You have heard the voices. You have seen the ads, listened to the sermons, and seen or even read the books by such great leaders and experts on leadership as John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard, and Rick Warren, just to name a few. If you listen to these guys, they will have you enthusiastic about your leadership opportunities, attending leadership training seminars, earning your "Masters" ( in Leadership,) degree, attending a leadership university, in no time..... because see, they are all about this thing called "leadership," and through their fine sounding communication, they want to bring out the "leader",( not the "follower,") in you.
So the question of the day is: Where does Rick Warren get his big, great, ideas about leadership?
After being informed by media hubs like US News and TIME magazines, even Christianity Today, about how great a "leader" Rick Warren is, and how he is a man of BIG Ideas.... we should wonder about his inspiration. Where did he learn what he knows about "leadership?" How did he learn about building a "mega church?" Where did he learn what he knows and puts into practice in his life? You might be surprised to know that it's not REALLY the Bible.
Don't misunderstand, Rick Warren mentions the Bible, he went to Bible college, two seminaries, and he hold a doctorate. He reads it, quotes it, and knows a lot about what it says, (except for those "2,000 verses" about God's compassion on the poor that he finally discov3red back in 2002, verses he missed in his studies about helping the poor.)No, he knows a lot about the Bible, but his sources of wisdom and inspiration, his recommendations to other people, are quite interesting. In fact, in a 2009 interview with the Superintendent for the Assemblies of God churches, George Wood, Rick told the listening audience where he got the inspiring idea for his many "40 Days" campaigns.
It wasn't Noah on the ark for Forty Days and Forty nights.... no, he has mentioned that before, but it's not that, not really. It wasn't the number of days that Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness either. No. Warren, told his audience exactly where he got the idea for his campaigns from, and, sadly, it really was not the Bible.
He was talking about how he uses what he called "multiple reinforcements," (the idea of being repetitive with an idea, repeating the teaching he gives over a period of time in various aspects during a week, so as to help people better understand what is being communicated and "mature in their faith,) and he then related this to his 40 Day "campaigns." (In a campaign, he basically is given a teaching role in and over a church and all it's parishioners, programs and ministries for a six week period of time and his sermons and lessons and Bible studies are undertaken by the congregation while nothing else is taught in any aspect of the ministry.) Everyone is anticipated to participate and earn the new thing being taught by the "leader," with pastoral permission and consent, no less. This is then replicated all over the country in churches and homes near and far.
Mr. Warren told Mr. Wood, and subsequently all of us,
"...a number of years ago, we've came out with what we call our "campaigns." There's-- some people have heard of the "Forty Days of Purpose" campaign, but we've done a lot of them over the years at Saddleback. One was called, 50 Days of Faith. One was called, "Millennial Members." One was called, "I Want to Grow." One was called, "40 Days of Peace," and practically every year, we'll do this spiritual emphasis, where we pick a subject and we'll focus on it for an intense period of time and we will hear it on Sunday and we will read about it during the week, and we'll discuss it in a small group and we'll do projects and we'll memorize it, and somehow, by doing all these reinforcements, I have found, the spiritual growth just soars! More than just hearing the sermons, but doing it, in multiple ways."
Interpreted, this means that just "hearing" it
preached in a sermon is
not as good as how Rick does it
-with his multiple "reinforcement" plans.
-with his multiple "reinforcement" plans.
He says that it is this extra "reinforcement" that
causes "spiritual growth" to "soar."
On the other hand God's word tells us
that faith comes by hearing, and that it is God
who not only causes things to grow,
but God who gives the increase.
(1 Corinthians 3:7)
After being praised by Mr. Wood for his great leadership abilities and his influence on all the churches in America, Rick loosened up a bit more and went on to explain where, exactly, his idea for the 40 Day, and other notorious campaigns came from. Rick said,
"You know, (he stuttered a little bit here,)" by- by-- by doing these, um, "campaigns...." (His tone changed a little bit, ) "I-I actually learned the idea of a campaign, from the communists, (Rick laughs a little... probably nervous laughter,) "of all people." (Still almost chuckling, he continued explaining, )"Years ago, there was a book written, called, Dedication and Leadership. It was written in the fifties, by the head of the Communist Party of England, who converted to Christ. He actually became a Catholic. And he wrote this book on what the Church could learn from the Communists... not about "doctrine"...but you know, we know our doctrine, but "what were some of the tools that they used to help win converts to Communism," and he wrote this book called Dedication and Leadership. It is still in print, by, a Notre Dame Press. It's not a very well-known book.... but it's Douglas Hyde--if you are a pastor and you want to pick it up..."
This, in case you missed it, is a sales-pitch for the book. Rick is simply suggesting that if you are a pastor and want to emulate him, learn as he has, then you should read it too. Then you will know how to recruit members and build them into leaders
Isn't it interesting that Rick encourages people in leadership position to read this book by Douglas Hyde? He even went on to mention a particular chapter too, obviously implying that it was something valuable, something of worth to take the time to purchase from Notre Dame Press, and read. Obviously, he thinks it will help you in your dedication and leadership abilities. Have you ever even heard of Douglass Hyde?
