Open letter to Mark Ashton,

pastor of Christ Community Church

(Omaha, NE)

Intro

On November 1st I was contacted by a member of Christ Community Church, an Omaha

church of more than 3,000 pastored by Mark Ashton, to see if I was aware that posters of Pope
John Paul II and Mother Theresa were adorned on the church walls. I was not. I went to the
official church website to confirm this news.

Just one day earlier, Christians across the world celebrated Reformation Day to honor the men
and women who risked their lives and reputation to say Roman Catholic gospel was dead wrong.
The timing could not have been more ironic. News that a Protestant church would pull
something like this on Reformation Sunday spread across the blog world. But I wanted more
information.

I wanted to learn more about the denomination (The Christian and Missionary Alliance) and to
gain more insight into the doctrinal position of the church. I listened to Mr. Ashton’s teachings
and read his books. For a short time, I opened this blog up for comments on the issue. This past
week has given me much time to think through the span of implications involved in his recent
decisions and listen to Ashton’s public response to the criticism (Nov. 12, 2006). I, too, am ready
to go public with my conclusions.

If I had personal conflicts with Mark Ashton, one of the leaders of Christ Community Church,
or the Christian and Missionary Alliance, I would have dealt with that conflict on the personal
level. I do not. My concern was and is with printed materials, and because they were published
publicly (on banners and on the Internet), I have chosen to address my concerns publicly as well.

I have also chosen to make these concerns public because the issues strike at the heart of some
important questions for any church: How do we define the most perilous spiritual dangers? What is
the role of a pastor in confronting those dangers? Beyond the creed, how important is the gospel
message? What can we expect from a church where the gospel is central to every ministry decision?

And certainly these are of public concern because the vision, priorities and actions of Christ
Community Church impact the entire city of Omaha and its churches.

My prayer is that Christ Community Church be – under the direction of Mark Ashton, its
pastors, elders and denomination (The Christian and Missionary Alliance) – a Cross-boasting
church where believers are fed from the depth of the gospel and protected from false gospels.
Any attempt to make me into an enemy of the church is unjustified (Galatians 4:16).

It is from this conviction that I am compelled to write, not out of fondness for controversy. The
conclusion of these letters is left to the conscience of the reader. I welcome all comments,
questions or clarifications for the sake of accuracy.

Tony S. Reinke
Omaha, NE
Thursday, November 16, 2006
http://spurgeon.wordpress.com

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“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun
and which in its effect upon the Christian religion
may be more destructive than Communism,
Romanism and Liberalism combined. It is the
glaring disparity between theology and practice
among professing Christians … Christians
habitually weep and pray over beautiful truth, only
to draw back from that same truth when it comes to
the difficult job of putting it in practice. The average
church simply does not dare to check its practices
against Biblical precepts. It tolerates things that are
diametrically opposed to the will of God, and if the
matter is pointed out to its leaders they will defend
its unscriptural practices with a smooth casuistry
equal to the verbal dodging of the Roman moralists
… It appears that too many Christians want to enjoy
the thrill of feeling right but are not willing to endure
the inconvenience of being right. So the divorce
between theory and practice becomes permanent in
fact, though in word the union is declared to be
eternal. Truth sits forsaken and grieves till her
professed followers come home for a brief visit, but
she sees them depart again when the bills become
due. They protest great and undying love for her but
they will not let their love cost them anything.”

A.W. Tozer, famous author and former president

of The Christian and Missionary Alliance

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 Open letter to Mark Ashton,
pastor of Christ Community Church
(Omaha, NE)
By Tony S. Reinke
Omaha, NE
Thursday, November 16, 2006

Mr. Ashton,

I praise God for the apparent work of God in your life. At least from the creedal level, I have
come across the gospel several times in your sermons and books. You have said that salvation
is by grace alone, in Christ alone, apart from any merits of the sinner. I would never question
your love for the lost, and your love for your neighbors. Praise God for this, it is evidence of
God’s grace at work.

My concerns are not directed into your private Christian life, but at your public role as an
overseer and especially your recent public decisions.

