From Religious Dispatches:What in the Name of the Crusades are Tennessee Evangelicals Doing in Kurdish Iraq? New Apostolic Reformation under a group called Servant Leadership Group International (a C Peter Wagner offshoot out of Belmont Church) have settled in and established their churches in Kurdistan Turkey, Liberia, Indonesia, Germany, and Norway. (I apologize for my error with the group name)- BD)
These days, SGI is closely involved with the Kurdistan Regional Government, the ruling coalition of Massoud Barzani’s Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), and Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), brokering international business concessions and oil drilling contracts, funneling USAID money into their missions, setting up a chain of ‘classical Christian’ schools and producing slick PR videos for the Kurdistan Regional Government that were broadcast in the United States. It appears as if the KRG has given them the run of the country, often backing their ministries and schools with grants of land, buildings and other favors.
Hey Ben, I know this has nothing to do with what you just posted, but Nancy Alcorn just posted a response to the Jesus Rx article on her blog and she hasn’t yet deleted any comments mentioning the abuse scandal (maybe she’s just away from her computer or something).
Sean, John Weaver, and I have already posted comments on the entry and I was wondering if you wanted to as well. Over at my blog we are playing How Long Will It Stay Up? in case you are interested.
Hi Cynic Sage:
I tried! It won’t take my blogger ID. I’ll keep trying.
I think you were wise to be respectful, MM has done a good job of framing critics as vitrolic, etc.
A couple of mistakes here.
First, the Belmont group is “Servant Group International.” They seem to have little tie to C Peter Wagner.
The reporter mentions the “10-40 window” concept in connection to SGI, and attributes it to Wagner. However, that concept has crept into missions terminology independent of any New Apostolic overtones; even Baptists will talk of the 10-40 window.
Other than that SGI works in that general area of the world, there seems to be little tie of Belmont to NAR stuff. The closest is that “longtime Christian Reconstructionist Andrew Sandlin” likes SGI’s work. It doesn’t say that SGI returns the favor.
Belmont’s web site doesn’t seem to have any connection to NAR; the closest I could find is a link to Youth With a Mission, who might be a bit too charismatic for your taste, as might Belmont’s focus on “Experiencing life in the Holy Spirit and current-day spiritual gifts properly balanced with the study and application of God’s Word.”
If I were in Nashville, I’d be interesting in checking this church out, even if it’s a bit big for my tastes.
This is the fourth time I’ve written this and accidentally deleted it.
Go to Belmonts link section – Jacobs, Goll, Damian, Otis Jr. Chuch Pierce etc are all NAR apostles. Robert Ricciardelli recently resigned as an Wagner apostle.
Maynard (pastor until 2002) is a contributor to a Wagner book.
First senior pastor also.
Look at Wagner’s International Apostolic Network (it’s not updated) and you’ll see for yourself. (.pdf)
http://www.apostlesnet.net/members.htm
Another outdated list:
http://tinyurl.com/bybk2l
Servant Group International may be as pure as the driven snow I know Wagner has co-opted and twisted charismatic/pentecostal language for his Kingdom Now/dominionist agenda.
Not all pentecostal and charismatic churches have been infiltrated, I didn’t say they were.
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/arise.html
But sorry Mark, Belmont promotes some of Wagners apostles, and their materials.
If I’m wrong I’ll amend this post and apologize.
I had checked, but must not have dug deep enough. What I saw was fairly innocent with YWAM being the most suspect. I’ll take a second look and track down some nice Chianti to eat my words with if you’re right.
OK, get me that &^%& Chianti, Bene.
Belmont had James Goll on board to preach in 2007; he’s one of the people listed on the apostle network list you link to, but he seems to be running an independent Encounters Network ministry at present which Belmont links to; he seems knee deep in NAR-style stuff.
Goll is hereby busted on NAR charges in spades.
Another link is Don Finto’s Caleb Company which seems to have a mission to Jews and Israel; this site has Finto knee-deep into five-fold ministry advocacy.
I wasn’t seeing the connections at first, but when I dug a little deeper, there are some non-trivial NAR ties at Belmont.
Mark, it would be joyful to get together with you and your wife and spend time hanging out, even with Chainti; although Turning Leaf Pinot Grigio would be even better.;^)
Goll is up there in the C. Pete apostle hierachy, I’d have to look up where he has nestled in the pyramid.
When I blast evangelical systems, and call out abuse I can appreciate people may think I’m ‘against’ instead of warning. We live in such an either/or reactive world; thanks for your wisdom in distinguishing between antagonism and activism.
I don’t know how non-trivial NAR ties are at Belmont; if you have the opportunity to visit and dig a bit, I’m seriously interested in what you learn.
For every truth, there is a lie.
For every gain, there’s a cheat.
Do not err, beloved brethren ..