should be disregarded by all those who know Garry in the Potomac District. Your invocation of the memory of Opal Reddin in this personal attack is also unacceptable. Dr. Reddin was an intelligent, articulate woman with strong opinions who was also filled with a certain sense of divine grace and acceptance of people, even those with whom she disagreed. I have discussed this matter with our District superintendent, Dr. Robert Rhoden, and we respectfully request that you retract your attack against Garry Felton. I would also request that you remove my name from your email list.
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----- Original Message -----
Dear Garry Felton, If you have any hope of recruiting me to conform to your request, you must reason from Scripture and document every instance where I have borne false witness against Rick Warren's teachings and programs which you have failed to do, vs. personal ad hominim attacks on me. You have failed to provide even one example. I am saddened and amazed that you, as a member of the AOG Presbytery would not not know or if you do know, fail to follow that Scriptural mandates. I am saddened and amazed that you show such contempt for Dr. Opal Reddin who was one of your fellow AOG leaders. I am saddened and amazed that you show such delight in Rick Warren and demonstrate no concern whatsoever for the host of saints who have been left dismembered in the wake of the propeller of Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven ship. These people are the victims of the real enemy Satan. Even if you were correct in your assumption that Rick Warren has led massive numbers to Christ, this is not a contest between believers or a census. How do you know for certain that Rick Warren has led more to Christ than I have or that I have not poured my efforts into soul-winning? And which Christ are you talking about...the false gospel of his Ladies Home Journal Column? The Roman Catholic mystic Jesus he promotes? The Jesus the Carl Jung believe in...Carl Jung being the core of Warren's SHAPE Program? The Jesus that says it is OK to sign covenants, or the one that forbade them? Do you not take any warning from King David taking a census the angered God and David paid for it dearly? If this is a contest than Noah failed and Jonah succeeded. From your own statements, I am further saddened and amazed that you apparently are not even familiar with still another Scripture: 1Cr 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. The Apostle Paul, Peter, Jude, and Jesus himself devoted much Scripture to the schemes of "our real enemy" with blueprints what to do about it. Your failure to focus on and disceren what Satan is doing, is why both you and the AOG are in such peril and have been irresponsible as false shepherds for failing to protect your own flock, as Dr. Opal Reddin warned. So, now I am the enemy because I tell you the truth? Because of your statements, consider this the second warning. I am now compelled to mark you and name names and include you with your national AOG Superintendent, Tom Trask, and do so publicly. 2Jo 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed: 2Jo 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
----- Original Message -----
Subject: RE: Rick Warren Global Peace Plan vs. Scripture Documentary and Dr. Opal Reddin letter of appeal to all AOG pastors Dear James, I would urge you to stop investing your short time here on earth attacking others in the Body of Christ, particularly those who are doing an INCREDIBLE job at converting and developing SOLID DISCIPLES for Jesus out of MASSIVE NUMBERS of people. You would serve the Kingdom so much better by shifting your militant focus to our real enemy, Satan, and pouring your future efforts into soul-winning yourself. Who knows, if you did, perhaps, you may even reach a considerable fraction of people for Christ as Rick Warren already has.
Dear Members of the Board of Presbyters for Potomac District of the Assemblies of God, Dr. Opal Reddin asked me to forward this letter to all AOG pastors on her deathbed just prior to her death in November. So I invite you to consider the following letter written my Dr. Opal Reddin, who was a matriarch in the Assembly of God. She wrote this appeal and warning for all Assembly of God Pastors. Perhaps you even knew her.
Friday, October 21, 2005 10:31 PM: From Dr. Opal Reddin: "As you have opportunity, please tell any and of our all of our A/G churches that I for one see Rick Warren and his deceptive "Purpose Driven books and practices" to be the gradual downfall to each church becoming involved. Some of my reasons: 1. His SHAPE, Jung-oriented spiritual gifts tests destroy the very meaning of "spiritual gifts, and hence all Pentecostal churches will become redundant." Those taking taking them as having any degree of value will find (too late) they were grieving the Holy Spirit. This is one of the main hindrances today to people receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. 2. His "Gospel" excludes repentance as a necessary step toward salvation, and it IS necessary, according to Jesus. Warren's "Gospel" is "another gospel" of works," No wonder the Catholics and homosexuals feel at home in his pastor's conferences! 3. Every one who signs the covenant of membership is in the process of disobeying our Lord's commands to swear not . 4. Every A/G minister and memory should read Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church? by James Sundquist and Deceived on Purpose by Warren Smith. For these and other well-considered reasons, I plead with every A/G church and member to avoid Rick Warren's beliefs and practices in every way possible. We must get back to the things that brought the manifest presence of God into our midst, when gifts of the Spirit convinced unbelievers of their need to repent and get right with God. The Full Gospel will still bring sinners to salvation, and saints to full obedience as we anticipate our Lord's return in Glory.
Rick Warren's Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan vs. Scripture This documentary contains urgent updates since my book Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church? was published by Southwest Radio Church (swrc.com), and is now available at Rock Salt Publishing: http://www.abrahamic-faith.com/James/Rick-global-peace-plan.html
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There is another great book that just came out opposing Rick Warren by Pastor Bob DeWaay entitled Redefining Christianity (order it at www.twincityfellowship.com/. ) He is also a colleague of mine. There are a number of pastors, ministries and authors throughout the world who are opposing Rick Warren, including Dr. John MacArthur, who exposed Warren in a chapter in his book called Fool's Gold. Dave Hunt, Jacob Prasch (UK), Richard Bennett, Perry Rockwood (Canada's oldest Christian national radio ministry), Roger Oakland, David Cloud, Dusty Peterson (UK wrote documentary exposing the Alpha Course), Cecil Andrews (TakeHeed Ministries in Ireland), Moses Yang, Pastor of Chinese Evangelical Seminary and churches throughout the world,Gary Kah, Despatch Magazine in Australia, Prophezine Magazine, Loren Davis (well known Evangelist in Africa), Richard Bennett (Berean Beacon and former Roman Catholic priest), Dr. Robert Klenck, Dean Gotcher, Berit Kjos (Kjos Ministries), Dr. Noah Hutchings, author of Dark Side of the Purpose Driven Church & Dr. Larry Spargimino of Southwest Radio Church (America's longest running Christian radio national program), and a host of others listed in my book and online, have all come out against Purpose Driven nightmare. I have been on about a thousand radio stations, Southwest Radio, American Family Radio,VCY America, Dr. Kent Hovind's radio show exposing this fraud and related issues in the last few years, and was just on national broadcasts, including Dr. Stan Monteith, TheEdge, and the Berean Chronicles shows and will be bring out these revelations on Southwest Radio Church in the next few months as soon is this book on Warren's Global Peace Plan is in print.. So I hope you join us in helping sound the alarm on His Holy Hill about Rick Warren's teachings and his Global Peace Plan and his partners..
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