Alcohol, Acts 29 and the Missouri Baptist Convention

“Straw Man”?

The following is a quote from a Baptist Press interview with newly elected MBC president Gerald Davidson just shortly after his election in October 2007.  In regard to alcohol, the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and the Missouri Baptist Convention, Davidson states: 

One of the issues that [the Project 1000 leaders] raised this year was the alcohol issue. They talked about an Acts 29 [network of church planters], and I don't know anything about the Acts 29 group, but people say that they are basically conservative but they believe in the use of alcohol. And truthfully, I know churches all over the state of Missouri but I don't know any churches that condone the use of alcohol. I don't know any pastors that condone the use of alcohol. I don't know any pastors or church staff members that drink. Now, there may be -- I'm sure probably there are -- but I don't know who they are.

But that's sort of a straw man, I think, for the Project 1000 or Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association to try to rally people around. It was basically a straw man because that's not a problem in Missouri.   

This BP article can be viewed here:  http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=26751

But here are a few of the facts: 

1.      Alcohol and Acts 29 became an issue in the MBC when the Executive Board loaned a new church plant in St. Louis, called The Journey, $200,000 in December 2005 without being informed of the churches’ bar-room “ministry.” 

2.      Alcohol was an issue when MBC president Ralph Sawyer, at the July 2006 Executive Board meeting, requested that the church plant workgroup of the Executive Board look into the growing concerns regarding Acts 29/The Journey and alcohol.  But nothing was found until the December 2006 Executive Board meeting, one year after the loan was made, even though the Journey’s bar-room “ministry” was in operation for months prior to the $200,000 loan. 

3.      The issue of alcohol, Acts 29 and the emerging church were becoming a greater concern among some as they realized  that the $200,000 loan to the Journey was “to help facilitate a center for church planting” in St. Louis. (http://www.mbcpathway.com/article32441.htm)  Then, when our former Executive Director hailed the Journey as a church plant model and it’s pastor, Darrin Patrick, as a modern-day Caleb in his address to the messengers at the 2006 MBC annual meeting, it was becoming increasingly clear for many where Missouri Baptists were being led. 

4.      By late 2006, alcohol and Acts 29 had become a significant issue.  The facts about Acts 29, the Journey and it’s bar-room outreach “ministry” had begun to surface.  The fact that the Journey’s bar-room meeting was kept quiet for a full year after the $200,000 loan is amazing.  But it wasn’t until the December 2006 Executive Board meeting that the alcohol/bar-room meeting issues began to surface publicly.  It was then that Baptist Press broke the story on a national level.  (See the Baptist Press articles below)  About a month later, the Journey was featured on the front page of the Sunday edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch in an article titled “Beer and the Bible.”  The Journey was then featured on national television on the Today Show and then appeared on MSNBC. 

5.      Throughout 2007, alcohol became an even stronger issue as the facts about Acts 29 president Mark Driscoll began to surface.  He states in his book, “Radical Reformission,” in a chapter titled, “The Sin of Light Beer,” that as he was studying the Scriptures for a sermon on Jesus’ first miracle of turning water into wine,” that his “Bible study convicted me of my sin of abstinence from alcohol.”  He then began to drink alcohol that day “in repentance.”  (pg. 145)  Driscoll further states, speaking of Jesus, that “God has come to earth, and he kicks things off as a bartender.” (pg. 30) 

6.      Now, we have discovered that there are more Acts 29 churches in Missouri than any other state in the U.S., except for the state of Washington, home of Acts 29 president Mark Driscoll.  But the significance of Acts 29 in Missouri, is that all but one of the 11 Acts 29 churches are affiliated with the MBC or their local association.  (The names of two Acts 29 churches in Missouri were removed from the Acts 29 website in mid to late 2007.  Currently, there are nine Acts 29 churches listed on their website which can be viewed here:  www.acts29network.org/all-churches/.  The Two churches that no longer appear on the Acts 29 website are:  Ron Cathcart’s 2 Rivers Church and Fellowship in O’Fallon.)  

7.      We have now also discovered that four of the 11 Acts 29 churches in Missouri hold bar-room-type meeting where alcohol consumption is viewed as acceptable.  They are:  The Journey (Theology at the Bottleworks); The Refuge (Theology on Main); Karis Church (Theology at the Forge); and Mystery Church (Theology on Tap).  Only The Mystery Church is not officially affiliated with the MBC or a local association.   

8.      Should Missouri Baptists not be concerned that there is such strong support for Acts 29 among the “Save Our Convention” (SOC) leaders, especially considering they swept the elections in 2007?  (see below) 

9.      Should Missouri Baptists not be concerned that at the 2007 annual meeting of the MBC, 42% of the messengers attending that convention voted against a resolution opposing alcohol? http://www.mbcpathway.com/article103443c596903.htm  When ballots were raised, the vote was so close that MBC president Mike Green called for a ballot vote.  The resolution was identical to the alcohol resolution passed by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2006.   Click here to view the resolution.   http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/amResolution.asp?ID=1156  

10.  Should Missouri Baptists not be concerned that on November 3, 2007, the Post Dispatch reported that while interim executive director David Tolliver was preaching (against alcohol) at Tan-Tar-a, Missouri’s Acts 29 guys were at Darrin Patrick’s borrowed lakeside house drinking beer, watching football and talking shop? 

