ROOM FOR CALVARY CHAPEL CALVINIST PASTORS? Dear brothers, there are two competing and mutually exclusive views (embraced by Calvary Chapel pastors and ministers) with regard to the Calvary Chapel movement. They represent two different answers to the question as to whether or not there is room in the Calvary Chapel movement for Calvinist pastors and ministers. The first view I will refer to as the Reformed-Friendly view, which is what some who hold to this view said they like to call it. Its proponents would like to welcome (or at least allow) Calvinists to be pastors and ministers inside the Calvary Chapel movement. Every Calvary Chapel pastors should be friendly to Calvinist pastors. This is not in dispute by me. But should Calvary Chapel pastors be opened to the possibility of a Calvary Chapel pastors that are also Reformed? What I am calling the Reformed-Friendly views says that: There is (or at least should be) room for Calvinist Calvary Chapel pastors and leadership in Calvary Chapel churches and ministries. This is a minority view (among Calvary Chapel pastors) and most of those who believe that Calvary Chapel should be open to allowing Calvinist Calvary pastors are not themselves soteriologically Reformed. However, they do believe that a future, effective and fruitful Calvary Chapel needs to adjust to new realities that are the result of the Reformed Resurgence (i.e., a revival of interest in Reformed theology especially in the younger generation). They sincerely believe that there is room under the Calvary banner for Calvinists and non-calvinists to live and minister side by side and in the same association of churches. They believe that by remaining closed to Calvinists in leadership roles Calvary Chapel will lose a new generation of younger believers and perpetuate division between equally sincere and devout believers. In contrast to the Reformed-Friendly view, what I will call the Reformed-Free view says that: There is not now and should never be in the future a place for Calvinist Calvary pastors and leadership in Calvary Chapel churches and ministries. At present and for the foreseeable future this is the majority view for pastors and ministers inside
the Calvary Chapel movement. It is not without significance that this is the view of Pastor Chuck. To no one s surprise this is my view. I reject the argument that says that opening up to Calvinist leaders within Calvary Chapel will make us seem more relevant and attractive to a newer generation. Nevertheless, this is the argument that is being used by some to say we need to be opened to Calvinists that want to be Calvary Chapel pastors. Nevertheless, I believe that our views on such matters ought to be determined not by what we believe will make us more acceptable to a segment of the population, believers or unbelievers, but what we believe is Biblical. Pastor Chuck holds strongly to a Reformed-Free Calvary Chapel, relative to leadership roles. Many who believe that there is or should be room for Calvinist Calvary pastors in the Calvary Chapel movement also believe that those who agree with them should not make too big a deal out of this matter at this time. As a matter of strategy they rightly believe that so long as Pastor Chuck is with us, it is a losing battle for the Reformed- Friendly position, relative to leadership roles in Calvary Chapel. The Reformed- Friendly folks believe that once Chuck is not with us (i.e., retires or goes home to be with the Lord) they will have a better chance of creating a more Reformed-Friendly Calvary Chapel environment. For this and other reasons some see my passion to keep the leadership of Calvary Chapel churches and ministries Reformed-Free, a nuisance at best. I do not believe the retiring or passing of Pastor Chuck will create the Reformed- Friendly environment that these Reformed-Friendly pastors are expecting. One notable reason is that we will still have the teaching of Pastor Chuck on this matter and his influence on the Calvary Chapel movement will not be quickly removed or disregarded. Another very significant reason is that we will still have the Scriptures that clearly tells us who can be saved and why and why this is such an important issue. Nevertheless, I believe that if we deal with this issue now, while Chuck is with us, there will be much less division and infighting when or if the Lord takes Chuck home before he returns for His church. One acquaintance that strongly holds to the Reformed-Friendly view and just as strongly opposes the Reformed-Free view said to me: Of course, you want to have this fight now because you have Chuck on your side.
I do not want to fight anyone now or ever, especially not a Calvary Chapel pastor. Nevertheless, I confess that it is a big advantage to argue for a position that Chuck supports (vs. a position that Chuck opposes) when appealing to the pastors and ministers of the Calvary Chapel movement. Chuck s position is clear and will not change if he is called home. If we agree that he is right on this matter, as I believe most of us do, then we should be clear about this to all other Calvary Chapel pastors and ministers and potentially future Calvary Chapel pastors and ministers as well. All that putting this matter off will accomplish will be to prolong and intensify the battle and increase the division between those who believe it is Ok to be a Calvinist-Calvary Chapel pastor and minister and those who don t. Putting this discussion off, as some are pleading with me to do, may be strategically smart for the Reformed-Friendly CC pastors, but that does not make it spiritually right. Asking Calvary Chapel pastors and ministers to choose between the Reformed-Friendly and the Reformed-Free view, as defined above, is only asking Calvary Chapel pastors to address an issue now that will only become more difficult to address as time passes and if Chuck is called home before the Rapture. To be Reformed soteriologically is or should be by definition not to be a Calvary Chapel pastor or minister. The difference between being Reformed and not being Reformed is both important and easy to see. Some CC pastors have said to me that it is a waste of time to be concerned with this issue because the number of CC pastors who would be happy to have a Calvinist become a CC pastor is negligible. I hope they are right but I fear they are not. It would be easy to resolve this matter. If we asked CC pastors to commit to a future Calvary Chapel absent of Calvinist pastors that would go a very long way in satisfying someone like me. However, when I have suggested such a commitment, those who do not want me talking about this told me that they would oppose it on principle. They were willing to say they were not Calvinists when they applied for affiliation, but they are unwilling to say that they would oppose Calvinists from becoming Calvary Chapel pastors in the future. As you can imagine, that concerns me. THE BIBLICAL DOCTRINES OF GRACE The vast majority of Calvary Chapel pastors and ministers believe and teach that (soteriologically speaking) the non-reformed view, which we believe is the Biblical view, says that:
