Egalitarian at RPTS?

[Steve Curtis]

Are any of my PB brethren familiar with Dean Weaver (EPC TE)? He promotes women elders (here) and, along the way:

1) Denies a functional hierarchy within the Trinity;
2) Implies that the Messianic offices of Priest and King submit to the office of Prophet;
3) Says that Anna (Lk. 2) and the daughters of Philip (Acts 21) were obviously “speaking the Word of God to the people of God in the assembly of God”;
4) Argues that, because Paul identifies himself as a διακονος (Col. 1:25) and because Paul “preached” (1:28), all deacons should preach; and
5) Suggests that Mary, Martha’s sister, was a rabbi in training

Now, such fanciful hermeneutics are not surprising when the goal is to defend one’s justification for egalitarianism. What is surprising (to me, anyway) is that he would be invited to conduct chapel services at RPTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IliJagaS1S4 [and, based on his words near the beginning of this video, this was not his first time there].

I admit that I know little about RPTS (other than what I have read on the PB, actually). Am I right to find this odd, or is it much ado about nothing (i.e., RPTS intentionally invites diverse speakers and just encourages the students to “eat the meat and spit out the bones”)?

 

[yeutter]

I share your concerns about Dean Weaver's egalitarianism. I am even more concerned with the sloppy way he exegeted Scripture to arrive at his egalitarianism.

Should a Seminary allow someone to conduct chapel services, or give public lectures, who disagree with some things they stand for. Should a Reformed Seminary invite someone like the late Dr. Peter Toon or the late Dr. Robert David Preuss to lead Seminary Chapel services?

 

[Andres]

Are any of my PB brethren familiar with Dean Weaver (EPC TE)? He promotes women elders (here) and, along the way:

1) Denies a functional hierarchy within the Trinity;
2) Implies that the Messianic offices of Priest and King submit to the office of Prophet;
3) Says that Anna (Lk. 2) and the daughters of Philip (Acts 21) were obviously “speaking the Word of God to the people of God in the assembly of God”;
4) Argues that, because Paul identifies himself as a διακονος (Col. 1:25) and because Paul “preached” (1:28), all deacons should preach; and
5) Suggests that Mary, Martha’s sister, was a rabbi in training

Now, such fanciful hermeneutics are not surprising when the goal is to defend one’s justification for egalitarianism. What is surprising (to me, anyway) is that he would be invited to conduct chapel services at RPTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IliJagaS1S4 [and, based on his words near the beginning of this video, this was not his first time there].

I admit that I know little about RPTS (other than what I have read on the PB, actually). Am I right to find this odd, or is it much ado about nothing (i.e., RPTS intentionally invites diverse speakers and just encourages the students to “eat the meat and spit out the bones”)?

Do you know how long Mr Weaver has held/espoused these views? Based on the dates on the videos, he spoke at RPTS chapel in Sept 2014, and posted his video almost a year later, in Aug 2015. Could it be RPTS was not aware of Mr. Weaver's views at the time he was allowed to speak in chapel?

 

[Steve Curtis]

The chapel service at RPTS was at least several years after he embraced egalitarianism.

Dean Weaver was one of the original organizers of the New Wineskins Transitional Presbytery in the EPC in 2007, which had as one of its objectives the desire to offer a "safe place" for PC(USA) churches with women elders to explore union with the EPC:

http://www.layman.org/newsf62f/

http://theaquilareport.com/epc-gene...esbytery-boundaries-around-womens-ordination/

Also, one of the "pastors" at Weaver's church notes his enthusiastic endorsement of her ordination as early as 2010 (see here).

 

[SolaScriptura]

While conducting the chapel service did he advocate positions contrary to those of the seminary?

 

[Edward]

While conducting the chapel service did he advocate positions contrary to those of the seminary?

I wasn't giving it my full attention, and I had the speed set to 1.5 but I didn't notice anything shocking in the message. He does attack Victoria Osteen and calls some of her teaching heresy.

 

[Andres]

The chapel service at RPTS was at least several years after he embraced egalitarianism.

Dean Weaver was one of the original organizers of the New Wineskins Transitional Presbytery in the EPC in 2007, which had as one of its objectives the desire to offer a "safe place" for PC(USA) churches with women elders to explore union with the EPC:

http://www.layman.org/newsf62f/

http://theaquilareport.com/epc-gene...esbytery-boundaries-around-womens-ordination/

Also, one of the "pastors" at Weaver's church notes his enthusiastic endorsement of her ordination as early as 2010 (see here).

Thank you for this context. I will contact some friends at the seminary and see what I can find out for you.