Old Timer Religion

Recently I began to re-read a book I read for the first time a couple years ago. The book is “The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church” by Mark Dever. Mark is Senior Pastor of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC and executive director of 9Marks Ministries. I enjoyed the book the first time I read it and benefited greatly from his teaching on church membership and church discipline.

You may be wondering where I am going with this—hold on and I will explain. In my honest opinion, the book as a whole runs counter to most everything pushed in the world of the cultural fundamentalist. This is obviously not an exhaustive list but it is still extremely thought provoking. Just look at the chapter titles alone to see how far many in contemporary Fundamentalism have drifted. Expositional Preaching, Biblical Theology, The Gospel, A Biblical Understanding of Conversion, A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism, A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership, Biblical Church Discipline, A Concern for Discipleship and Growth and Biblical Church Leadership.

What especially caught my eye the other night was a paragraph on page 51 of chapter 1 on the subject of expositional preaching and its transforming power in the sanctification of the believer. Pastor Dever says:

“We need God’s Word to be saved, but we also need it to continually challenge and shape us. His Word not only gives us life; it also gives us direction as it keeps molding and shaping us in the image of the God who is speaking to us.
At the time of the Reformation the Roman Catholic Church had a Latin phrase that became something of a motto: semper idem. It means ‘always the same.’ Well, the Reformed churches, too, had a ‘semper’ motto: ecclesia reformata, simper reformanda secundum verbum Dei. ‘The church reformed, always being reformed according to the Word of God.’ A healthy church is a church that hears the Word of God and continues to hear the Word of God. And such a church is composed of individual Christians who hear the Word of God and continue to hear the Word of God, always being refashioned and reshaped by it, constantly being washed in the Word and sanctified by God’s truth.”

On a recent visit to the region I noticed a billboard that promoted First Baptist of Hammond as an "Unchanging Church for a Changing World". I remember hearing this kind of plug in the past used by churches to describe themselves. No doubt they want to set themselves apart from the seeker sensitive and ever changing churches of our day. In the past I would have never questioned this kind of statement but now when I see this it just hits me differently. You will notice that FBCH has also plastered this statement on the front page of their website.

I realize that to some this will seem petty, but I don't ever want to have the attitude that I have all the answers and a corner on God. Unfortunately this is an attitude that many in Fundamentalism exhibit regularly--especially on topics such as Bible versions, music, church polity, worship styles, matters of separation, etc... We should always want to be in a state of reformation--sensitive to the Spirit and constantly being transformed by the Word of God.



FBCH wants to wear the title "Unchanging Church for a Changing World" like a badge of honor--same old black Book, same old-fashioned preachin', same old tried and true methods and philosophies of ministry, etc... As Jack Schaap has said since taking over the old church downtown, "Same old stuff...just a heap more of it".

This is the kind of Fundamentalism that I want nothing to do with anymore--the kind that is arrogant and vitriolic--the kind that is man-centered and egomaniacal--the kind that is pragmatic, egocentric, and more concerned with empire building than Biblical Christianity.

**I do not wish to imply that Mark Dever has all the answers or that I think that ALL Fundamentalists fit my above description. I am simply reflecting on what I have observed on the fringes of Fundamentalism growing up at FBCH.

PT Barnum

Komen Race For The Cure

I know this is a little off topic--I feel like it is important enough to warrant this. As many of you know our mother, Linda Richards, was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38--she fought the disease and put up with multiple versions of chemotherapy as well as radiation for more than 8 years. In 1996 at the age of 46 our mother went to be with the LORD--thank God for His Grace!

Over the past 10 years I have not really done anything in the way of raising money or helping to support the fight against breast cancer--I am not sure why I haven't, but for one reason or another I refused to get involved. On June 28th of last year, my wife and I were blessed with our third child and first daughter--Linda Lanae Richards. For some reason now I have begun to think about breast cancer in a completely different light--my mother is in the presence of the LORD right now, but this disease keeps affecting women the world over. I now view breast cancer as a disease that could potentially affect my wife or even my daughter, Lindi, and not necessarily a disease that is out of my life forever.

I am running in the 5K race coming up on April 21, 2007--if any of you would like to contribute to the fight against breast cancer feel free to follow this link if you so wish. Thanks for listening to me as I shared my thoughts.

God bless,

Pt Barnum

Another Former PBBC Student Speaks Out

I was perusing Sharper Iron the other day and noticed that someone else who attended PBBC back in the 70's commented on the Jack Schaap debacle. I suppose this is a follow up on our previous post "Pillsbury Baptist Bible College Defended"


Here is the link directly to his post regarding Pastor Schaap's sermon--very interesting.
IMHO, Pastor Schaap needs to realize that with modern inventions such as the internet all of his stories will be checked. Gone are the days of "just wingin'it" and being able to get away with it! May the LORD give us more preachers and pastors who break this mold and endeavor to preach the Word instead of building their legacy/image.

PT Barnum

Transforming Grace Indeed!

Recently, I read for the second time Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges. I have found that the second time through any good book I am typically doubly blessed and this was certainly no exception.

Those who have read and enjoyed Bridges’ works will most likely agree with my assessment of him as both a tremendous author and communicator of Biblical truth. What makes Transforming Grace even more powerful is when one has a church background similar to mine and Matthew’s, i.e., one saturated with performance-based Christianity, unmitigated externalism, and what I think to be legalistic tendencies.

**DISCLAIMER: I would like to point out that I have used the word "legalistic" denoting the similarity to true legalism. I am fairly certain that even in Hammond, Indiana, they would deny that the externals earn them merit toward salvation.

The common thread, however, always seemed to be that the preacherboy-appearance, including a “right” haircut, and the IFBx-deemed appropriate neckwear all combine wonderfully to provide a faithful thermometer of one’s "spiritual temperature". I understand that is an exaggeration of sorts, albeit only slightly. It seemed to be forgotten that one of the most vocal enemies of our LORD Jesus during His earthly ministry was the sect of the Pharisees. These same “religious” Pharisees were noted for doing all the "right" things externally speaking but failed miserably in the spiritual disciplines that truly mattered to our LORD. We know from the gospel accounts that they held fast to the regulations laid out in the Mosaic law, yet their hearts were rotten with pride and self-reliance.

I would add that as a student at Hammond Baptist and Hyles-Anderson, only a few major issues were of importance and indicators of one’s love for God or lack thereof. Topping this list would be a close tie between whether a student had ever smoked or drank alcohol and what kind or haircut or hairstyle one wore. We were often told by our leadership how that a young person’s hairstyle was an overt indicator of that individual’s rebellion or their submission to authority...?! This was reinforced via the pulpit ministry in downtown Hammond where we often heard the stories from Pastor Hyles how he had NEVER tasted a even a drop of alcohol nor had he EVER smoked tobacco. He would often tell a story about how on a double date one evening his date and the other couple bodily forced him to the ground and attempted to pour whiskey down his gullet. The story ends with Pastor Hyles demanding them to take him home where he found his mother praying out loud for him to resist temptation. For him to have done so would have been to desecrate the Holy Spirit’s temple. Please do not misunderstand the preceding sentences as they are meant to demonstrate the overemphasis on what are thought by many to be gray areas in the Christian life and exalting them to an unnecessary status while ignoring what Bridges terms the “refined sins” in the Christian life, e.g., anger, pride, resentment, covetousness, etc. I do not at all intend to engage in debate about the use of alcohol or tobacco but would like to point out that the concept seemed to suggest that there was great spiritual merit in having never partaken of these indulgences. Never mind the selfishness and pride which so often go unchecked in the Christian life...! This has only begun to demonstrate the point that externals were so preeminent there.