I have not come here to duel in opinions. I have come to ask, are the recent actions of Christ
Community Church, yourself, its elders and its denominational oversight team, accurate in the
handling of biblical pastoral oversight responsibilities? I speak specifically to the posterizing,
printing and Internet publishing of banners of Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa who
personally and directly promoted ‘gospels’ foreign to the bible.

Galatians 1:6-3:14

Galatians was written to a church that had begun flirting with people who taught false gospels.
And they were growing lazy with the true gospel. Nowhere in the bible does Paul use such
agitated and irritated speech. As my foundation, I will use the principles of Galatians 1:6-3:14.
Here is one short excerpt …

1:6
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of
Christ and are turning to a different gospel - 7 not that there is another one, but there are
some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel
from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him
be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a
gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the
approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please
man, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the
gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any
man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Let me summarize how I understand a the role of a church in handling the gospel …

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[1] The eternal fate of religious leaders (whether they are saved or unsaved) is no secret; it is
determined by the accuracy of the leaders’ doctrinal convictions of the gospel compared to the
bible itself (1:6-3:14). Is it our doctrine that opens the gates of heaven or our belief in Christ and
our!profession of faith? They cannot be separated. The bible explicitly answers this by saying:
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both
yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16, NIV). No one is saved whose understanding of the
gospel is biblically inaccurate. A love for one’s own soul, and the souls in his congregation, is
what motivates a biblically faithful preacher. Without sound doctrine there is no gospel, and
without the gospel there is no power unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Adding or subtracting to the
gospel reveals the teachers own condemnation.

[2] When it comes to determining false teachers, it is unnecessary to dig deeper than doctrine
(1:6-10). Sometimes Paul says you will know a false teacher by their works – they will be
defending and promoting sinfulness or not using Scripture as the ultimate authority. But here in
Galatians, Paul is arguing that – irrespective of life or sacrifice or character or risk – they are under
the just condemnation of God for their mere doctrinal contradictions. To believe a sinner is a
“disciple” and a “person of faith,” irrespective of their understanding of the gospel, is to say
salvation can ultimately be earned. It rips the Cross from its central place in the gospel and makes
the Cross useless (2:15-21). Sincerity is of no concern to Paul.

[3] God has given us the means to understand deceived teachers of false gospels so the church can
be protected now by (cautiously) using the label of ‘condemned.’ We are not awaiting God to
judge the heart. How would church leaders ever follow Paul’s command if this were the case? Out
of the abundance of the heart the false teacher speaks (Luke 6:45).

[4] Churches get caught sleeping and false gospels come in overnight (1:6). Even if a church was
founded by the Apostle Paul himself, there is danger. No church can ever rest from discerning
and defining the gospel to its church. The power of God (that is the gospel; Romans 1:16) is gone
from a church long before the church building is empty.

[5] Because of its ability to infect long before it’s noticed, false doctrine (or a false understanding
of the gospel) is one of the most serious threats to a church. Its leaders must be diligent to
recognize and shut it down very quickly.

[6] The antithesis to a false gospel is a clearly defined and defended biblical gospel. After
chastening the Galatians for being lazy and indifferent towards false gospel messages, Paul
continues (at length) to define the true biblical message – that justification comes to the sinner by
faith alone, apart from works (2:14-3:14).

[7] False gospels can be very subtle and thus too numerous to list (1:8-9). Anything contrary to
the genuine gospel is dangerous (and causes great stress to the Apostle Paul). There is only one
genuine gospel message (1:7). To show the subtlety, even the Apostle Peter was in danger of
holding a contrary gospel message and needed to be confronted harshly (2:11-14). Peter was
dangerous, not because of a creedal shift in theology, but because the doctrine of justification by
faith alone was not consistently applied in his social settings.

[8] Those who contradict the biblical gospel, who or add or subtract anything to the gospel, are
to be publicly labeled as ‘under the condemnation of God’ (‘let him be anathema’). False gospels
are cancers that corrupt society and thereby must be publicly refuted. This runs contrary to even
our American religious culture. But I didn’t write it. And you can mark it in the margin of your
bible: God’s clearest and most forceful public condemnation is reserved for teachers who teach a
gospel “contrary” to the bible.

