Rob Bell

[Jared]

Is Rob Bell changing directions? I ask because Francis Chan, who will speak at the Desiring God National Conference this year is doing a series that will be produced by the producers of Rob Bell's Nooma series. And the David Crowder* Band is hosting a worship conference that will host Rob Bell along with Louie Giglio, Bob Kauflin, Jars of Clay, Derek Webb, and others.

It seems strange that people are all of a sudden acting as though he were orthodox if he hasn't changed his theology.

Here's the link if you want to check out the worship conference:

Crowder's Fantastical Church Music Conference

 

[AThornquist]

Is Rob Bell changing directions? I ask because Francis Chan, who will speak at the Desiring God National Conference this year is doing a series that will be produced by the producers of Rob Bell's Nooma series.

I'm not exactly sure how much influence those producers would have on a series' content. If Chan's content is represented accurately, I don't see a problem.

 

[Jake]

He's also inviting a Catholic (Matt Maher) to the conference.

I think neither place show Bell is changing. We've had some people teaching Bell in my church and I've found him straight up unorthodox with much of what he says, thus considering him a heretic, although in and around the groups of some orthodox people.

 

[Jared]

I understand why you wouldn't like Matt Maher, since he's Catholic. But, he is a Charismatic Catholic. I always thought they had different beliefs than most Catholics. I enjoy his music anyway. He writes some good stuff. I do believe however that if someone is a Catholic and doesn't believe something other than what the Catholic church teaches that they can't be saved because the Catholic church teaches a false gospel.

 

[CNJ]

Let's pray for Rob Bell at this event. He has done a lot of damage with the emergent movement from what I have read. I read his Velvet Elvis where he takes aim at the Reformation saying

This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that “Scripture alone” is our guide. It sounds nice, but it is not true. [Bell’s footnote at this point says: I understand the need to ground all that we do and say in the Bible, which is my life’s work. It is the belief that creeps in sometimes that this book dropped out of the sky that is dangerous. The Bible has come to us out of actual communities of people, journeying in real time and space. Guided by a real Spirit.] In reaction to abuses by the church, a group of believers during a time called the Reformation claimed that we only need the authority of the Bible. But the problem is that we got the Bible from the church voting on what the Bible even is. So when I affirm the Bible as God’s Word, in the same breath I have to affirm that when those people voted, God was somehow present, guiding them to do what they did. When people say that all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true.

 

[Jake]

Actually I like the one song of his I have on my iPod, Alive Again, which I originally heard at a reformed church I was visiting. I don't know of his specific beliefs and I don't know whether or not he was saved, but I was pointing out that if someone is invited from a corrupt church body that maybe theology isn't emphasized so that doesn't indicate anything.

I wouldn't count David Crowder one to be very discerning. He has been in with a lot of different crowds. I like to think that his heart is in the right place based on his music and what I've heard him speak, but he's been kind of with the emergent crowds a lot hasn't he?

I understand why you wouldn't like Matt Maher, since he's Catholic. But, he is a Charismatic Catholic. I always thought they had different beliefs than most Catholics. I enjoy his music anyway. He writes some good stuff. I do believe however that if someone is a Catholic and doesn't believe something other than what the Catholic church teaches that they can't be saved because the Catholic church teaches a false gospel.

 

[Curt]

I'm still trying to come to grips with the idea of a worship music conference. I do recognize that I come from a small church background and we don't have "worship leaders," other than the pastor, but I don't get this stuff. Christian music is fine (though it usually doesn't suit my musical or theological tastes), it is not necessarily suited to the worship of God by His people.

 

[Andres]

I understand why you wouldn't like Matt Maher, since he's Catholic. But, he is a Charismatic Catholic.

that just sounds like two strikes against him to me.

 

[MLCOPE2]

 

[Emmanuel]

I see, per the website, that John Mark McMillan will also be performing there.

Mr. McMillan has "led worship" at events with the notorious charlatan Todd Bentley (Link here).

 

[caoclan]

No, Rob Bell is not changing. I have heard him "preach" recently on the Fighting for the Faith podcast (which did a critique along with Bell's sermon, which, he did a tag-team sermon BTW, with the other pastor at his church). Bell is not Orthodox in any sense of the word.

 

[Jared]

I see, per the website, that John Mark McMillan will also be performing there.

Mr. McMillan has "led worship" at events with the notorious charlatan Todd Bentley (Link here).

I met John Mark McMillan this year and I saw him at another event that was hosted by a lot of the leaders in the prophetic movement. Musically speaking, his music reminds me quite a bit of some of the stuff from Mark Driscoll's church. I have been listening to his music for about three years.

---------- Post added at 03:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:54 PM ----------

I know that some of you will disagree with me here. But, it seems to me that some people can write songs that are based on scripture even if they attend a church that is far from orthodox. Israel Houghton is a good example of this. I have seen him about three times and I first started listening to his music eight years ago when the worship leader at the Pentecostal church that I was going to started doing his songs. Many of his songs are based on scripture. John Piper has even used a couple of his songs at some of the Desiring God National Conferences. But, he leads worship at Joel Osteen's church.

 

[FenderPriest]

I think we should be cautious in drawing too much from people accepting conference invitations. At best we can simply deduce that a platform was offered to them in a venue that they thought was good and they accepted it. I think it is very difficult to try and make theological-influence deductions from these sort of things between conference speakers. Moreover, even if a speaker does attend that would clash on theological subjects (like the atonement) with other speakers, that doesn't necessarily mean everything they would say on the given topic (like worship) is tainted.