I understand that the Galatian form of legalism dictated that specific works of the law were necessary for salvation in addition to faith in Christ, His substitutionary death, and resurrection. Nevertheless, as Bridges so aptly points out in his book, there are other forms of modern-day legalism and teachings that perpetuate legalistic thinking and tendencies. Bridges tackles these issues head-on in what I consider to be the most thought-provoking chapter in the book, chapter nine. He points out that legalism is anything we do or do not do to earn favor with God. There is so much that could be said here but I will only take the time and space to include this specific and powerful quotation from chapter nine, "Called To Be Free":

"Despite God's call to be free and His earnest admonition to resist all efforts to curtail it, there is very little emphasis in Christian circles today on the importance of Christian freedom. Just the opposite seems to be true. Instead of promoting freedom, we stress our rules of conformity. Instead of preaching living by grace, we preach living by performance. Instead of encouraging new believers to be conformed to Christ, we subtly insist that they be conformed to our particular style of Christian culture. We don't intend to do this and would earnestly deny we are. Yet that's the "bottom line" effect of most of our emphases in Christian circles today.

For example, many people would react negatively to my quoting only part of Galatians 5:12, "You , my brothers, were called to be free." Despite the fact that this statement is a complete sentence, they would say, "But that's not all of the verse. Go on to quote the remainder: 'But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.' " (We seem to forget that verse divisions were not inspired.)

The person who reacts that way has made my point. We are much more concerned about someone abusing his freedom than we are about his guarding it. We are more afraid of indulging the sinful nature than we are of falling into legalism. Yet legalism does indulge the sinful nature because it fosters self-righteousness and religious pride. It also diverts us from the real issues of the Christian life by focusing on external and sometimes trivial rules."

Another relevant case in point is something that was brought to my attention on the FFF recently. It is reported that a special meeting was held for men at a certain IFBx college for the express purpose of banning the practice of spiking their hair to any degree. This seems to picture so well the IFBx obsession with avoiding “worldly” external practices and making the avoidance of such paramount to true spirituality. Make no mistake, the LORD that we serve is holy and has called His children to holiness as well. What needs clarification, however, is how we would define holiness or sanctification if you will. The IFBx model is that of forced "external sanctification". That is, Christ likeness = maintaining the “right” appearance, avoidance of all “worldly” music (however that is defined), being present at all the regularly scheduled services of the “red-hot” church of which you are a member, going cold-turkey soul-winning at a scheduled time each week, etc. Interestingly enough, this IFBx model is simply that–- it is their model and not to be found in the canon of Scripture. I am reminded of the LORD’s words to the prophet Samuel upon the choosing of a new king for Israel, “...the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."

In closing, I would like to encourage you to get a copy of Transforming Grace--- read it and reread it. I also was informed of a new title from IFBx Publishing put out in response to Bridges' works but only have the cover artwork for it...;)

Josh

Poetic License In The Pulpit

Growing up in IFBxdom, I have always been accustomed to hearing fantastic stories told during sermons. These seemingly innocent little tales became legends that I could recount nearly verbatim to my children even today. Most of these stories happened while "Preacher" was very young and living in a state far, far away or while he was out of state preaching at a special meeting. While I was in the thick of this, I completely believed every story that was told--I think there was something inside of me that wanted to believe that MY pastor would always tell the truth especially while preaching the Word of God to his people--now I am not so sure.

Once I left the realm of IFBx I began to wonder about these fantastic stories that were missing from the sermons at my new church. I began to re-listen to sermons and re-read portions of books written by my former pastor and those who patterned their ministries after him with a more discerning heart--I was troubled by what I found. I struggled with the notion that I must have been so gullible to believe such perfectly orchestrated illustrations. I even remembered how my IFBx pastor would comment after telling a fabulous story about how the reason some people thought he made those stories up was because they were not yielded to the Holy Spirit--if you were REALLY under the Spirit's guidance these things would happen in your life too! Does that sound at all like emotional manipulation to anyone else? I digress.

I can still remember the day when I told my wife for the first time that I did not believe all of Hyles' illustrations--needless to say she was absolutely shocked. I went on to tell her that I believed that he was lying and embellishing more often than telling the complete truth. After the initial "blasphemy"of such an accusation wore off, she slowly began to understand where I was coming from.

...fast forward to 2006

I had not really thought about this particular aspect of the IFBxers until recently. I rarely take the time to listen to sermons preached by IFBxers--I have had more than my fill of the yelling and storytelling even though it is quite entertaining at times. Having spent over 20 years under this kind of preaching and sitting in homiletics classes at HAC that teach this style, I have developed a certain resistance to it. I have heard the constant drone over the past few years how that things have changed in Hammond--here is yet another area where it seems like it is just more of the same only a heap more of it...!

All of this brings us to these basic questions: As a preacher of the Gospel is it OK to fib during a sermon (or anytime for that matter)? As a preacher of the Gospel is it OK to exaggerate during a sermon (or anytime for that matter)? As a preacher of the Gospel is it OK to embellish during a sermon (or anytime for that matter)? As a preacher of the Gospel is it OK to exaggerate, embellish, lie, or whatever else you want to call it as long as you motivate your listeners? Anyone who knows me or has read even a little bit of Bread and Circuses knows where I stand on this, but I am curious if anyone else following this story has a different take.

Personally I would take it a step farther and say that the typical topical style of preaching that is so prevalent among hysteric fundamentalists lends itself to this kind of perversion. Notice I did not say that ALL topical preaching includes lies--nor did I say that all stories or illustrations were wrong. What I mean is that the man-centered flavor of topical preaching that I enjoyed for all of my growing up years included countless lies, fibs, exaggerations, embellishments, or whatever other word you want to use--bottom line is that every man is commanded to speak the truth PERIOD.

Sadly, Hyles and Schaap are not the only ones who have told whoppers from behind the sacred desk. Recently I was told about a fabulous sermon that was preached recently during a chapel hour. The reason given for its appeal was that the preacher shared details about the 40 day fast he had just completed and the countless things he had given up recently to be more "holy". There are many clones and HAC graduates out there who are doing the same thing. Certainly there are preachers from other institutions and denominations who play loose with the truth--I am willing to bet that there is a much higher percentage from HAC circles who participate in this practice.
Many will give preachers a pass on this type of poetic license from the pulpit--I fail to see one shred of Scriptural reason to do so. Many will cry that the results are so awesome and the numbers motivated so large that these "little white lies" are inconsequential. Many especially among our hysteric fundamental brethren will shout that the end (an altar full of motivated people) justifies the means (a lie or two).

I completely disagree with all of the above excuses for lying based upon my understanding of Scripture. There is no such thing as a "white lie"--embellishment and exaggeration are tantamount to a bold faced lie.

PTB

Pillsbury Baptist Bible College Defended

Recently we made a post regarding a chapel sermon Pastor Jack Schaap preached in September of 2006 at Hyles-Anderson College. We touched on some troubling things that Pastor Schaap said about Pillsbury Baptist Bible College where he attended before transferring to HAC in the late 70's. Pastor Schaap has also included some of this story in his book entitled, "A Fresh Anointing" on pages 17-30. Sharper Iron picked up on this sermon as well and has an interesting thread in regards to its veracity here.

I had also mentioned that there were some people who actually attended PBBC when these events supposedly transpired. A couple of these men have added their comments to the above thread and you can check them out here, here, and here. Kevin Bauder who is President of Central Baptist Theological Seminary also addressed this particular sermon by Pastor Schaap in his most recent article which you can read here.

It is obvious that Pastor Schaap's predecessor used personal illustrations quite skillfully--most of them were unverifiable and therefore often accepted as true. It seems that Pastor Schaap has used a really exciting personal story that appears to be very easily disputed by those who were present at PBBC 30 years ago. Nowadays preachers who like to tell stories ought to consider that the internet makes verification or disputation of said whoppers very simple.

Is this just a case of different perspectives of the same event? Is it possible that this legend has grown simply because it happened 30 years ago? Is it likewise feasible that Pastor Schaap has embellished and lied only to make Hyles-Anderson appear to be a more superior college than PBBC?

As badly as I would like to comment in more detail here I will wait until some of you have a crack at it after reading the above refutations.

Ephesians 4:25 NKJB "Therefore, putting away lying, 'Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another."