You might want to research a little and see
who this man is before you buy his book simply
on a Rick Warren namedropping-whim.
Rick fails to mention it, but Douglas Arnold Hyde
didn't believe in Jesus Christ;
he did however believe in the power of the Vatican,
but he left that scene too when he felt it
had failed him and his aspirations
to change the world.
One can certainly hope he believed in Jesus and that
someone told him the good news of how
Jesus Christ died for sin,
but it is hard to know
for sure because Douglas Hyde,
according to sources like Kevin Morgan, died having
returned to the Communist/Socialist Party,
describing himself as an
"Agnostic Christian."
Essentially, Rick is instructing American pastors of Christian Churches, to use Communist tools, methods and Communist thinking and strategy. Why? And if you're a youngun' then you might want to ask, "Who, or what, are Communists anyway?"
There is a disconnect somewhere. Have we forgotten human history? Have we not heard or do we simply ignore what we have heard about the perils of Communist regimes? Do "pastors" not know or do they simply not believe that God gave a method, a specific, sure, guaranteed method for "winning converts" and bringing people into the church?
"Preach the Word!"
(In season and out of season... Preach Christ)
That is God's method, simple and true.
But Rick Warren, apparently, has a better methodology. He learned it from those who knew it well, from people like, Douglas Hyde.
(He learned it from the Communists, and you can learn it too.
Just never mind that it is
based upon human tradition
and the rudiments of the world
and not on Jesus Christ..)
And, is Rick Warren serious? He seems to be, as he recommends this reading material to the people of God's church.
HE must believe it, for he used Stalin, Lenin and Mao as examples of great leadership when he spoke to the crowd at his 25th Anniversary gather at Anaheim Stadium in 2005. Only then, he asked what would happen if people (American Christians) were "radical", as committed to Jesus Christ as people had been to those "fanatical " leaders of communism, Lenin, Stalin, and Mau se Tong.
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| Photo from Orange Country Register |
The crowd holds up signs in front of Rick Warren,
signs that say "Whatever it takes"
Yes, Pastor Rick. "Whatever it takes."
(They will do "whatever" it takes... only who is going to tell them what to do? And, isn't that what the Hitler Youth told Hitler?)
Is Rick serious? Does he really believe that the Communists with their Communistic methodologies should be employed or be an example to the church? Do people in the church just simply believe him?
He must. They hold up signs and read his books. And now, he wants you, pastor, to go get and read Douglas Hyde's "little known" until "now announced" by Rick, book.
It's weird.
Think of Paul of Tarsus. Paul said, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (NIV)
Paul was always pointing to the savior, to the author and finisher of our faith...Jesus Christ. He knew that it was his job to do so. He knew that men needed to believe on the one who could save them from their sin, and he preach Christ relentlessly, pointing people to the scriptures so they could believe. On the subject of what makes a good leader or how to be a leader, Paul would have probably replied, "I determined to known nothing among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified."
Who did Paul follow, who was he partnered with and from whom did he learn?
Who should we learn from?..... Douglas Hyde?
Who does Rick Warren partner, or "yoke" with? From whom does he learn and take his cues? (Hyde?) What names and associations does he have a high regard for? Who does he emulate or use as an example of leadership? In case you have not noticed, Rick likes to drop a lot of names and ideas upon his "purpose driven" listeners and it is not so impressive that he chooses to use things like the "Communist Party" and "Douglas Hyde" and to present them in some strangely positive "light."
But wait, there's more....
Rick, still being interviewed by Mr. Wood, (Minute 21: 17 if you care to view it yourself.) said quite proudly, as he chuckled once again,
"We actually started small groups with unbelievers as the leader."
Really Rick? (This too is supposed to be seen as a positive thing.)
It makes sense, for if he had actual believers leading these small groups, they might be more like those "nobler " Bereans who checked the scriptures to see if what Paul (the Apostle) taught them was even remotely true. (Note: They found that what Paul preached lined up with the Old Testament truths of God!)
Without believers as "leaders", no one will really need to question what they are being taught. They will only get answers being taught by Rick at the convenience of a DVD player. You cannot ask a DVD questions. You cannot ask a group leader who only has the answers Rick gives either. Conveniently,living room and church audiences who do not know any better, will just believe Rick and whatever he says, cause he is the "pastor," and many naive people may even be willing to do "whatever it takes" to get the results the leader desires.
"Whatever," is a pretty-big word. It can entail a lot of things.
Jesus, perhaps, said it best, when he said,
"If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
Matthew 15:14But this same Jesus, heals the blind, redeems the lost and He sets the captive free!
Watch the Assemblies of God, Rick Warren Interview, here.
Colossians 2:8
"See to it that no one takes you captive though philosophy and empty deception, according to the principals of the world, rather than on Christ."
(NASB)
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