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[9] Anyone who contradicts the gospel, even if they are religiously powerful, sincere, angelic,
famous, nuns, Popes, attractive, popular – or if they are known for taking great humanitarian risk
– are to be publicly known as under the condemnation of God (‘let him be anathema’). False
teachers must be confronted “face-to-face” (2:11). Questioning whether one understands the
gospel is warranted, irrespective of that person’s religious power and authority (1:8-9 and 2:4-6).

[10] The true gospel is precise and deeply doctrinal (2:14-3:14). The books of Romans and
Galatians provide lengthy arguments to clarify the doctrine of the gospel. Eternal souls are at
stake.

[11] If you love and treasure the gospel and are willing to clearly define it, you must be willing to
sacrifice the approval of men (1:10). Clarifying the gospel is not seeker-friendly, but a clarified
gospel alone saves sinners and gives God the glory. Pleasing men and pleasing God are here at
odds. When Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16) he was not imagining the ‘shame’ it had cost him. See also
1 Thessalonians 2:4.

[12] Our pursuit to honor God is shown by the degree we have defined and defended the gospel
(1:10).

[13] Compromise on the gospel comes from the pressure of pleasing the religious majority (2:11-
14).

[14] We are called to clarify, defend and guard the gospel now, in order to preserve the gospel for
the next generation (2:5). We are to fight and “contend” for the gospel (Jude 3). Paul tells a
young pastor Timothy to guard and protect the gospel at various points in 1 and 2 Timothy. “O
Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you” (1 Timothy 6:20).

[15] An accurate creedal affirmation of the gospel, but compromise of the gospel in one’s life is
not sufficient (2:11-14). We must live the gospel doctrine out. If salvation is by grace alone, in
Christ alone, it would be inconsistent to promote those who disagree. Our conduct must be “in
step with the truth of the gospel.”

[16] Contrary to the basic, fundamental beliefs of Roman Catholicism, being justified – made
right with God – comes by faith alone apart from any form of the sinner’s obedience (see the
extended argument in 2:15-3:14). If salvation were possible by being good, nice, socially active or
religious then Christ died “for no purpose” (2:21). Our works flow from our salvation, they
evidence it. True faith will be shown by true works (James 2:14-26). But works never absolve false
teachers from public rebuke. [The historic Roman Catholic document Trent I clearly condemns
(literally ‘anathemas’) anyone who believes justification comes apart from works.]

[17] Straightforward concern about subtle shifts from the biblical gospel does not make that
person an enemy (4:16).

Power of God for Omaha

God is so inflexible towards those who promote a false gospel because without the true gospel,
there is no power to transform a community. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for
it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

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Churches, pastors, preachers and evangelists do not transform a community. They may be
conduits of God’s power, but God’s power flows through a church into the community through
the gospel message. No clear gospel message, no power to transform. God’s only appointed
means of eternal-life-transformation is through the gospel of Jesus Christ on the Cross,
accurately explained and defined. This is why Paul then goes on to spend a very long time
accurately defining this genuine gospel (see Romans 1:16-5:21) and then shows the hopelessness
of any community without accurate gospel preaching (Romans 10:14-21).

At what point has a church forgotten this?

Anathema

When one promotes a false ‘gospel’ they are to be publicly labeled “anathema” – “under the curse
of God’s judgment.” For the safety of the sheep, a pastor must be confident and bold enough to
publicly “expose” (rebuke) those who contradict the biblical gospel (Titus 1:9). This is why
pastors must meet the highest standards in scripture as both gifted and strong enough to remain
faithful in public rebuking. False teachers “must be silenced” (Titus 1:11). Allowing them to
continue speaking publicly in a church is the exact opposite.

John Paul II and Mother Theresa

To be very clear, Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa fall into this category of ones who
contradict the biblical gospel. To say they are genuine Christian “disciples” and now in heaven is
to either be totally ignorant of the crucial relationship of defined doctrine to personal salvation (1
Tim. 4:16), to be confused on the content of biblical gospel itself, or to believe salvation is
primarily granted for good works irrespective of doctrine.