PT Barnum

Kindred Hearts

Recently I came across this post at Paleoevangelical--if you have not noticed we link to this site under our "top shelf links" section. Take a look at the excerpt from Doug McLachlan's book, Reclaiming Authentic Fundamentalism. He has some great thoughts on what he refers to as "succeeding miserably". Many pastors and churches in the 60's, 70's, 80's, and even 90's did just that--now it is time to reap what was sown. I noticed he nailed a lot of the themes that we have been harping on here at Bread and Circuses. Here is the portion Ben cites from page 20 of Reclaiming Authentic Fundamentalism:

"For more than a quarter of a century, we have labored under the false assumption that bigness equals greatness and that success can be measured quantitatively. We are much more effective at counting numbers than weighing ideas. This is a form of secularization and an indication that we have bought into the affluence mentality of our day. We seem always to be thinking in terms of numbers, numbers, numbers! How much? How many? How big? This push has led to the disintegration of ethics in reporting statistics and represents a tragic failure to recognize that invisible spiritual growth cannot be accurately gauged by mechanical measuring devices. Moreover, it forms the ground of pragmatism which has invaded so much of Christian ministry. The trouble with pragmatism is that it works: it attracts large crowds. But under its influence, we end up "succeeding miserably" because we are not succeeding Biblically.

In many cases the result has been the development of a philosophy of ministry which revolves around a celebrity focus (the star of the show who attracts the crowd) who functions as a corporate executive manipulating and then discarding his people in his relentless advance toward statistical superiority. All too often, evangelism in this context has been reduced to humanism as the Spirit and the Word are set aside while the Gospel is packaged and marketed almost as though it were a plastic toy."

• Numbers, numbers, numbers...
• Salvation = plastic toy to give away...
• Philosophy of ministry centered around iconic egomaniac...
• True success in ministry always equated with implementation of pragmatic methodologies...
  

Does any of this ring any bells? I feel like I have discovered a kindred heart living up in the northernmost parts of Minnesota! After discovering this snippet, I made haste to ebay and found a copy of Reclaiming Authentic Fundamentalism--I should have it within the week and cannot wait to dig in.

I am sure that Dr. McLachlan and I would not agree on every issue facing the current generation of fundamentalism--no doubt I will find out that I am off on some things when I grow older and wiser. I do believe that he has a very keen insight into his own generation and that he has no patience with the outer fringes of what we affectionately call, "Hysterical Fundamentalism". My prayer is that more and more people will begin to utterly reject cultural fundamentalism and embrace a Christ-centered and authentic historic fundamentalism--this is the purpose for our blog.

Take the time and check out the above links--you may even want to bookmark Paleoevangelical and check back regularly to see what is on Ben's mind.

PT Barnum

Get Your Gear Here!

Sorry we have not posted in a while, but things have been very busy around the big top! The animals need our constant care and those who would shut down this circus are doubling their efforts. We have done some shuffling of responsibilities here at Bread and Circuses, but we intend to continue to bring you relevant tidbits--some novel and others very serious.

Here is something I happened upon while checking out the Jack Hyles Web Page. This is a Cafe Press store with nothing but Hyles stuff. Coffee mugs, mouse pads, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and duffel bags! I have a few people in mind who will be on the other end of a wonderful gag gift this Christmas! Enjoy and we will be back with a real post very soon.

God bless!

Phineas

Leaving the IFBx* Fold

Recently I received an email with a link to this article by my friend, Voyle Glover. I enjoy his articles and this one is worth sharing. If you have not had a chance to check out the link on our sidebar to his website, Brevia Notes, I would encourage you to bookmark it and read some of his material. You can find it here.

It is never easy when we feel like we have disappointed someone we dearly love--my wife and I still have to battle some of these feelings of nostalgia. Nobody wants their family to believe that they are out of God's plan for their lives or that they have left the faith. The sooner we realize that our loyalties are to our LORD and Savior and not men the better off we will be. The bottom line is that although it is not easy to leave a church or ministry where we have put down roots, sometimes it is necessary. I want to encourage anyone reading this who is going through these difficult times to press on prayerfully--there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel! Feel free to email us in confidence and we will pray with you along the way!

Phineas

Leaving the IFBX Fold

by Voyle A. Glover

Leaving a church where one has put nearly twenty years of roots down is not an easy task. I was reminded of the difficulties recently when, during a discussion with a friend, he mentioned a certain couple who were in the process of leaving their church, an Independent Fundamental Baptist church which has a philosophy and doctrinal perspectives, coupled with certain standards, which defy grace, whilst purporting to embrace traditional Christianity. In short, what I and others have come to call IFBx.

I thought of the incredibly difficult journey ahead for them.

When I left the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana in 1987, I knew, without anyone telling me, that I had been corrupted. I knew that. I wasn’t sure how corrupted, nor was I sure exactly where. I just knew that the God I’d learned about as a new Christian was not the same God I learned about in the nearly twenty years I’d spent in that church. I knew that many of the things I'd heard propounded as being the truths of God were, in fact, highly suspect.

It took some time, prayer, and an in-depth immersion into the Word of God for me to regain my spiritual equilibrium and for God to cleanse me from so many things that were either flat-out error, or were, in some instances, nonsensical; and not a few things that were simply the preferences of a man which had no biblical basis.

For example, I recall one evening service in my new church, less than a year or so after we’d left, when a lady stood up to sing a song. Suddenly, there was background music (a tape) and some background singers (also on the tape) who were singing along with her.

My thoughts were instantly negative. I did not like it. I did not feel that it belonged in church (a singer with backgrounded music). However, by this time, I’d developed a little mental routine when I had negative reactions to something or someone in the church. This time, it was a silent conversation with myself and went something like this:

Why is this wrong?
Well, it just is. The music tape is wrong.
Is the music bad?
No.
Are the words bad?
No.
If folks were there playing musical instruments, or an orchestra, would that be wrong?
No.
If the background singers were there, would that be wrong?
No.
Why then is this wrong?

This was a thought process that went very quickly and as I did the analysis, I realized I could posit no biblical justification for the position. I also quickly realized that I’d adopted the preferences of a man and given them spiritual significance, to wit, using a background tape for a singer was “wrong,” which meant it was not pleasing to God, which meant it was sin. (I found it fascinating on one level that I'd adopted this man's preferences so completely as to actually have strong feelings of it being sinful for a singer to use a background tape.)

But the difficult issues for me and others like myself (and which will come for virtually all those who leave an IFBx church) came from teachings that had been imprinted onto our psyche such that these ideas were infused into our spiritual makeup. Our perspective was that any church that deviated from these teachings was liberal and no place for a “good fundamental Baptist.” These teachings were wide-ranging, some taking on the trappings of doctrine, while others were imbued with doctrine-like importance.

There are five primary issues that every IFBx’r will run into when he or she leaves the IFBx fold. Those issues are, in about this order of importance: (1) is the church a red-hot “soul winning” church?; (2) Does the church permit the wearing of pants on women?; (3) Do the men all have short hair; (4) Is the music without a beat and non-contemporary Christian (CCM)?; and (5) Does the church prohibit attendance at the movie theater (watching them at home on video was all right)? While there are others, those are what I call the “Five Spiritual Straight-jackets.” It is not an exclusive list and in some churches, there may be other "major" issues of importance. (Today, in that same church I left, for example, the issue of the exclusive use of the KJV Bible is an absolute.) Once you’ve been sewed up in these spiritual straight-jackets, getting your mind and spirit free from them can be a feat worthy of the best efforts of Houdini.

The place of “soul winning” was, in terms of importance, almost up there with the doctrine of salvation. A Christian who didn’t go “soul winning” on a regular basis was considered more than just unspiritual, but was deemed unworthy of the name Christian. And if one dared voice opposition to this activity, such a person was probably not saved. Going out and knocking on doors was seen to be an activity that revealed the true spiritual nature of an individual. One could not be a spiritual Christian and neglect this activity.

Imagine the inner conflicts of a church member who leaves the IFBx fold and enters a church were there is not an emphasis on door-to-door “soul winning,” but emphasizes instead, a wide array of evangelistic methods, which, while permitting an individual church member to utilize such a method, does not actively promote such a method amongst its members. Or imagine an IFBx church member who comes into a church and immediately sees some of the women dressed in slacks, or one who comes to a Wednesday service and sees some of the women in jeans. Or they hear a solo is sung by a member who is a bit more contemporary than the usual fare. Or suppose the pianist’s hair is a bit long. The list is long. It is not uncommon in IFBx circles for preferences to on a level with doctrine.