Is there any evidence for the statements above?

First and foremost, we need to ask the question: What is the official position of Acts 29 on Alcohol?  According to the Acts 29 website, alcohol is a “secondary issue” pertaining to “Christian liberty.”  However, the Acts 29 statement on Alcohol does says this:  “…we have no position on alcohol other than that people should have their conscience captive to the word of God, submit to the leadership of their church or denomination, and do everything for God’s glory.”  With this in mind, it needs to be stated clearly that the position of the SBC regarding alcohol has never changed.  Since 1886, Southern Baptists have passed 57 resolutions opposing the manufacturing, distribution, consumption and advertising of alcohol.  Southern Baptists have never wavered in their opposition to alcohol.    

            (To view the Acts 29 statement on alcohol, click here: http://www.acts29network.org/about/doctrine   At the bottom of the page, click on “Acts 29 and Alcohol Statement.”  That will take you to their statement in a PDF file.)  

To document the 57 resolutions against alcohol at the SBC level, click here:  http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc06/newsroom/newspage.asp?ID=58  http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=24491

Acts 29 “Boot Camp” & “Resurgence” Welcome Packets

Acts 29 holds boot camps around the country for training church planters.  Notice the open promotion of alcohol in the Acts 29 Boot Camp Welcome Packets under the section listing local restaurants.  “Resurgence” is a ministry of Mark Driscoll (http://www.theresurgence.com/md_blog) and that welcome packet is nearly identical to the Acts 29 boot camp welcome packet.  Each of the following “welcome packets” are from 2007.   

Acts 29 Boot Camp Seattle 2007

Welcome Packet

March 21-23^rd, 2007

The following excerpts are taken from under the heading “Restaurants”   

Bad Albert’s Tap & Grill

5100 Ballard Ave NW (98107)

206.782.9623

Lots of beer, better than typical pub-grub menus, not better atmosphere than typical one room pub. Street parking in “old” Ballard.

Open: 11am – 2:00am    Price Info: $10 & under depending if your drinking.

Lockspot Cafe

3005 NW 54^th St. (98107)

206.789.4865     

Best fish and chips anywhere.  Next to the famous Ballard Locks.  Can be smoky, good for take-out.  Full bar available.

Open: 11am – 10:00am    Price Info: $15 & under

Mike’s Chili Parlor

1447 NW Ballard Ave (98107) – across from Mars Hill!

206.782.2808

Meat, beans and beer – what more can you ask for? 

Open: 11am – 2:00am    Price Info: $10 & under depending if your drinking.

 

Download this Boot Camp Welcome Packet here: 

http://uploads.acts29network.org/media/Welcome%20Packet_FINAL.doc

Acts 29 Boot Camp Releigh 2007

Welcome Packet

September 19 & 20, 2007

This Boot Camp was hosted by Vintage 21 Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Immediately following the Acts 29 Boot Camp, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary hosted the Convergent Conference, which included Acts 29 president Mark Driscoll and former Acts 29 board member Ed Stetzer (who then worked for NAMB but now works for Lifeway Research.) 

Excerpts taken from under the heading “Restaurants”   

The Raleigh Times

A favorite hangout of Vintage21 staff, this restaurant got it’s name from the old newpaper that once occupied the space.  Good food and great beer selection. 

Phone: (919) 833-0999

Directions:  Take a left out of the front door of Vintage21, and turn left again onto Hargett Street.  Walk .4 miles, it’s on the right after you cross Fayetteville Street, 14 E. Hargett Street.  (.4 mile walk)

Tir Na Nog Irish Pub & Restaurant

Like most Irish Pubs, this place is laid-back.  Good beer, decent food, fun atmosphere.  Good place to laugh loud and relax in a large group. 

Directions:  Take a left out of the front door of Vintage21, and turn left on Hargett Street.  Go .5 miles and turn right on Blount Street.  Tir Na Nog will be on your right, 218 S. Blount Street.  (.5 mile walk)

Phone:  (919) 833-7795      

 

Hibernian Restaurant & Irish Pub

Good beer and food.  Not good for large groups, but has decent-sized booths and several rooms to choose from. 

Phone:  (919)833-2255

Directions:  Take a right out of the front door of Vintage21, and turn left on Morgan.  Take your first right on Glenwood, the Hibernian is .3 miles down on your left, 311 Glenwood Avenue.  (.5 mile walk)

 

518 West Italian Cafe

A bit pricey, but great food, beer and wine.  They specialize in seasonal pastas and wood fired pizzas. 

Phone:  (919) 829-2518

Directions:  Take a right out the front door of Vintage21.  Go .3 miles and take a left onto Jones Street.  It’s past the train tracks on the corner, 518 W Jones St.

 

Mitch’s Tavern

Good for large groups.  Decent-priced food, and good atmosphere.  An official Vintage21 hangout, this is where we hold “Theology on Tap”.  Also where the bar scene in Bull Durham was filmed, dubbing our fair city “Raleighwood”. 

Phone:  (919) 821-7771

Directions:  Take right out of the front door of Vintage21.  Left on Morgan, Right on Glenwood, Left on Hillsborough, 1.3 miles down on the right. 

Good Place to grab a beer: 

 

Mitch’s Tavern

The official Vintage21 Hangout. 

