Janet Parshall Commentary

Shepherds Led Astray

         The role of a shepherd in the Church is to guide and direct the sheep through the authority, the power and the transforming nature of God’s word.  That, of course, presumes that the shepherd believes in what the Word teaches. 

         Research from the Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University reveals that a stunning number of American pastors lack basic biblical views. According to their report,  just 37% of Christian pastors have a biblical worldview, with the predominant worldview among pastors (62%) being syncretism, a “hybrid mixture of disparate worldview elements blended into a customized philosophy of life.”

         The survey looked at 17 basic beliefs, including salvation through Christ, moral and biblical truth, human purpose, and the value of human life.  They interviewed pastors in the nation’s seven major denominations. Non-denominational and independent Protestant churches were most likely to embrace biblical truths. But, pastors in evangelical churches held surprisingly low numbers of biblical beliefs. 

         For example, three out of every 10 (30%) do not believe that their salvation is based on having confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. According to the report, more than one-third believe there is no absolute moral truth, deny human life is sacred, and say having faith matters more than which faith you have.

         Specifically, the report found that one-third or more of senior pastors believe:

• Sexual relations between two unmarried people who believe they love each other is morally acceptable.
• Determining moral truth is up to each individual; there are no moral absolutes that apply to everyone, all the time.
• The Holy Spirit is not a living entity, but is a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity.
• Having faith matters more than which faith you have.
• Reincarnation is a real possibility.
• A person who is generally good, or does enough good things for others, can earn a place in Heaven.
• Socialism is preferable to capitalism.
• Allowing property ownership facilitates economic injustice.
• The Bible is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion, enabling you to make a strong argument either for or against abortion based on biblical principles.

Additionally, one-third or more of senior pastors reject the following beliefs: human life is sacred; wealth is entrusted to individuals to be managed for God’s purposes; success is consistent obedience to God; people are born into sin and can only be saved from its consequences by Jesus Christ; they, personally, will experience eternal salvation only because they have personally confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Dr George Barna, director of research at the Center said of the results, “Because pastors teach what they believe, many churches are becoming centers of syncretism and secular thought. Perhaps without even realizing it, thousands of pastors have become leaders of a movement away from God, toward narcissism.”

The Church is in trouble in America.  Unless it turns back to a higher view of God and of His word, and until we absorb, adhere and apply it to our lives, the Church will be nothing but a “whited sepulcher”

Those are my thoughts.  I’m Janet Parshall.