It is almost a certainty that a former IFBx church member whose mind is still in the mold that was set so long ago, will recoil within from such things. It will be an automatic reaction caused by a conditioning very similar to the methods used on Pavlov's dog. (A dog was trained to salivatate when a bell was rung.) They will see so many negatives and never comprehend that they've been programmed to react that way.

For such Christians, a myriad of questions will arise within his or her mind. They will question why they left, whether it was the will of God, whether they are going to be chastened for it, whether they’ve been deceived by Satan, and on and on. They will begin second-guessing themselves. This is a process that may be instant, i.e., on the first visit to another church, or it might take months; and in some instances, it may surface years later because those issues were never resolved but instead, had been submerged. The mold was still in place, still shaping the mental focus and perspective without them realizing it until one day they sprang back in full force.

They left the IFBx fold but had not managed to leave the mold.

They left the particular IFBx church but the shaped doctrines, philosophies and standards had not left them. It was what brought them back, or in some instances, brought them such conflict as to negate their enjoyment of their new church (and their effectiveness there, as well).

Many Christians who leave the IFBx fold become very conflicted, some become bitter, some abandon church, being unwilling to return to the fold they left, unable to extract themselves from the mold into which they’ve been cast, and unwilling therefore to accept the “liberal” standards of the new church they had hoped to attend. There are some who stick it out in the new church, but become very critical, possessed of a spiritual smugness, and feeling they have a superior understanding of the way God would want the church run in certain areas (such as “soul winning” or the musical program). They can create havoc in their new church and are often the cause of much dissension within a church as they seek to impose their “more spiritual” ways upon the church. When they have resistance, they view this as coming from liberals, weak Christians who should have no say in running the church. Their own actions are perceived as being on a spiritual level and thus, justified actions. These individuals will continue their campaign unabated, even relentless, demanding conformity to the "biblical standards" to which they are accustomed and which they believe every "real" Christian church must adopt. It can and often does, get very ugly. It can and has caused church splits.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO LEAVE THE WORLD OF IFBx

Here are some “musts” for you if you’re someone who is attempting to come out of the IFBx world. They worked for me and have worked for many others. If you don’t do this, then the odds are you’ll either return, or you’ll have a miserable existence in whatever non-IFBx church you join, such that eventually you’ll probably leave it; or you’ll just shut down spiritually because of the inner conflicts that keep arising, or you'll end up causing great contention within that church.

1. Get into the Word of God and ask God to show you TRUTH. Claim the promises of God. It is His will that we know truth and you have every right to expect God to lead you into His truth.

2. Assume that you have been corrupted. You don’t need to determine where or how. God will reveal that to you. Just adopt an attitude that is willing to (a) admit your error when it is revealed to you; and (b) allow yourself to be taught of the Lord. You have to have a teachable spirit.

Then sit back and expect God to open your eyes and show you things. Don’t be afraid to read books by men or women who you ordinarily might not read. Remember, YOU ARE ON A QUEST FOR TRUTH. Nothing else matters. You are not looking for the opinions of others. You are looking for God to reveal truth to you. Pray for guidance over every book you read, including the Bible. He will do that through His Word, through the teaching and preaching of others and by prayer. Bottom line is: God will show you truth. Are you willing to let Him lead you where that truth will take you? Never be afraid to learn truth. Never be afraid to go wherever truth leads, even if it leads your version of truth over the cliffs and onto the rocks.

3. Be patient. Do not be quick to make up your mind about things, either positive or negative. Cleansing comes slowly. Things that have been taught to you for years, things that are impressed on your spiritual psyche, are not easily erased. It is difficult for anyone to admit he or she has been wrong and has embraced error for years. For years, we labored under the notion that we had the truth. It is difficult to come to the conclusion that we embraced a lie. Trust me when I tell you that it takes the grace of God to overcome this.

4. Get off your high horse. Do not be offended at what you view as worldly Christians. In the IFBx world, spirituality is determined by a manifestation of externals, to wit, appearance, souls won, participation in “soul winning” and obedience to the pastor and leaders. In your new world, the spirituality of other Christians is often not readily visible until you examine their lives, where you will often find good deeds that are often unheralded; and good works that are not fancy, which lack the “wow” factor, and aren’t always on the “cup of cold water” level. But they are consistent, day by day good works that come from a heart and life that is sincere and loves God. Learn to examine their fruit without a critical spirit and without demanding to know the number of souls won that week. Be patient with people. Allow judgment of their spirituality to come from God, not you. God will judge the merit of their works. God has not blessed you with a closet full of blue ribbons to hand out in spiritual judging events you may wish to hold.

5. Pray constantly. Ask God to show you yourself. Ask God to reveal the real you to you. Ask God to open your eyes and to make you spiritual, to make you humble, to give you wisdom and understanding. Ask God to allow you to be used to help in the work of this new church in whatever role He chooses (as opposed to your volunteering to do “X” because you’re so good at doing “X”). In short, surrender to God and accept your place in this new church as a field in which God has placed you. Be prepared to help the weak Christians there, to mentor, to pray for, to teach, to reach out and help in whatever way God deems fit to use you in His service there. In short, BE A SERVANT THERE, not a Chief. If you view half the congregation as weak or liberal, then assume it is a mission field and you're there to serve God to be salt.

That’s it. If you’ll do those things and adopt that perspective, you’ll have joy, you’ll interact with the people there without being so judgmental and Pharisaical that no one can stand to be around you; and best of all, God will use you. You may never enjoy the music program as much as you did in your IFBx church, but you’ll learn to appreciate some of the new music and you’ll come to understand that the music program is designed for others besides yourself and that your preferences are not what governs the music program. You’ll realize that music that leaves you cold or “bothers” you is blessing someone else and lifting their hearts to God. You’ll actually accept the fact that tastes in music are very wide ranging and what blesses your soul may put someone else to sleep.

A final thought. This has not been an essay designed to “lure” anyone from their IFBx church and it certainly is not meant to be a critique of IFBx churches. (That would take more time and space than I care to devote.) It is simply designed to be a help for those of you who, for one reason or another, have decided that you no longer care to associate yourself with such a church. Realize that you have been psychologically imprinted far more than you know. If you’re going to break free, realize that true freedom lies in God, not in a book, not in a sermon or teachings and not in an essay such as this. These are merely tools God may use in His working to bring you along the path to liberty.

But that freedom ultimately lies in Christ.

You can move towards it and into it, or you can creep backwards into the cave of darkness from whence you came. It really is your call.

May your journey be blessed of God.
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* IFBx is an abbreviation for what we refer to as the cultural or hysteric fundamentalists, not to be confused with the true branch of orthodox historic fundamentalism known still as IFB. Some common denominators of IFBx have already been touched on in Voyle's article and are as follows: extreme adulation/borderline worship of pastors, leaders, or other preachers; extreme and militant KJVOnly positions; arrogant "preaching" that is more screeching than anything else and void of much Biblical content; light on theology but heavy on "soulwinning" which usually amounts to little more than coercion without any regard to the work of the Holy Spirit of God. This is only the short definition. ;)

More Tall Tales From HAC

I received an email a couple of weeks ago from one of our readers who had found a real gem of a sermon on the Hyles Anderson College website. I understand that this sermon is preached in a chapel setting, but you must get a load of the perfect stories and illustrations used. I highly recommend putting your waders on before wasting 5o minutes or so on this jewel--if you have some time to kill and won't blame me when it is over, have a listen to it here.

P.S. Sorry we have been so slack in posting lately--Josh is buried in seminary classes and I have a newborn, 6.5 and 8 year old in the house. I have recently had some communication with someone who was actually at Pillsbury when all of these stories supposedly happened. I am going to protect his identity, but I will let you know what I find out soon.

Feel free to post some of your thoughts after listening to this stuff--I still cannot believe that I used to be able to sit through this kind of garbage without busting a gut--sad to say the least. What I also find interesting is that I don't remember ever hearing most of these stories--now they are suddenly crystal clear and able to be shared with the masses. I am looking forward to more of these stories--Pastor Schaap makes his father-in-law seem almost dull with his storytelling prowess...! Truly entertaining.

ENJOY!