2426 Hillsborough St

Raleigh, NC  27607

(919) 821-7771

 

Raleigh Times Bar  (Downtown)

Pints aren’t cheap but pitchers are a good price.  Good for large groups. 

14 E Hargett St

Raleigh, NC 27601

(919) 833-0999

 

Hibernian Restaurant and Pub

Great Irish Pub, with a genuine Irish feel. 

311 Glenwood Ave,

Raleigh, NC 27603

(919) 833-2258

Note:  This Acts 29 Boot Camp Welcome Packet is no longer available online.   

Resurgence

March 23 – 24th,  2007

Welcome Packet

 

Excerpts taken from under the heading “Restaurants”   

 

Bad Albert’s Tap & Grill

5100 Ballard Ave NW (98107)

206.782.9623

Lots of beer, better than typical pub-grub menus, not better atmosphere than typical one

room pub. Street parking in “old” Ballard.

Open: 11am – 2:00am Price Info: $10 & under depending if your drinking.

 

Lockspot Cafe

3005 NW 54th St. (98107)

206.789.4865

Best fish and chips anywhere. Next to the famous Ballard Locks. Can be smoky, good for take-out. Full bar available.

Open: 11am – 10:00am Price Info: $15 & under

 

Mike’s Chili Parlor

1447 NW Ballard Ave (98107) – across from Mars Hill!

206.782.2808

Meat, beans and beer – what more can you ask for?

Open: 11am – 2:00am Price Info: $10 & under depending on if your drinking.

 

Barking Dog Alehouse

705 NW 70th St. (98117)

206.782.2974

Almost gourmet bar food. Burgers, sandwiches, pizza, pasta and salads A plethora of local microbrews on tap and even more Belgian imports by the bottle.

Open: 11:00AM -11:00PM Price info $10-$25 per meal.

 

 

Download this Welcome Packet here: 

http://theresurgence.com/files/images/resurgence_march_2007_welcome_packet.pdf

Baptist Press Articles dealing with the

Acts 29 Church Planting Network:

 

Mo. Baptist board forms investigating committee

Posted on Dec 15, 2006 | by Norm Miller

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=24624

(This was the first time Acts 29 was exposed in Baptist Press)

 

The following is the portion of this BP article dealing with Acts 29: 

 

During the board’s committee reports, Bill Edwards, chairman of the board’s church planting sub-committee and also pastor of Path of Life Community Church in Wright City, reported to the full board several encouraging statistics, but also noted the sub-committee discussed issues regarding churches and pastors who “personally used or promoted drinking as a part of their outreach.”

Specifically at issue was The Journey, a four-year old MBC church that had received a $200,000 loan, and whose staff regularly sponsor and lead a discussion group in the bar portion of a St. Louis micro-brewery. The meeting is called “Theology at the Bottleworks.” According to The Journey Pastor Darrin Patrick, who spoke with Baptist Press in an interview following the MBC board meeting, the discussion group is an effort to engage the local culture of young people and others.

Edwards, however, expressed concerns to all MBC board members, many of whom take issue with information appearing on The Journey’s website, where verbiage describing the “Bottleworks” meeting invites people to “Grab a brew, give your view…”

Other concerns include a website statement on the bio of Journey’s Mission Pastor Jonathan MacIntosh who writes that he enjoys drinks with his wife “at the almost secret bar beneath Brennan's in the Central West End,” and a picture associated with an essay by Patrick that shows a small group of people raising glasses of beer in an apparent toast.

“I did not know that was there, and it all will be removed immediately,” Patrick told Baptist Press, saying, “I’m embarrassed that this is still on the website.”

Patrick explained that The Journey contracts with a secular web design company to which he attributed the “grab a brew” verbiage.

“Any issues regarding alcohol and The Journey are a concern to me and do warrant my attention,” Patrick added. The Journey’s official position on alcohol is, said Patrick: “We do not personally encourage nor corporately promote the use of alcohol.

“The last thing I want to do is hurt the cause of Southern Baptists. We are on the same team, theologically,” he said. “It’s methods that the church usually fights about.

“We just want to preach the Bible and reach people for Christ. That’s what we’re about.” Since 2002, The Journey has grown from 30 people to more than 1,200 in worship.

Responding to concerns raised by Edwards, board member Kerry Messer, member of First Baptist Church in Crystal City said he was all for engaging the culture, but that when Christians do so, “We need to be seen with clarity that we are not conforming to the world, and that we are light-bearers.”

In an earlier church planting sub-committee meeting chaired by Edwards, he asked MBC Director of Church Planting Jerry Field whether The Journey is considered an MBC church plant. Field said it was not, adding that the MBC doesn’t plant churches but identifies those who do and seeks to assist them. Edwards later told Baptist Press that it wouldn’t make much difference to Missouri Baptists exactly which MBC committee was most closely associated with The Journey, but that they would still be concerned that the MBC had loaned $200,000 to a church that had alcohol-related issues attached to it.

Regarding the purpose of the loan, an article appearing in the January 3, 2006, edition of The Pathway, the official news journal of the Missouri Baptist Convention, states: “In an effort to help facilitate a center for church planting, the Executive Board approved with opposition a New Work Fund loan of $200,000 for The Journey, a St. Louis church that is purchasing the former Holy Innocents Catholic Church.”

