Michael W. Smith, David Crowder, Greg Laurie, RTS professor Reggie Kidd Speak at Emergent Conference

From Lighthouse Trails Research:

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The 2009 National Worship Leader Conference took place on July 20-23 in Leawood, Kansas and brought together a convergence of contemplative/emerging speakers.

Michael W. Smith has most likely sent tens of thousands to the feet of mysticism proponent Brennan Manning through his endorsement of Manning. In light of Manning's spiritual views, that is very troubling. For instance, in Manning's book, Above All (in which Smith wrote the foreword), Manning echoes the words of Thomas Merton biographer and mystic William Shannon when Shannon (and Manning) rejected the idea that a loving God would send His son to a violent death: THAT God does not exist, they both insisted. 2 What's more Manning actually teaches mantra-like meditation is his book, The Signature of Jesus.

David Crowder [of the David Crowder Band], also at the conference, is the author of the contemplative-promoting book, Praise Habit (referring to the habits worn by Catholic nuns). In an interview with LifeTeen.com (a web site for Catholic teens), Crowder admits: "Much of the Catholic traditions and writings have been influential in my formation of faith ... I've found much inspiration there." These Catholic traditions referred to are those emulated by monks such as Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating.

The conference offered numerous workshops interspersed with the above speakers' lectures. Just as an example, a workshop taught by Reggie Kidd, professor at Reformed Theological Seminary and on faculty at the very contemplative Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, included instructions on worshipping through the "Eucharist prayer" and through "chanting the psalms." 3 Videos presented at the conference included those by emerging figures Shane Claiborne, Richard Twiss, and others.

Many of our readers may be wondering why Greg Laurie would be speaking at this clearly contemplative/emerging conference. Laurie's head pastor, Chuck Smith, made it very clear a few years ago that Calvary Chapel would NOT be going in the contemplative/emerging direction. But, come to think of it, Chuck Smith also said at that time that Calvary Chapel had to reject the Purpose Driven movement, but on August 9th, according to Greg Laurie's website he spoke at Saddleback Church at a number of services.

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**NOTE**also see: Saddleback's joy of hosting Laurie here.

****Note**** Go here to read more on the Laurie/Rick Warren hand-holding.

At Roman Catholic LifeTeen, and here is what they define as "Life Teen Spirituality":

Because of our deep Eucharistic devotion, Life Teen has developed a spirituality that is:
100% Catholic
Obedient to the Magisterium
Centered on the Eucharist
Scriptural
Liturgical
Catechetical
Sacramental
Focused on social justice
Comprehensive

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There is no question this is a thoroughly Romanish ministry.


I found this answer from David Crowder's interview intersting and really, not very biblical:

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Smith: Your music is everything but predictable. Where do you find creative inspiration?

I think an artist's role is to simply pay attention to life, to the living of it. Art helps interpret experience. It helps us interpret what it means to be alive and human and, in our particular case, what it means to be alive and human in relationship with the divine. So I think it would be fair to say that I find more inspiring moments watching life unfold than say, watching a movie or reading or listening to music, although I love all of those things as well. I think it is less an artist's role to interpret life from another's perspective and more to participate

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Nothing about Scripture. Nothing about Jesus Christ. Its all about subjective experience, personal introspection, sprinkled with some New Age/Mysticism verbage like "the divine".

Crowder goes on with his Romanist influence:

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Smith: You are not Catholic, but on your Illuminate album, you sing a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. What's your connection?

Much of the Catholic traditions and writings have been influential in my formation of faith and to be quite contradictory of what was stated earlier, I've found much inspiration there. St. Francis is a figure I'm equally attracted to and repelled by. I long for his powers of disassociation from the trappings of "stuff." I'm beset with consumption and materialism, and he is a compelling symbol of contentment. His contentment and way of suffering terrify me.

...Ludicrous and offensive, it is the Divine's intrusion into our condition.

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Michael W. Smith's endorsement of Manning isn't surprising; he's never been doctrinally sound, really. Music is his interest, not biblical Truth. And that's from a person who used to really enjoy his music, one upon a time.

As for Greg Laurie and Calvary Chapel, I got some heat for stating that I saw CCOCM going emergent. The evidence is increasing. Denying something and then behaving in favor of the same thing shows that not only is there hypocrisy going on, but the actions speak louder than words. Why it is that some public pastors deny the Emergent Church Movement, then turn around and endorse it by speaking at its conferences and sharing its leaders' platforms is beyond me. Do professing Christians only hear the weak "denials" and ignore the actions? Its certainly true so often in the political arena, which is why so many Obama supporters are backing away from him now--his actions are not in accordance with his earlier "claims" to the people and thus they are surprised and upset.

So deny PDL and ECM, then join them in their promotion of heresy? Folks, its time to wake up and see the truth. Those who are in error do not promote themselves as erroneous, but as "one of us".

How do you suppose false teachers secretly sneak in among you?