Phineas

***DISCLAIMER: Josh and I in no way, shape, or form endorse the heavy metal band from Sweden known as The Storyteller.

Circus Blogroll II

We wanted to focus our attention on a couple more of the blogs that we link to here at Bread and Circuses. I want to assure everyone that we are simply going in the random order by which they are listed on our sidebar--we love all of these blogs and brethren equally in the LORD!

The World From Our Window is a blog that we became familiar with after meeting Mike Hess over on the FFF. Mike and I went to Hyles-Anderson College in the mid-90's. We were all stirring up a hornet's nest over on the FFF and Mike emailed me. At that time Mike was blogging with Ken Fields at The World From Our Window, but has recently ventured out on his own over at Extreme Fundamental Makeover which we highlighted a few weeks ago. Now there are four contributors--Ken Fields, Don Fields, Matthew Sims and Mike Hess. Most of the posting is done by Ken Fields who is a pastor in Illinois and Matthew Sims who is a student at Geneva Reformed Seminary near Greenville, SC. Many of you are already familiar with this site, but if you are not I would highly recommend that you check it daily for some really good stuff!

Fundamentally Reformed is a blog that we found through the old Texas Baptist Underground. Many of you will remember this blog by James Spurgeon that actually inspired our blog here at B&C. Bob Hayton spent some years under the influence of Fairhaven Baptist in Chesterton, Indiana. You will enjoy his analysis of the Cultural Baptists and some of his experiences at Fairhaven. I remember Fairhaven well--we used to play them in soccer while I was a student at Hyles High. As far as cultural fundies go, even the Hylesites thought that the Fairhavenites were strict! Now that ought to tell you something! Bob is currently a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church pastored by John Piper. If you enjoy Bread and Circuses you will no doubt find the postings over at Fundamentally Reformed both edifying and enjoyable.

Both of these blogs are committed to endeavor to bring more glory and honor to our LORD Jesus Christ. You may not agree with every single jot and tittle, but you will agree that these brethren are sincere in their desire to follow the Word of God and exalt the name of Christ. I thank the LORD for these blogs and pray that they will continue to shine as a light of discernment during these dark times.

We will be highlighting the other blogs and sites that we link to in the very near future. Our next post will be coming soon and it grieves our hearts to visit this particular topic yet again--stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled for our next blog entry.

Phineas

"The Duke" and the Cultural Fundies

Psalm 138:6 "For though the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the haughty He knows from afar."

We want to get things back on track here at Bread and Circuses--the last couple of weeks have been filled with laughter and sadness over the man-worship going on among those on the fringes of Christian Fundamentalism. As I thought and meditated on this tragic philosophy, I came across a couple of articles that stirred my thoughts.

If you are looking for the headquarters of the Cultural Fundamentalists, you need look no further than First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. Recently I had the joy of reading a blog article that reminded me of the many years I spent smack-dab in the middle of IFBXdom. I found this article by way of Sharper Iron and it was written by Dr. Sean Michael Lucas of Covenant Theological Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri. Dr. Lucas is a BJU and Westminster Theological Seminary graduate and conservative Presbyterian. He was commenting on the recent Youth Conference video that we highlighted a few weeks ago--his comments reached back into my memory banks and brought to thought some themes that I heard on a regular basis growing up as a hysterical Baptist. He mentioned the connection he has noticed between some Fundamentalists and their typical cult-like following of a "muscular personality". If you have not read his post yet I would highly recommend that you give it your attention.

FBCH was and still is led by a pastor who loves to invoke his similarities to a "rootin' tootin' cowboy" or "spiritual renegade". There was and still are certain elements of machismo and imperiousness, not to mention the standard braggadocio and swagger that goes along with being the "biggest and best in the world." The stories I heard growing up were of Jack Hyles, Lee Roberson, John Rice, and Lester Roloff being "kicked out" of the SBC. Another story I heard ad nauseum was that "Preacher x" was a sissy because he wore a dress to lecture his church on Sunday morning. Often times "Preacher x's" name was changed to reflect a woman's name in order to incite more hootin' and hollerin' from the crowd. Pastor Hyles would say things about how the pulpit was his and if he wanted to split his britches on his pulpit that it was his business--the deacons were to stay out of his preachin' or else there was going to be a gunfight at sundown in Dodge! There was one bit Jack Hyles did where he would say "some of you here think I shouldn't call names when I'm preachin'...OK then don't you ever do it!" The idea that Hyles was a rebel with a cause--to save America and your future children and grandchildren from the evils of everything not associated with his empire--was pushed on a regular basis. Now FBCHers are fed a steady diet of these same old Hyles stories as well as legends of Pastor Schaap and his adventures at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College--Pastor Schaap wanted the power of God and these dead and dry "neos" ran him off because he was a zealous soulwinner!? Someone really ought to produce a full length movie about these men--the comedic value would be priceless!

Some of you may wonder why all the emphasis on Jack Hyles since he has been dead and gone for years--first of all, it is the culturalists who keep bringing up his "legacy". The Youth Conference video is a perfect example, but not an isolated incident. Secondly, you would be hard pressed to listen to a sermon by Jack Schaap and NOT find a reference to Jack Hyles and his "legacy"--his muscular memory is still very powerful to those in IFBXdom and Pastor Schaap takes every opportunity to keep that alive. What is most troubling is the fact that Pastor Schaap is also perceived as a muscular personality in his own rite. I would encourage everyone here to take the time to listen to some of his sermons at the Baptist City website.

I am an independent baptistic neo-fundamentalist--I do not identify anymore with the muscular personalities on the fringes of Fundamentalism and their silly personal fiefdoms as Dr. Lucas described them. I believe that man-centered philosophies of ministry and muscular personalities are intrinsically linked to one another--these teachings should be abhorred and denounced with vigor by Christ followers whenever and wherever they are detected.

Psalm 12:3 NASB "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,"

Phineas

The Gaudy Shoes Of An IFBX Icon

Following is a poem that my friend, Pat, wrote about a different part of Dr. Hyles' legacy. I have also included a never before seen stanza towards the end of the poem. If this ballad brings you even half the joy that it brought to me you will be greatly enriched! Enjoy!

Phineas

Wow, that was really inspiring. It got me to thinking about other instruments that were used to support this man of God. Of course, when I'm inspired, I use iambic pentameter.

I was born in a lowly stable
just a little spotted calf,
I sensed my life would not be long,
I'd never grow to play and laugh.

My mother was an older cow
Who provided milk and cream
But as a male I was born to die
Long life was just a dream.

But still there was some hope for me
That I could do some good
I'’d heard about this royal chair
That started as some wood.

Perhaps my hide could be used to wrap
This man'’s Scofield KJV
I'’d be the sword in the hands
Of fundamentalist royalty

Or maybe I'’d be the belt of truth
Wrapped 'round the God man'’s waist
I'’d hold him up as he preached the Word
and save dear souls with haste.

He'd pull me off for another use
When his children needed spanked
The rod of correction I could be
And later I'’d be thanked

I have an even higher dream
If I could be so bold
Could I just be a leather coat
To shelter him from cold.

It'’s really just a small request
It could hardly be deemed wrong
To be the garment that is touched
By the many admiring throngs

What'’s this I hear you have in store
What is this fate I'’ll meet?
I'm going to be a pair of shoes?
You'’re going to put me on his feet?

Stacy Adams? Who are they?
Designers of men's clothes?
How I wish I could just be a coat,
Rather than cover his toes.

Oh please, dear Lord, why must I be
given a fate so bleak
To have to endure smelly socks
seven days a week

But then I heard the Lord's reply
and I want the world to know
That while the coat would keep him warm
His shoes would make him go.

The miles he trod to seek the lost
he made through snow and rain
and I protected him from the cold
and kept him out of pain.

I walked with him for many miles
I caught his many tears
I also felt his laughs and smiles
As he wore me through the years.

Now I see God'’s bigger plan
that He had in store for me
Of all the things God could have done
I became part of history.

I never preached a sermon
I never read the Word
But I was there for every step
As he made God'’s voice heard.

Just a humble little calf
born in a stable filled with hay,
What have I done in my life you ask?
This is what I say:

I provided soles that saved some souls
and filled some empty pews;
Without a voice I preached the word
For I became Jack Hyles' shoes.