Edwards told Baptist Press that the alcohol-related issues include The Journey’s association with Acts 29, an association of emergent churches of which Patrick is vice-president, and which, according to Patrick, holds a much more liberal view of alcohol use than does The Journey.

Edwards asked Field whether The Journey was fulfilling its part of the loan agreement to contribute 10 percent of the church’s budget to MBC’s Cooperative Program. Field said no, but that The Journey and MBC officials had worked out a three-year plan for The Journey to meet that obligation.

According to the Acts 29 website, The Journey is a member of Acts 29, and Acts 29 membership requires that their churches give 10 percent of all internal tithes and offerings to Acts 29. However, the site also states Acts 29’s willingness to work out terms for churches committed financially to other organizations.

Edwards asked Field if all MBC church plants -- which are required to give 10 percent of undesignated offerings to the MBC Cooperative Program – were fulfilling their CP obligations. Field said 10 were not. Edwards then asked for a list of those churches and was told he could have it. 

Alcohol, Acts 29 and the SBC

Posted on Mar 20, 2007 | by Norm Miller

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=25221

 

The following is an excerpt from this BP article: 

The pastor of an Acts 29 church in San Diego (non-SBC), for example, claims on the Internet: “Beer is one of our core values. We enjoy it and like to drink it.” Although the statement appears meant for humor, it seems to show a casualness of attitude about alcohol consumption.

Another Acts 29 church (also non-SBC) -- the Seattle-area Damascus Road Church -- sponsors a men’s poker night for which gamblers are encouraged to bring beer. The website also states: “There is just something about having food on your plate and a drink in your hand that makes fellowship that much easier. Whether the food is healthy or fattening, or the drink is coffee or beer, we desire to follow Christ's example.”

The alcohol issue goes straight to the top at Acts 29, whose president, Mark Driscoll -- who is pastor of the Seattle-area Mars Hill Church -- wrote in his book, “Radical Reformission,” that abstinence from alcohol is a sin. In a chapter titled “The Sin of Light Beer,” Driscoll explains that he came to this conclusion while preparing a sermon on the Lord’s miracle at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine.

According to information published on the church’s website, Mars Hill sponsored a New Year’s Eve party that included a champagne bar. Mars Hill’s website also advertises “beer-brewing lessons ... whenever a large group of (Mars Hill) men get together.”

Driscoll is controversial also for once having the reputation of the “cussing pastor.” However, as he recounted on his blog, he finally listened to a friend who helped him realize he was becoming known for “good theology, a bad temper, and a foul mouth,” and he repented, starting with a public apology.

Patrick’s SBC connections include the North American Mission Board. He co-chaired NAMB’s Young Leaders Task Force with Ed Stetzer, a NAMB employee who is on the board of Acts 29. The task force last met over a year ago.

Missouri board votes to de-fund Acts 29

Posted on Dec 14, 2007 | by Staff

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=27039

 

The following is an excerpt from this BP article: 

The Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist Convention met Dec. 10 [2007] in part to discuss their concerns about alcohol use and alcohol-based evangelism strategies within the greater Missouri Baptist family. They concluded by taking significant action on the issue.

In an historic move members of the board voted by a nearly 3-1 margin to cut off state convention Cooperative Program support to Acts 29 Network churches/church plants in Missouri. The vote does not impact MBC churches who, on their own, are assisting Acts 29 churches.

The controversy over Acts 29 began when one church, The Journey, started holding regular discussion sessions in a bar where some participants drank alcohol. The "Theology at the Bottleworks" (the name of the bar) sessions were the focus of a handful of secular media reports, including one on NBC's "Today" show. Acts 29 is a nationwide non-denominational organization that receives funding from multiple denominations.

Another Excerpt: 

Davidson argued that only a handful of board members were informed enough about the Acts 29 Network to be able to vote on any motion that was critical of it. He said on two separate occasions that his knowledge was lacking.

Another Excerpt: 

And at the end of his report about Southwest Baptist University, President C. Pat Taylor pleaded with board members to "preach, and teach our youth, that alcohol is an evil thing" to counter what he said is "a soft attitude toward it" by non-drinking students.

St. Louis Post Dispatch Articles:

Beer and the Bible
It works for one growing St. Louis church. But it’s got the Missouri Baptists hopping mad. 

By TIM TOWNSEND of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Published January 28, 2007

(This article appeared on the front page of the Sunday edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch)

The following is an excerpt from this Post Dispatch article: 

It was a conversation perfectly suited to the setting. Beer-stained wooden tables and the smell of hops complemented a free-flowing, spirited debate among hip young people in scruffy beards and T-shirts.

In 2007, this is church.

Theology at the Bottleworks is run by a wildly successful congregation of young St. Louisans called The Journey. The Schlafly program is part of the church’s outreach ministry. And it works.

Every month, dozens show up at the brewpub to drink beer and talk about issues ranging from racism in St. Louis to modern-art controversies to the debate about embryonic stem cell research. First-timers are invited to check out the church on Sunday, and Journey leaders say many have. Theology at the Bottleworks is just one of The Journey’s ministries, but it has helped the church grow from 30 members in late 2002 to 1,300 today.

The Rev. Darrin Patrick, The Journey’s founder and lead pastor, said its nontraditional approach is aimed at those who are not likely to attend church.

"We want to go where people are," he said. "We don’t expect them to come to us."