You may say, “How can you say these things, you do not know the heart of Mother Theresa or
Pope John Paul II and whether they are saved or not?” It is not about guessing. Both of these
individuals spoke enough and their words continue to preach today through books. Their
individual ‘gospels’ are clear from their own words. Remember, Paul tells us its unnecessary to go
deeper than their teaching of how we receive God’s grace. Their own words condemn them.

Here are specific examples of the contradictions.

Pope John Paul II believed in a strange universalistic/Christo-pantheism worldview where

everyone is united eternally to Christ by virtue of the Incarnation (see Redemptor Hominis). It
may make for very peaceful conversation in the realm of world religions, but clearly contradicts
Scripture and certainly contradicts the exclusivity of the post-Incarnate life and teachings of Jesus
(like John 14:6). This Pope wrote that “various religions” are “many reflections of one truth.”

His comments deny Ephesians 2:1-12 where the bible tells us that we are all sinners, dead in sin
and unable to spiritually respond, without hope and separated from Christ. This can be
summarized by the apostle Paul’s two words: The sinner is “without God.”

It was Pope John Paul II that solidified in Catholic history the debated idea of Mary as
“coredemptrix,” i.e. that she was spiritually crucified with the Son and takes part in the glory of
Christ for redemption. In 1985 he said,

“Mary goes before us and accompanies us. The silent journey that begins with her
Immaculate Conception and passes through the ‘yes’ of Nazareth, which makes her the
Mother of God, finds on Calvary a particularly important moment. There also, accepting

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 and assisting at the sacrifice of her son, Mary is the dawn of Redemption; ... Crucified
spiritually with her crucified son (cf. Gal. 2:20), she contemplated with heroic love the
death of her God, she ‘lovingly consented to the immolation of this Victim which she
herself had brought forth’ (Lumen Gentium, 58) … In fact, at Calvary she united herself
with the sacrifice of her Son that led to the foundation of the Church; her maternal heart
shared to the very depths the will of Christ ‘to gather into one all the dispersed children of
God’ (Jn. 11:52). Having suffered for the Church, Mary deserved to become the Mother of
all the disciples of her Son, the Mother of their unity … In fact, Mary’s role as
Coredemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son.”

This is a bit further (but affirms) the mainstream Catholic Catechism which says: “Therefore the
Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and
Mediatrix” (969).

There is no sharing of the glory of redemption. Christ traveled to the Cross without Mary (John
16:32), Christ intercedes for us without any help (Hebrews 7:25), and therefore it is fitting that
He and His Father alone get the worship (Revelation 5:8-14). This Mary-worship, where she
shares in the glory of Christ’s death and intercession as our helper, should cause the strongest
revulsion in the heart of the discerning Christian pastor.

Mother Theresa was a perfect counterpart to this Pope. She, too, was a universalist (i.e. based
upon the dignity of mankind, everyone is connected with God and heaven-bound). In her view,
all world religions (even non-religions) lead to heaven.

But out of the other side of her mouth, she affirmed contemporary Roman Catholic dogma,
which is equally false. She said no place has access to Christ if they do not have an ordained
Catholic priest. In an address to priests in 1984 she said:

“When the priest is there, then can we have our altar and our tabernacle and our Jesus. Only
the priests put Jesus there for us. ... Jesus wants to go there, but we cannot bring him unless
you first give him to us. This is why I love priests so much. We could never be what we are
and do the things we do without you priests who first bring Jesus to us.”

But this is even more interesting. Mother Theresa would probably be disgusted to hear that you
are using her image to do what she would never do – using service to get people into a particular
church. She wrote in Life in the Spirit: Reflections, Meditations and Prayers,

“We never try to convert those who receive [aid from Missionaries of Charity] to
Christianity, but in our work we bear witness to the love of God’s presence and if
Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, or agnostics become for this better men – simply better –
we will be satisfied. It matters to the individual what church he belongs to. If that individual
thinks and believes that this is the only way to God for her or him, this is the way God
comes into their life – his life. If he does not know any other way and if he has no doubt so
that he does not need to search then this is his way to salvation” (pp 81-82).

But this is the most tragic. The Christ Community Church banner of Mother Theresa quotes,
“Each one of these is Jesus in disguise.” This is not a nice, fuzzy quote about the dignity of every
person. This is a quote from a universalist who believes everyone is naturally connected to God
through Christ irrespective of religious beliefs or even non-religious beliefs. You, the church, and
the denomination have unknowingly and publicly affirmed her universalistic heresy!