~~Pat

If that doesn't put a tear in your eye and a lump in your throat you just might want to check your pulse. You will notice that my new friend, Pat, honored my wishes for a reference to Stacy Adams--I laughed so hard I cried. I want to publicly thank Pat for his quick whit and medicinal ode! Any other aspiring versifiers or sonneteers out there? Feel free to scratch one out in a comment--you may just end up as a guest blogger at B&C!

Phineas

The Golden Throne Of An IFBX Icon

I wanted to take this opportunity and post something on more of a light note. We have all been grieved and saddened by the horrendous assumptions and outright man-worship exhibited in the video from the First Baptist Youth Conference. All of the controversy and attention on Jack Hyles' golden chair er throne reminded me of something I read a couple of years ago.

I imagine that the actual chair that Jack Hyles sat ensconced upon week after week in Hammond is actually on display somewhere. If I were a betting man I would wager that the well-worn golden-hewed throne is enclosed in the glass case of a memorabilia room at 8400 Burr Street. Chances are it is somewhere between a pair of Pastor Hyles' black Stacey Adams shoes and the wreckage of Lester Roloff's last flight.

As we head into the weekend I want everyone here to just kick back and enjoy reading this poem written by Pastor Jack Schaap as the plush golden chair that Pastor Hyles enjoyed for many decades was retired from service. I remember as a young child hearing a poem read similar to this one only focusing on Christ's manger, a boat He preached from, and the cross on which He was crucified. Somehow this poem does not have the same "punch" for obvious reasons (unless you are a rabid Hylesite).

Well, here we go--enjoy this masterpiece that was read at Pastor's School 2001. I am looking forward to your comments.

Phineas

FBCH Man-Centered...? NAWWWW!

HYSTERIC FUNDIES AND THEIR FERTILE IMAGINATIONS

Allow us to begin this particular blog entry with an earnest apology for the upcoming link and subsequent video that you are about to view. In no way does it reflect the views of the staff here at B&C. What you are about to see is hyper-cultural-fundie sensationalism at its worst.
_________________________________________________
We recently had the unfortunate privilege to view the promotional video for Youth Conference 2006. We apologize for not finding this sooner--Youth Conference is now over, but this video speaks volumes. I for one cannot remember ever watching something so stomach wrenching. I fondly remember the old "Church With A Heart" video that FBCH made back in the late 80's and all of the aggrandizement found there--I have to admit that this current little eight minute video clip exhibits even more arrogance--truly disturbing.



You can find the video here--I recommend that everyone view this realizing that we here at Bread and Circuses did NOT produce this video to bolster the points we have been making the last few months! It is almost too perfect in that it fits everything that has been said concerning the anthropocentric philosophy of ministry put forth in Hammond. As you might suspect there are those who can view this filth and not find anything out of line--this is sad but not surprising when dealing with this group.

If you listen closely you will hear the adoring fans in the background as this was shown at Youth Conference 2006--or was it a rock concert? Not sure judging by the screaming fans as the name "Jack Hyles" was announced!

Here is a brief view of the characters found in the video--notice the relevance of most and the irrelevance of a few:

• Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers

• General MacArthur

• Vietnam Veterans

• Marines and Navy corpsman raise flag atop Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima

• Jack Hyles standing as his church is burned by an arsonist

• Apollo 11 landing on the moon for the first time in history

• Miracle on Ice as USA Olympians defeat Russians in 1980 Winter Games

• John F. Kennedy and his opposition of communism

• Ronald Reagan and his opposition of communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall

• Students in Tiananmen Square standing against the tanks of Red China

• George Bush after 9-11 at Ground Zero promising retribution

• Thousands voting in Baghdad for the first time after the fall of the Hussein regime

• Thousands of Christians giving their lives as martyrs from AD 33 to AD 2006

• CH Spurgeon

• DL Moody

• J Frank Norris

• Billy Sunday

• John R Rice

• Lee Roberson

• Jack Hyles

• Jack Schaap

The connection between these events and First Baptist of Hammond is ludicrous. Nothing more than the exaltation of man and the emotional manipulation of young people in promotion of decisionism.

Phineas
&
Joshua

Passionate Peacockery versus Christ-Centered Preaching

Over the past decade since I graduated from Hyles Anderson College in 1995, my philosophy of ministry has undergone a complete transformation--some may even refer to it as an Extreme Fundamental Makeover! Many of the "doctrines" that were preached ad nauseum as "fundamentals of the faith" during my upbringing I have since found out were nothing more than emotional dynamite to excite a raucous Sunday evening congregation. Jack Hyles taught that preaching more often than not needed to be shouting and that all good and effective sermons were topical in nature. Jack Hyles decried the expository sermon as nothing more than a lecture. They were boring, ineffective, unbiblical and "dry/dead as last year's Christmas tree"! I bought into this foolishness as a young lad and it took some gracious de-programming by the LORD to place me back on the right path. One of the areas in my own system of beliefs where the greatest change has taken place is in this matter of preaching--what is the difference between a "Man-Centered" sermon and a "Christ-Centered" sermon? Over the past 10 years my thinking on this topic has been completely transformed.

Two Sunday evenings ago I had the chance to watch about 20 minutes of the live video feed from First Baptist Church of Hammond. What I saw was nothing new--only the cast of characters has changed. I have many memories of Jack Hyles prancing around on stage and commanding the attention of thousands with a seemingly endless stream of comical personal illustrations. What I saw this past Sunday evening was nothing short of Passionate Peacockery. Again I wish that I had thought of this keen image--I cannot lie. This is an analogy that my brother Josh relayed to me just before he left FBCH. The cobwebs had been removed and he called me one night and with all due respect mentioned that Pastor Schaap strutted around on stage like a peacock in full bloom! As we have reflected on our years in Hammond this analogy has stuck and for good reason--I highly recommend that those of you who doubt our analysis check out the FBCH website during one of their scheduled services.

One of the things we all need to keep in mind is that the First Baptist Church of Hammond is a college church--it was when I was growing up there and it is even more so today. The college is the machine that keeps everything clipping along. These dear college folks have a hunger for what they believe to be "red hot preaching". I believe that this is one of the reasons that the typical service at FBCH is more like a college chapel service or pep rally. (I realize that FBCH became the World's Largest Sunday School without HAC, but at the present time FBCH is made up almost exclusively of people who came to Hammond in order to train for the full-time ministry at HAC. Countless former college students and graduates put down their roots for decades in Hammond and they crave the kind of preaching that we are going to look at today).

Those in Hammond will try to tell you that they are just teeming with new and excited "middle class" converts. They will try to convince you that they have new Sunday School classes that have pulled in literally hundreds yea thousands of new middle class couples who are being assimilated into the church family on a regular basis--DO NOT BELIEVE IT. For the most part there has simply been a reshuffling of the deck to populate these new classes. I digress.

In a previous post Josh mentioned the penchant that those at FBCH and HAC have for "red hot preaching". I would like to build upon that first post concerning this topic and provide a link for your investigation. Many of you have never experienced the kind of IFBxdom that Josh and I were raised in--here is your chance to learn a little more about these folks and what the focus of their ministry truly is.

I want to direct you all to a couple of gems that I have had the chance to listen to over the past couple of weeks. The first sermon is titled, "Mistakes of the Modern Ministry", and has some very interesting items missing from its content--here is the link to listen to it for yourself so you know that I am not just making this stuff up.

You will notice that among other things, Pastor Schaap lays down the "fundamentals" as he sees them of the "old-time religion." His list includes the heresy of King James Onlyism, emphasis on external "standards", traditional music, and soulwinning! He would classify all of these as "non-negotiables". He goes on to make the claim that a non-soulwinner is worse in the eyes of God than a gambler or an adulterer--simply unbelievable! These are statements that I remember Jack Hyles making, but I had never heard Pastor Schaap mention these things until this sermon. Pastor Schaap goes on to drive the point home that the Gideons and those who print Bibles and put them in the hands of the lost are not doing very much good--he reasons that those Bibles are in hotel rooms and people are still going into these rooms and committing all sorts of sexual sins and drinking liquor from the mini-bar--in Schaap's opinion a fiery soulwinner is much more powerful and vital to ministry than 100,000 copies of the Word of God!