For nearly two years, the beer ministry has brought new members to the church. Now it’s being called unbiblical. The Journey defines itself as an interdenominational church, but it has a working relationship with the Missouri Baptist Convention. That confederation of Baptist churches is the state arm of the largest Protestant denomination in the country, the theologically and socially conservative Southern Baptist Convention.

In 2005, The Journey borrowed $200,000 from the Baptist organization to help buy and renovate a former Catholic church in St. Louis. In December, Baptist leaders began questioning the church’s methods of attracting worshippers, specifically its use of alcohol.

At last year’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, members overwhelmingly reaffirmed their traditional stance on alcohol by passing a resolution that expressed "our total opposition to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing and consuming of alcoholic beverages." Baptists within the denomination who oppose such a strict view of alcohol use argue that the Southern Baptist position is based on denominational tradition, not Scripture.

The Journey is part of what sociologists of religion call the emerging church movement.

The following is another excerpt from the Post Dispatch article: 

Executive director, the Rev. David Clippard, singled out the church in front of 1,200 Baptist leaders as an ideal model. Clippard noted The Journey’s median age of 29 and its explosive growth, raining praise on Patrick.

This article is no longer available at the Post Dispatch website, but can be viewed at the Columbia Tribune website:  http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Mar/20070311Feat004.asp

Below is an excerpt from a Post Dispatch article that appeared just

after the 2007 annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention. 

Below is an excerpt of the Post Dispatch article

As Tolliver was speaking, another group of pastors gathered at a lake house a couple of miles away, drinking Red Stripe and Fat Tire beer, watching football and talking shop: the influence of music in their worship services, their inner-city social justice efforts, the challenge of having so many new babies
in their congregations.

The young men are part of Acts 29, a network of more than 100 emerging churches across the country that have a conservative theology but a more liberal take on some aspects of the culture than do traditional Southern Baptists. The group's focus is on starting more new churches. The Journey in south St. Louis is one such church, and there are others across the state — in St. Charles, Eureka, Hannibal, Columbia and Ozark.

Below is the full text of the above quoted article since it is no longer available online. 

Booze battle rips further at fabric of the Missouri Baptist Convention

By Tim Townsend
Saturday, Nov. 03 2007

These days, if you're talking about the Missouri Baptist Convention, you're talking about booze. And that was the case at the group's annual meeting this week in Osage Beach.

It's been a tough year for Missouri Baptists, who number about 600,000. The group is the state arm of the 16-million-member Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.

In April, the Missouri Baptist Convention fired its executive director, the Rev. David Clippard, and has yet to name a permanent replacement. It also has continued a wearying legal battle against five of its own agencies that broke away from the convention in 2000 and 2001. An internal struggle over a conservative movement that tilted the state church far to the right has bruised egos and turned friend into foe.

And, in the last year, some convention leaders have rejected a group of younger church pastors who have a view of alcohol use that contradicts the traditional Southern Baptist position of total abstinence.

The church's interim executive director, the Rev. David Tolliver, began the business meeting at the Tan-Tar-A Resort Monday night with an address that focused on reconciliation, healing and mercy. But before he got into all that, he addressed the alcohol issue.

"I understand that the Bible does not say, never says, 'Thou shalt not drink,'" said Tolliver. "It is also true to say that the Bible does not specifically refer to drinking as a sin. However, … the only Christian position in this 21st century Show-Me state environment that we live in is total abstinence!"

As Tolliver was speaking, another group of pastors gathered at a lake house a couple of miles away, drinking Red Stripe and Fat Tire beer, watching football and talking shop: the influence of music in their worship services, their inner-city social justice efforts, the challenge of having so many new babies in their congregations.

The young men are part of Acts 29, a network of more than 100 emerging churches across the country that have a conservative theology but a more liberal take on some aspects of the culture than do traditional Southern Baptists. The group's focus is on starting more new churches. The Journey in south St. Louis is one such church, and there are others across the state — in St. Charles, Eureka, Hannibal, Columbia and Ozark.

The battle over alcohol spilled into the main ballroom of the Tan-Tar-A resort earlier this week.

On Tuesday, the Rev. Rodney Albert, pastor of Hallsville Baptist Church near Columbia and a rising star among the conservative leadership of the convention, addressed the alcohol issue. Albert, a captivating preacher in the hellfire-and-brimstone tradition, had been elected to give the meeting's
prestigious Annual Sermon.  "2007 was the year Missouri Baptists became soft on alcohol abstention," he thundered to loud applause. "We must fight the alcohol fight and keep it out of
the convention."

One of those fighting hardest is Roger Moran, leader of the Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association. He is credited as the architect of the convention's conservative resurgence that began a decade ago.

After Albert's sermon, the Rev. Darrin Patrick, lead pastor of The Journey, approached Moran and challenged him to a public debate about the emerging church, moderated by Tolliver, that could be broadcast on the Internet. Moran did not immediately agree to the debate but later said that he and Patrick will meet privately to iron out the details.

The use of alcohol may be one of those top-down issues in Missouri Baptist life. It seemed, over the three days of the meeting, that nearly every Baptist leader who took the microphone decried the use of alcohol.

But on Wednesday, after Moran demanded that the convention adopt a resolution called "Alcohol Use in America," which would keep those who drink alcohol from being "elected to serve as a trustee or member of any entity or committee" in the organization, a debate broke out.