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The universalism of Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa directly attack John 14:6 (“Jesus said
to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me’”); Acts 4:12 (“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name [Jesus Christ
of Nazareth] under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”); and 2 John 1:9
(“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have
God”). This is a direct attack upon the gospel. If there is a second way to be saved, Christ died for
no purpose (Galatians 2:21).

These two Roman Catholic icons contradict the biblical gospel in many, many ways. They are
“accursed” for this. And I have not even started to rebuke the most common characters of the
contemporary Roman Catholic gospel: Justification is not dependent upon our works, salvation is
not begun in infant water baptism, there is no time to repent and reform after death in purgatory,
the falseness of priests and prayers to Mary in light of our sufficient mediator in Christ, the Word
of God (not Rome) as the ultimate spiritual authority, etc.

To be clear, the official leaders and teachers of the Roman Catholic heresy are under the
‘anathema’ of God. Your desire to reach Roman Catholic people should never translate into the
promotion of Rome’s false teachers and calling them “disciples.” Each are dealt separately. We
must love those under Roman Catholicism and hold an utter disdain for the Roman Catholic
leaders who confuse the gospel to their own condemnation.

When Pope Leo XIII died, A.B. Simpson, the founder of your denomination (The Christian and
Missionary Alliance), took the occasion of his death to write the following:

“The death of the Pope after a protracted illness and a prolonged career of successful
administration of the great religious body over which he presided, marked an epoch of great
importance. While all bitter controversial spirit may well be hushed in the presence of
death, and while we cheerfully accord to this great man his full meed of praise for amiable
qualities and great abilities, yet we cannot but utter a humble protest against the reckless and
indiscriminate way in which many Christians and Christian journals seem to forget,
notwithstanding the highest personal qualities, that this man was the head and front of the most
pernicious and dangerous system of religion on earth today, the very Antichrist of prophecy and
the unchanged enemy of Christ and His most Holy faith.”

The life and words of A.B. Simpson are a great testimony of a man driven by a passion to
evangelize the lost with the gospel and who likewise understood the implications of Galatians. He
was and still is right.

Simpson understands that proponents of foreign gospels, irrespective of “personal qualities,”

destroy the gospel. The Pope in this case and extending to the even more outlandish pantheistic
‘gospels’ of Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa, are “the unchanged enemies” of “the most
pernicious and dangerous system of religion on earth today.” To call them “disciples” and to
reinforce them, Mr. Ashton, is “reckless and indiscriminate.”

After calling them by the title “disciples” and saying they are “examples of people of faith” you
asked in your Sunday morning sermon (Nov. 12, 2006): If by putting posters on the walls of
Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II was the Christian Missionary Alliance moving away from
its doctrinal convictions? This important question remains unanswered.

Here is the bottom line: One or more of the following must be true. Either …

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 1. These two icons are truly saved, and you can defend their beliefs as consistent with the
biblical gospel. Or,
2. These two individuals were woefully deceived by false gospels, but saved because of their
social work (i.e. saved by works). Or,
3. These two icons were unbelieving false teachers, and you see no danger in promoting and
defending them publicly to the flock you are called to protect.

One or more of the following must be certain: Either there is deficiency of the creedal gospel, a
deficiency of the applied gospel or a serious misunderstanding of pastoral ministry. Each warrant
public notice.

My own answer should be evident. This man and this woman were sinners who needed the
genuine gospel just like you and I do. But they turned from it and preached things contrary to it.
It made them very popular with the masses. But as Galatians clearly demonstrates – the faulty
gospel that came from their own mouths is the grounds of their own condemnation.

The Risk of the Sheep

Omaha is filled with Roman Catholics, the unfortunate children birthed from this most
dangerous religion. Yes, we should be loving and concerned about our Roman Catholic
neighbors, but loving and gentle towards the Roman Catholic ‘gospel’ and their most public
defenders under the ‘anathema’ of God? Never.