Does anyone see the continual elevation of man and downplaying of the Eternal Word here? Certainly we all ought to be better witnesses than we are, but these careless statements give more proof that Pastor Schaap truly is by his own admission, "winging it" every week at FBCH.

What we want everyone to explore is the content, style, and method of preaching that these folks in the clutches of IFBxdom employ. I have no problem with a preacher raising his voice or getting excited about a truth--the problem is that when the typical IFBXer preaches, he is floating around in an exegetical vacuum and proud of it! Notice the lack of true Biblical exegesis and the abundance of rank eisegesis. Pastor Schaap mentions some things that are very true about the state of the modern church--I do not disagree with every point that he makes--our point is that this is nothing more than a pep rally of sorts to stir up the college kids. It is man-centered to the very core and the proof is to just simply watch the next video feed from FBCH--you will find Passionate Peacockery and not a shred of Biblical and Christocentric exegesis.

What else did you take away from this sermon? Are we just being too hard on FBCH because of our history there? Does anyone else notice the peacockery or are we simply seeing what we want to see? Sometimes I have to rewind some of the statements just to be sure I am hearing them correctly--unfortunately all my fears are confirmed upon further review. Next time we will look at another sermon that will have all God-fearing believers in tears--either of laughter or of sincere sorrow. Stay tuned...

Phineas

Circus Blogroll

Just wanted to take some time to recommend some of our favorite blogs that we link to on our sidebar here at B&C. If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer they will be out of their proper place and down at the bottom of our blog--if you are using the official browser of Bread and Circuses, Firefox, you will find these links up in their rightful place near the top of the page. We believe that you will find some very thought provoking articles/posts on these blogs and also that you will be edified and blessed by them. All of these sites endeavor to keep things civil and Christ-honoring--we truly appreciate this kind of spirit among believers especially. I want to just introduce you to a couple of them at a time and give you my take on their content.

Extreme Fundamental Makeover - This is a blog whose author is the pastor of a historic fundamental church in Illinois. Mike Hess and I went to Hyles Anderson College back in the early 90's. We met a couple of times, but did not really get to know each other very well during our college years--he was on-campus and I was off-campus. I discovered Mike through Sharper Iron and found the other blog he used to contribute to, The World From Our Window. Mike used to be very active in the Chicago bus ministry that FBCH runs--he was even a division leader within that ministry responsible for many Chicago bus routes. You will find that Mike has a heart for our Gracious Savior and a passion to help those caught in the clutches of cultural fundamentalism. Take some time to check out his blog--you will be glad that you did.

Neofundamentalist - This is a blog by three other pastors of historic fundamental churches with a burden for those caught in the web of IFBxdom. Thomas Pryde, Joel Tetreau, and Charlie Eldred have a knack for hitting the proverbial nail square on the head in regards to the hysteric fundies. I came into contact with Pastor Pryde through Sharper Iron as well--his blog will challenge many of the gray areas on which so many IFBxers oft dogmatically opine. Turns out that Thomas attended Hammond Baptist Grade School for a year back in the 80's! He even had the opportunity to preach a sermon to his fifth grade school class while enrolled there. I do not remember him, but I am sure that is only because he is so much older than me--just kidding. These young pastors share their burden for calling IFBers back to the sound exegesis of Scripture. Do yourself a favor and check to see if you are a Neofundamentalist and just haven't realized it yet--you may even begin to "Explore Proactive Fundamentalism!"

We will be highlighting the other blogs and sites we link to in the weeks ahead. Also, be sure to download the official web browser here under the big top in order to fully enjoy our circus.

Phineas

Grandiose FBCH Memories and Re-Writing History (Part 2)

I apologize for leaving some of you hanging on this one--no doubt some of you were on the edge of your computer chairs just waiting with bated breath for the conclusion to our post from a couple of weeks ago--OK, maybe that was just Josh. Since that post, we have received some lively email and comments from people who obviously are taking things here at B & C very personally. I want to preface this post by saying again that we wish no ill will to anyone at FBCH--we truly believe that it is possible to disagree and not be disagreeable. We have been called "traitor", "deceived", "disloyal", and last but not least, "bitter". Nobody who knows us well would agree with any of those descriptors.

That being said, we are going to try and analyze Pastor Schaap's books sparingly--it becomes very tedious and time consuming to delve into these books--we could literally spend months looking at them, and those at FBCH would simply charge that we should write our own books if we do not like the ones they are producing--I partly agree and will not make this type of post the norm. Since we did begin looking at this portion of one of Pastor Schaap's books, I do want to finish it before jumping into some other topic. I believe I left off with the fact that FBCH believes that she is one of the last truly great churches in existence today--Pastor Schaap doesn't want her to go the way that Moody's, Finney's, and Spurgeon's churches have gone! FBCH believes she is "headquarters" or the "mother church" for "true" fundamentalism. The entire premise for this conclusion by those in IFBxdom distills down to one thing--numbers.

Here is another portion from Pastor Schaap's book, "Principles of Church Growth", on page 147 he compares FBCH to the church of Sardis in the book of Revelation--of whom Jesus said, "Thou hast a name that thou livest." He goes on to recount all of the great works that the LORD has done at FBCH over the years:

"First Baptist Church of Hammond has enjoyed a tremendous name through the years. What a name with 41 Pastors' Schools! What a name hosting our 31st Youth Conference! What a name in 1972 being called the "World's Largest Sunday School" and holding that title for many decades! What a reputation when Brother Hyles was pastor for 41 years and 5 months!"

On page 148 he continues with:

"The influence First Baptist Church has, the missionaries and preacher boys we have, the college and the Christian schools we have, the preaching the First Baptist Church congregation heard under Brother Hyles' ministry--all these show that we were spoiled rotten and spoon-fed by a master pulpiteer."

On page 149 he continues with:

"Wow! Hasn't First Baptist Church enjoyed a good life? How many times has the altar been jam packed! For over 44 years, there has not been a Sunday in First Baptist Church when someone has not been baptized in our baptistery. In 2002, twenty thousand folks walked an aisle at First Baptist Church trusting Christ as Saviour. That number doesn't include the 8,000 to 10,000 saved on special days like our Teenage Soul-Winning marathon. It doesn't include the 29,000 people our teenagers won to Christ on the streets in 2002 or all of the souls won by college kids while visiting on their bus routes on Saturdays. That number doesn't include the folks won to Christ by the Phoster Club or the Fishermen's Club or the Gospel League Home ministry and the homeless ministry and the nursing home ministry and the truck stop ministry and the sailor ministry. That number does not include the 48,000 who professed faith in Christ on one day in multiple services.

First Baptist Church has a great past. We have a past that Charles Spurgeon's Tabernacle once had. We have a past that the First Church of Oberlin, Ohio, had under Charles G. Finney. We have a past that Moody Memorial Church had when D.L. Moody graced her pulpit. Yet, if I know history, I believe First Baptist Church of Hammond has had a greater past than all three of these churches together. Charles Spurgeon baptized 700 in a great year. First Baptist has had days when we baptized 5,300 in one day. What a phenomenal past!"

Pastor Schaap goes on to tell a story about a group that he took to Oberlin College in Ohio and also the First Church of Oberlin where Charles G. Finney once pastored. Pastor Schaap and his group stumbled upon a man who told them that the church used to be packed full with 1,600 in attendance! Pastor Schaap proceeded to ask the IFBx million dollar question--how many you running now--the man answered that on a good day they would have 70! He went on to say that the group of men with him was saddened to hear this and they knelt around a pulpit and put their hands on Charles Finney's Bible and asked God to use them in a mighty way. They asked God to "do it again" and raise up some powerful preachers from among their group.



Later on during that visit, Bob Marshall, a staff member at HAC, slipped away from the group and came running up to them later and told them about his having won a sophomore college student at Oberlin to the LORD. When Bob Marshall had asked the young lad if he knew he was going to heaven, the sophomore student grabbed him and told him that he had asked every student and every professor at Oberlin for the past two years how he could go to heaven and not a single one could help him. He was terrified of going to hell and had been waiting for someone who could tell him how to be saved. I digress.