Some delegates called Moran's resolution unnecessary (the state convention has already adopted 11 positions on alcohol use) and divisive. Others tearfully recounted family histories fraught with alcoholism and drug use and said another alcohol resolution wasn't just appropriate, it was crucial.

A vote of hands was too close to call, but in the end, Moran's resolution passed with 58 percent of the 863 votes cast.

Not all Moran's efforts this week were so close. Each year the convention elects four officer positions — president, two vice presidents and secretary. This year, each of the four candidates backed by Moran's ultraconservative Project 1000 — including Moran himself for vice president — lost by wide margins.

Earlier this year, the Rev. Gerald Davidson, a legendary retired pastor of First Baptist Church of Arnold, and a former president of the convention, told the Post-Dispatch that the battle between conservatives was tearing the organization apart.

"It comes down to a handful of people who call the shots and appoint the president and run the show … and that's very harmful to the convention," said Davidson in April. "Project 1000 needs to back up, loosen its grip and get out of the way. We don't need a political force controlling the convention."

After his victory was announced, the man who was elected as the convention's new president told the Post-Dispatch he hoped his year at the helm would be about healing. "It's not a position I was seeking, and in a lot of ways it's not a position I wanted," he said. "But I heard God's call, and I think we can get a lot done without all this bickering and fighting."

The Rev. Gerald Davidson began his second term as president of the Missouri Baptist Convention Wednesday.

Below is the link to the Point/Counterpoint on Acts 29 and the Emerging Church movement that appeared in the Pathway.  The two articles were written by Roger Moran and Dr. Mark DeVine from Midwestern Seminary: 

Moran:  http://www.mbcpathway.com/article97073c485613.htm

DeVine:  http://www.mbcpathway.com/article97070c485612.htm

Below is the link to the Pathway article that contains the full text of the Speech made by SBC Executive Committee member Roger Moran at the February 2007 meeting in Nashville.  The speech was made before the full SBC Executive Committee. 

http://www.mbcpathway.com/article70353.htm

Below is the full text of Moran’s speech: 

One of the most dangerous and deceptive movements to infiltrate the ranks of Southern Baptist life has been the Emerging/Emergent Church Movement.

Not since the stealth tactics of the CBF have we seen a movement operate so successfully below the radar of rank and file Southern Baptists.

Marked by their fascination with alcohol, their commitment to theological ambiguity and their embrace of religious rituals steeped in eastern mysticism, this movement has made its greatest inroads in the area of “church planting.” And we are now beginning to see the evidence of what’s to come.

In my home state, the Missouri Baptist Convention is on the brink of a near civil war – and at the heart of our struggle has been the blatant dishonesty of those who are determined that Missouri Baptists will embrace this new postmodern approach to ministry.

The most recent evidence of the clash in Missouri came on January 28^th when on the front page of the Sunday edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch there appeared this article, titled: “Beer and the Bible -- It works for one growing St. Louis church but its got Missouri Baptists hopping mad.”

The story is about one of our new churches in St. Louis called the Journey, which received a $200,000 loan from the Missouri Baptist Convention and has what the Post Dispatch called a “beer ministry” in a local downtown bar. Another so-called ministry is the churches’ “film night,” where secular movies are viewed and discussed – movies that are often rated “R.”

What makes this all the more significant is that the Journey was exalted by the top leadership of the Missouri Baptist Convention as a model for church planting and its pastor is hailed as a modern-day “Caleb.”

And while this may sound like a local church issue or a state convention issue – it is not. It is a critically important issue facing the entire Southern Baptist Convention. Let me explain why.

The pastor of the Journey Church is Darrin Patrick and he serves together with Ed Stetzer from the North American Mission Board as co-chair of NAMB’s Young Leaders Task Force.

Interestingly, these two men also serve together on the board of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network (Patrick actually serves as vice president and Stetzer as a board member).

The president of Acts 29 is Mark Driscoll, best known by his peers as ‘Mark the cussing pastor.” Driscoll, who claims to be theologically conservative, pastors the non-denominational Mars Hill Church in Seattle Wa, where this past New Year’s Eve, his church hosted a “Red Hot Bash.” Those who attended were encouraged to dress “red hot,” and those planning to drink were advised to bring their ID’s.

I mention Driscoll because he is scheduled to appear in chapel at one of our seminaries, and one of our cherished professors from another seminary will be preaching at Driscoll’s church later this year.

These ‘young leaders’ [Patrick, Stetzer and Driscoll] are being hailed as the great church planters in America and through what they call their ‘Acts 29 boot camp’ they are training young church planters across the SBC. But the question we need to ask is: Exactly what kind of churches are they planting? Let me give you a glimpse.

The pastor of one particular Acts 29 church plant in the Northwest United States stated in an interview with the San Diego Reader.com that: ‘Beer is one of our core values. We enjoy it and like to drink it.’ The article continues with an increasingly common argument among young emergents: “We want to go where people are. We don’t expect people to come to us. In [Pacific Beach], people are at the bars, parties, and drinking beer, so this is where we go.”