1. Saving faith in Christ always and immediately results in regeneration and any and all lost sinners can believe in Christ and be born again (Jn. 1: 10-13, 20: 30-31). 2. God desires all men to be saved and has determined that all can and will be saved on condition they believe in Jesus Christ (Jn. 3: 15-18, 1 Tim. 2: 3-4, Acts 16: 27-31). 3. Christ died savingly, redemptively, or propitiously for all the sins of all sinners (1 Jn. 2:2, 2 Cor. 5: 14-15). 4. God calls all lost sinners to a saving faith in Jesus Christ through a Gospel proclamation and by believing the Gospel all lost sinners can and will be saved (Rom. 1: 16, 1 Cor. 15: 1-3). 5. All those who believe in Jesus Christ and are thus regenerated and justified by grace alone, through faith alone and in Christ alone, are called to live a life to please, honor, and glorify the Lord and that such a life, although possible for and expected of the believer, is not automatic or inevitable for the believer (Rom. 12: 1-2, Eph. 4: 1-3, 2 Pet. 1: 1-10). THE REFORMED DOCTRINES OF GRACE All Calvinists (or those soteriologically Reformed) pastors believe and teach dramatically different doctrines, when compared to the non-reformed, relative to who can be saved and why. For example, they believe and teach the Reformed view which says that: 1. Regeneration precedes and produces saving faith in Christ. Only those unconditionally elected for salvation can and will be born again. All of the elect will be regenerated. 2. God unconditionally elected to save some and not all lost sinners. Only the elect will (or even can) be saved. All of the elect will be saved. None of the non-elect can be saved.
3. Christ did not die for all the sins of all sinners and in fact He did not die for any of the sins of many sinners. For the elect and only the elect Christ died for their sins. That is, Christ only died savingly, redemptively or propitiously for the elect. 4. Only the elect are inwardly, effectively, efficaciously (i.e., irresistibly) called to saving faith in Christ. To the non-elect, a Gospel proclamation is necessarily waters on a ducks back or totally ineffective. 5. All of the elect will persevere in faith and righteousness unto the end, and no one can be absolutely certain they are one of the elect until they have persevered in faith and holiness to the end. And only after the final judgment is it possible to know if the faith and righteousness someone is preserving in, is in fact a true faith and a true righteousness needed to prove someone is truly one of the elect. For the record, I would be just as opposed to someone soteriologically aligned with Chuck Smith, Skip Heitzig, Joe Foesch (etc.) trying to secure an influential leadership role, as a pastor would have, in a Presbyterian church, Westminster Theological Seminary, the Acts 29 Network of Reformed churches (etc.) as I am someone soteriologically aligned with Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Alistair Begg (etc.) trying to secure an influential leadership role in a Calvary Chapel church or ministry, including a Calvary Chapel Bible College. We respect the right of Calvinists to protect Calvinism within Calvinist churches and Reformed organizations. Our hope and prayer is that Calvinist related organizations will respect our right to protect Calvary Chapel from Calvinism. If you hear from a CC pastor or minister that is opposed to asking other CC pastors to choose between the Reformed-Friendly view and the Reformed-Free view, relative to leadership roles in a Calvary Chapel church or ministry, ask him if he believes there is room for Calvinist Calvary Chapel pastors in the Calvary Chapel movement. My educated guess is that he will be for making room for Calvinist Calvary Chapel pastors in the Calvary Chapel movement. It should also be noted and emphasized that those advocating a Reformed-Free view of leadership within Calvary Chapel churches and ministries need not be and should not be unfriendly to Calvinists inside or outside the Calvary Chapel movement. We should treat them as brothers and sisters in Christ as we would want to be treated by them. But that does not mean we need to give them a place of leadership in Calvary Chapel churches and ministries.
Finally, the choice for the vast majority of Calvary Chapel pastors is not between what I call the Biblical doctrines of grace and what I call the Reformed doctrines of grace. I am not for a moment suggesting that most Calvary Chapel pastors, not even most Reformed-Friendly Calvary Chapel pastors and ministers, are even tempted to take a turn down the Reformed road. Unless I am very mistaken, most of those open to the possibility of Calvinist-Calvary pastors and those opposed to the possibility of Calvinist- Calvary pastors believe in the Biblical doctrines of grace and therefore do not believe in the Reformed doctrines of grace. What is dividing us or will divide us is not about what the Reformed-Friendly camp believes vs. what the Reformed-Free camp believes concerning who can be saved and why, but should we allow Calvinists to be Calvary Chapel pastors and ministers. This is an extremely important point because the enemy will try to confuse some folks as to what the real issue is. May God give us the wisdom and courage to choose between these two mutually exclusive views! A choice not to choose between the Reformed- Friendly and the Reformed-Free option is by definition a choice for a Reformed-Friendly Calvary Chapel, which would allow for Calvinist Calvary pastors. The choice for a Reformed-Free Calvary Chapel may result in some short-term pain as a few CC pastors have already dug in for a Reformed-Friendly Calvary Chapel. The choice for a Reformed-Friendly Calvary Chapel (as I am using that designation) will mean a lot internal and long-term squabbling and eventually the end of Calvary Chapel as we know it. All I am asking is that we choose now, or in the very near future, rather than later. In Christ, George