Later on in the chapter on page 154, Pastor Schaap talks about a trip he and his father took to the Moody Church for a tour:

"There was a rock concert going on with a bunch of teenagers dancing around like animals in frenzy. We left the concert and walked down the halls to an old storage room. We could see through the window a picture of D.L. Moody. A janitor came walking by. I asked him, 'Is that a picture of D.L. Moody in there?' The janitor answered, 'Yes.' I asked him, 'Are you going to do anything with that picture?' He said, 'No. Nobody wants anything to do with that guy.'"

These stories can speak different things to different readers--interesting at least to someone who can clear away the cobwebs of hysteric fundamentalism, but to the loyal fan they are stories and words that will stir up a certain amount of pride and arrogance as numerical statistics and teary-eyed illustrations are hurled about. What Pastor Schaap doesn't tell you is that you can actually find a solid independent fundamental Baptist church where Spurgeon once pastored--contrary to popular belief within the bubble of the cultural fundies.

Pastors Hyles and Schaap consistently forget/forgot to mention that Metropolitan Tabernacle was bombed in 1941 during World War II--in the 1970's attendance did drop--today the church is thriving and making an impact in England! We need to always keep in mind that a good illustration that pulls at the heartstrings trumps the truth more often than not at FBCH. To tell the whole story would destroy the strawman that they have created and the veneer of FBCH as the only mega church that can thrive after a famous pastor leaves. Although I could probably find something to disagree with Moody Memorial Church and her affiliated ministries , is there any doubt that they are still training some very fine Christian servants--missionaries, pastors, and teachers? Are they not still having an impact across America and the world with their radio stations that happen to carry some very good Bible preaching and teaching? The idea that any church that has less noses today than she had at some time in her past history equals the withdrawal of God's blessing is pure folly. The pride and arrogance that emanates from books and sermons where these assumptions are made is disturbing. As far as Oberlin College is concerned I do not have much to say--needless to say the aforementioned illustrations are a bit much for me to swallow. I do not hold Charles G. Finney as a hero or an example of what a pastor or preacher ought to be--these folks may hold him in very high regard--I will pass on this one for now--that is another post for another day.

The focus of all things in Hammond shines through at this juncture just like it always does--numbers, numbers, numbers, and more numbers. Their definition of success in ministry since the 1960's has been that simple--how many YOU got? This mentality was big during the years Pastor Hyles was at the helm, but I believe that this mentality is pushed even more under the current leadership--Pastor Schaap has an admitted infatuation with this thing of "church growth". This philosophy permeates the entire ministry model put forth in Hammond.

Micah 6:8: ESV "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Some questions to ponder:

1. Is the LORD more pleased with large churches because they are large and less pleased with small churches accordingly?
2. Is it possible for a church to please the LORD and not have record attendance campaigns?
3. Where did this philosophy of ministry begin? When did programs and numbers become the standard by which certain churches measured themselves?
4. Is it possible for a church of 70 to please the LORD and be more God-glorifying than a church of say 1,600 or 18,000?

Phineas

Christian Fruit

A Tribute To Linda Clement Richards: September 14, 1949 - July 17, 1996

Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Over the past few months several people from FBCH have found the big top here at Bread and Circuses. We had one particular member who insisted that we were attacking her faith since we do not believe the heresy of King James Onlyism. I do not doubt that she is a sincere and lovely individual, but she was dead wrong on her description of our beliefs. We have also been told by some good people that we must be "bitter" in order to have a blog like this--again this is an emotional response to our criticism of unbiblical teachings at FBCH. Just yesterday we had an apparent staff member with family high up at FBCH accuse us of being "bitter" and "betraying traitors" who are trying to "“attack"” FBCH and her pastor. Lastly, I have heard recently that some members believe that Josh and I must hate FBCH because we are "“attacking"” them with this blog--I want to say that we absolutely DO NOT hate anyone at FBCH and count many there as dear friends besides the many family members that we both have involved in that ministry. This accusation caused me to think long and hard about what we are trying to say with this blog--I suppose that there is at least a kernel of truth in any criticism--perception is reality to some people and so I would like to clear the air on a few things. There are some people on the internet who would have us to believe that everyone and everything at FBCH is wrong and evil--that certainly is not the case here at Bread and Circuses.

Allow me to share a very personal story from the lives of Josh and I that will help us to clarify some of these misunderstandings.

In the winter of 1988, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and told by her doctor that she probably would live only 18 to 24 months. You can imagine the shock and disappointment when a seemingly healthy 38 year-old woman with 4 children between the ages of 9 and 18 receives this news. We were all very sad and over the next 8 years or so my mother fought and no doubt was kept alive in part by the prayers of God's people. Exactly 10 years ago yesterday, my mother went to Heaven after battling cancer for 8 years--she finally received the complete healing for which we had prayed--God does all things so well. As I think about her today I am reminded of what the Psalmist said in Psalm 115:

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, '‘Where is their God?'’ Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases."”

Later the Psalmist continues in Psalm 135:6

"Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps."

” John Piper comments on this topic in his book, The Pleasures of God, by stating:

"God has His wise and holy purposes in all that He does and He does all that He does according to His own good pleasure."

Our mother was a godly woman who loved the LORD dearly. She was a wonderful example to us not only by the way she lived, but also by the way she fought cancer and departed from this life. Many of the things on this blog that we are criticized for are issues which I debated with my mother while I was at HAC--I have come full circle to where she already was--I thank God for such a blessing to have a mother who loved me even when I was belligerent and foolishly parroting unorthodox and unscriptural beliefs that I learned at college. Our mother loved to read books by Francis Schaeffer, Watchman Nee, C.S. Lewis, and John MacArthur among others. We miss our mother badly, but we know that she is where God wants her right now and we trust that God knows best and He does everything perfectly and in accordance with His own good pleasure.

It may seem unclear where I am headed with this story and post--it is very personal, but I hope that you will bear with me a little longer. As my mother was battling cancer--chemotherapy, radiation, bone pain, nauseau, etc... some of the good people of FBCH offered much help and care. I hesitate to list names because there is no way to remember everyone--the LORD knows how kind and helpful they were, and He will remember their service. My mother's missionary circle was the Canada Circle and they brought meals to my father and us four boys on a regular basis. Names like Ault, Auclair, Boardway, Duff, Colsten, Moffitt, Kimmel, Moore, Jorgensen, Weber, Mock, Streeter, Mitchell, and the list could go on and on. I am sure that over the 8 years we received hundreds of meals from these fine people and others like them at FBCH. Many of these folks were the wives of men who taught at HAC or were deacons at FBCH. I will never forget their care for my mother and our family--they were and are still some of the most kind-hearted and generous people that I have been privileged to know.

I want to go on record as saying that these people showed Christian fruit and Christ-like care for our family--I would never question their genuine salvation, their love for the LORD, and their devotion to Him. All that being said, I do not believe that because we are calling some false teaching into question that we are automatically "ungrateful" or "bitter". Nothing could be further from the truth--we cannot allow sentiment and emotion to control our theology. Jack Hyles himself told stories about his being disowned by the SBC and his home church because of his problem with some of their doctrine--funny how no one in Hammond called him bitter or ungrateful, but somehow it is much different when we find ourselves at odds with some of the teachings at our "home" church and alma mater.

As I look back at the life that my mother lived, I cannot help but remember the wonderful testimony that her many friends at FBCH showed by their acts of service and fervent prayers. Some of my mother's best and dearest friends were and still are members of FBCH--I pray that they would never take personally our issues with certain doctrines at HAC and FBCH. I do not wish any harm or ill will to those involved in the ministry of FBCH. I seek only to analyze the ministry of FBCH in the areas where she is propagating unorthodox and erroneous teachings. Nobody is required or forced to visit this blog--—we are simply providing a place where open debate is fostered in a Christ-like and humble spirit. It is easy for those at FBCH to simply cast Josh and I as "“bitter"” or "“traitors"”, they were taught by the best at this kind of game. We are not bitter and we are not filled with hatred for all things at FBCH--—we love hundreds of folks there and simply desire to point them to the Word of God for their doctrine and methodology and not to what some man dogmatically trumpets as Gospel truth.

Phineas