But it actually gets much more serious. One of our new pro-alcohol emerging church plants in Springfield, Mo., recently offered to those making a contribution to their church a copy of a book by Brian McLaren, the undisputed leader of the far-left wing of the Emerging Church Movement. McLaren is best known for his statements calling for a 5 to 10 year ‘moratorium’ on any ‘pronouncements’ against homosexuality and his statement rejecting the substitutionary atonement of Christ.

On the website of this new church plant in Missouri, the pastor bashes the name ‘Christian’ stating that he doesn’t want to become ‘known as a bad tipper, judgmental jerk, or a nationalist warmonger.’ He concludes by stating:

By that token, I believe Jesus would be a terrible Christian. I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he chose never to show up in church on Sunday, or had a beer at a frat party, or frequented a gay bookstore. And you know what the Christians would say? ‘This man doesn’t honor the Sabbath’ or ‘This man hangs out with sinners.’

In Missouri, most of our people have no idea what emerging or emergent means. But they do understand the implications of ‘CBF.’ And what I have found is that the left and right wings of the Emerging Church Movement and the left and right wings of the CBF are near mirrored images of each other.

In fact, leaders within the CBF are now saying that the emerging/emergent movement is a great fit for CBF – and the CBF is currently building relationships with the emergent movement. CBF is now developing four web pages on their website devoted to the emerging/emergent movement.

One CBF leader, a church planter from Atlanta named Jake Meyers, has noted the best way to describe the emerging church movement is ‘beer, candles and theologian Soren Kierkegaard.’ (More clearly stated: Beer; ancient and mystical rituals; and an openness to theological liberalism.

Interestingly, this CBF leader (Jake Meyers) serves on the coordinating group of Emergent Village, the far-left wing of the Emerging Church Movement where Brian McLaren serves as chairman of the board. According to Emergent Village, they have everything from a Texas Baptist pastor to a New England lesbian Episcopal priest.

Also serving on the board of Emergent Village is Chris Seay, an emerging church planter from Houston, Texas who was one of the featured speakers at the Younger Leaders Summit in Nashville, hosted by LifeWay’s Jimmy Draper in 2005 [and in 2006 was led by NAMB’s Ed Stetzer.]

And while I am certainly perplexed as to why a board member of Emergent Village was a featured speaker at our Younger Leaders Summit, I am equally concerned about the particular group of younger leaders we seem to be pursuing for leadership positions in the SBC.

For within this group of young SBC leaders are those who strongly oppose the SBC’s long standing position on alcohol; and those who now want us to move toward embracing the charismatic practice of speaking in tongues; and those who are now telling us that CBF really wasn’t that much of a problem; and those who are now calling for a ‘revolution’ to move the SBC back to what they call the “center.”

Dr. Mohler has stated that: ‘The Emergent Movement represents a significant challenge to biblical Christianity.’

And he’s absolutely right, but the greater immediate challenge may be to convince certain SBC leaders to stop lending the credibility of the SBC and its institutions to a movement that is dripping with error – and thus sending out an uncertain sound.

The seriousness of the emerging/emergent movement and the degree to which it has infiltrated the SBC warrants a full and thorough investigation. And I would argue that the investigation needs to start at the North American Mission Board, and most specifically in the area of church planting.

As we refer this motion to LifeWay, I would ask that the Executive Committee express our deep and serious concern about the emerging/emergent movement and request that LifeWay honor this request for a full and thorough investigation.”

Specific Acts 29 Churches and Alcohol

The Journey is an Acts 29 church in St. Louis that hosts “Theology at the Bottleworks.”  The Journey’s pastor, Darrin Patrick, is vice president of Acts 29 and was formerly co-chair of NAMB’s Young Leaders Task Force.  The Journey received a $200,000 loan from the MBC to “to help facilitate a center for church planting” in St. Louis.”   (http://www.mbcpathway.com/article32441.htm) 

Serious controversy arose when it was discovered that the Journey had a bar-room “ministry” called “Theology at the Bottleworks” held at a micro-brewery where alcohol is consumed.  The Journey has advertised its monthly meeting on the church website stating: “Grab a brew, give your view and lend an ear to others.”  The Journey would later advertise the bar-room meeting [May 2007] on its website stating: “This large and lively discussion combines cold beer and hot conversation on the important topics of the day.”

The Journey’s website states:

Theology at the Bottleworks
In older, simpler times, a pub or "public house" was often the focal point of the community, playing a similar role to the local church, where people gathered to openly discuss significant issues of the day. Theology at the Bottleworks starts at 7pm on the third Wednesday of each month at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood (http://www.schlafly.com). Please join us for good discussion as we seek to tackle spiritual, political, and philosophical themes in an open environment.
 

The following appeared on the Journey’s website advertising the May 2007 Theology at the Bottleworks meeting: 

THEOLOGY AT BOTTLEWORKS -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 16
This large and lively discussion combines cold beer and hot conversation on the important topics of the day. This month’s topic is The American Legal System: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. We’ll discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our legal system. Is it equitable and just? Do you get the justice you deserve, or that you can afford? Is our system as good as it gets? Grab a brew, give your view and lend an ear to others’. Free and open to anyone. For more information, e-mail midrash@journeyon.net. 7:00 p.m. MORE INFO

The Journey also hosts a “Film Night,” where secular uncut “R”-rated movies are viewed and discussed.  The Journey’s website states: 

 

Film Night
Movies form the common language of our culture; their stories unite us and often help us find meaning behind our own experiences. At Film Night we watch significant films and then have a thoughtful group discussion about their cinematic, cultural and spiritual value, and influence. 

Theology at the Bottleworks and Film Night quotes can be seen here: 

http://www.journeyon.net/art--culture/midrash/ 

 

Below is an article from Christianity Today regarding the Journey. 

http://ctlibrary.com/46516

 

The St. Louis Post Dispatch article titled “Beer and the Bible” can be viewed here at Religion News Blog: 

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/17886/beer-and-the-bible 

In regard to the Journey’s $200,000 loan in 2005 from the MBC, the Pathway reported the following:  “It is recommended that churches receiving these loans immediately give 10 percent of undesignated budget receipts to the Cooperative Program, but an exception was made so that The Journey could achieve this level in 2009. The Journey agreed to give three percent in 2006, four percent in 2007 and six percent in 2008. The Journey also received a guarantee that the first 18 months of the loan would be interest free.

However, in 2006, the Journey only gave a one-time gift of $3500 to CP, far below the 3% agreed to and in 2007, the Journey gave $0. 

By January 2007, the Refuge announced that it was planning to follow the lead of its mother church by also starting “movie nights.”  By July 2007, the church calendar stated that a film would be viewed at the “St. Charles 18 Cinema – Discussion following at Trailhead [Brewing Company] on Main.” 

“Theology on Main” can be viewed here:  http://www.seekrefuge.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87&Itemid=324

Karis is an Acts 29 church in Columbia, Missouri that hosts “Theology at the Forge.”  Karis Church, formerly called Grace Church, hosts “Theology at the Tavern” but later changed the location and changed the name to “Theology at the Forge.” http://theologyatthetavern.org/index.php/?page_id=2    Like many other Acts 29 churches, Karis also hosts a film night ministry called “Movie and Mindmaps.” http://moviesandmindmaps.org/index.php/?m=200708

In an article appearing in the Columbia Tribune, the paper notes that “Karis’ vision comes from Acts 29.” Titled “Tolerance and teachings,” the article quotes Karis pastor Kevin Larson regarding the issue of alcohol: “’The Bible doesn’t teach that you should abstain from alcohol,’ Larson said, adding the Baptist perspective on abstinence comes from a traditional legalistic mind-set. ‘That’s not the way we’re going to do it, ever.’"

Below is a caption that appeared in the Tribune article above a picture of the “Theology at the Forge” meeting: 

From left, Rob Gaskin, 25, Brandon Wright, 26, Brooke Danielson, 25, and Aarik Danielson, 26, listen to discussion on the pros and cons of shopping at locally owned stores versus corporations at “Theology at the Forge,” a church-sanctioned event at a local bar. The church’s tolerance of alcohol — not drunkenness — has brought criticism from the Missouri Baptist Convention, with which it has a relationship, and caused it to lose sponsorship from Hallsville Baptist Church.

As so often is the case, the Tribune article goes on to note that Pastor Larson doesn’t personally drink alcohol.  In fact, at a recent "Theology at the Forge," (a "cultural engagement" activity where current events topics are discussed in a bar-room atmosphere), “only three people drank a single beer each.”

The full article from the Columbia Tribune can be viewed here: 

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Nov/20071110Feat001.asp

Karis was one of the MBC-funded church plants that lost its funding when the MBC Executive Board voted not to fund Acts 29 church plants. 

In a January 25, 2006 blog post, Larson defends his support of Acts 29.  He writes:  “...try to find a flaw in Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church.  People there (and in most Acts 29 churches) are getting way more Bible than in 98% of SBC churches across America.”   

Mystery Church is the fourth Acts 29 church in Missouri that hosts a “Theology on Tap” event.  However, Mystery is the only Acts 29 church in Missouri that has no official affiliation with the MBC or an MBC association.  

http://mysterychurch.com/2007/  (Go to “Theology on Tap” under “Culture.”  

The Resolved Church is an Acts 29 church in San Diego, California that hosts a “Theology on Tap” and film night event. 

Under “Theology on Tap,” the church website states: 

During the reformation era of Christianity the pub used to be the place where people would get together to drink beer and talk about God. We are attempting to carry on that tradition. Normally we meet at a local pizza and beer joint every other week on Tuesday nights. Anyone is welcome to come.

The Resolved also hosts a “film and theology night.”  “Theology on Tap” and “Film and Theology” can both be viewed at this link.  Click on “Community.”  http://theresolved.com/community.htm  

This link will take you to the “Theology on Tap” site. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=193464571

http://www.sharperiron.org/showthread.php?t=1084

http://www.sdreader.com/published/2005-06-23/sheep.html  (“Beer is one of our core values.”) 

The following is an excerpt from an article appearing in the San Diego Reader.com.  The article is written by Drew Goodmanson, co-pastor of another Acts 29 church in California called Kaleo Church.  Kaleo Church is the “mother church” of Resolved Church.    

"Beer is one of our core values. We enjoy it and like to drink it. Drinking is part of our culture and a great way to spend time with others," said Pastor Justin Bragg of The Resolved church. "The American church has perpetuated this separatist movement that we shouldn't mix with nonbelievers. We want to go where people are. We don't expect people to come to us. In [Pacific Beach], people are at the bars, parties, and drinking beer, so this is where we go." The Resolved church plans to have a Theology on Tap night fo