Jesus was not afraid to tell a woman that she belonged to the wrong church (John 4:19-26). The
Samaritan woman worshipped in a religion that looked a lot like true Judaism. But Jesus corrected
her and told her she worshipped in ignorance. This was hard but also very loving. We cannot be
too concerned with approval to tell people they are wrong.

But for official teachers, “let them be anathema” (repeated for special emphasis in Galatians 1:8-
9). “Anathema” is not reserved for a private one-on-one conversation, nor is it a memo for the file
cabinet or the conclusion of a board meeting, but a public upholding and chastening of those who
contradict the biblical gospel message.

The posters are not risky because they will offend genuine believers. They are risky because they
confirm the false gospel of the unbelievers you supposedly seek after and confuse the gospel of
genuine Christians who don’t know better.

To see the heresies of Roman Catholicism as one of the most predominate in our community,
and then to defend the promotion of its foremost and most recognizable icons (for any purpose)
is absurd. I simply cannot understand the logic behind this. That the printing and publishing of
these posters received total backing from District Executive Committee of the Christian and
Missionary Alliance and full-endorsement from the elder board of Christ Community Church is
incredible. That they continue to be defended and posted after serious concerns were addressed
publicly … speechless.

I have been told there was a public disclaimer at some point: “you may not agree with what these
people stand for.” I could not find a disclaimer on the website where I first saw the banners
published. In either case, pastors don’t get to hide behind the legal comforts of disclaimers. False
teachers come dressed in the clothing of humble sheep, but in reality are deadly wolves (Matthew
7:15). Sheep are defenseless from attack. They will not and cannot defend themselves. Shepherds
are there to protect them, to rebuke publicly what is dangerous. Pastors are not given the right to

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play with false gospels for the sake of illustration and then be protected from the consequences
behind disclaimers!

You promote the Pope and Mother Theresa because it is popular, not because it is spiritually safe.
And you have left thousands of souls to spiritually fend for themselves. God is not silent towards
shepherds who let the sheep defend themselves (Ezekiel 34).

After warning pastors to “pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock,” Paul says in
Acts 20:29-31 that pastors must always be alert,

“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the
flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw
away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not
cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.”

Protecting the church from contradictory ‘gospels’ is the long-term, tear-filled work of a
shepherd.

Substitutes

But why these two Catholic icons? There are thousands of men and women who took risks in the
name of the genuine gospel! How about Luther who took the Word of God and stood up against
the massive organized religion for its biblical inaccuracies? His actions liberated the poor and
ignorant from the tyranny of Roman Catholicism. What about missionaries who risked their lives
– not in the name of universalism – but of the true gospel of salvation in Christ alone and by faith
alone. Men like Carey, Whitefield, Brainerd, Jim Elliot, etc? What about Charles Spurgeon, who
spent most of the money he made (by preaching the gospel) to care for widows and orphans?

Of all the men and women posterized for the Risk series, one thing is missing: a lack of
consistency on the gospel message. I must ask, does this reflect the ‘diversity of gospels’ of the
church itself?

Life and doctrine

Under your leadership, Christ Community Church has drawn a line of separation between life
and doctrine. You want people to see the “risks” Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa took
without concern for their doctrine.

Paul told a young pastor: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you
do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16, NIV). The life and teaching,
the service and doctrine, must be watched together or compromise seeps in. And once the
doctrine has not been carefully guarded, it loses all power to actually save sinners and the life – no
matter how risky – is of no eternal value.

Separating life and doctrine, according to A.W. Tozer, is even more dangerous to Christianity
than its three great enemies combined (Communism, Catholicism and theological liberalism).
Why?

On one side your church becomes theologically liberal because service projects are more
important than affirming the deity of Christ, the exclusivity of the Cross, the authority of the
Bible, and the nature of the gospel. Slowly, year-by-year, the gospel becomes less and less
important. Driving Christians deeper and deeper into the glories of Calvary are substituted for

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service projects. Or, on the other hand, you get one-day-a-week ‘Christians’ who do not share the
gospel or minister at all because their doctrine (on Sunday) does not connect with their lives from
Monday to Saturday. One loses doctrine, the other loses service, and both fail to understand the
gospel (1 Timothy 4:6).

Surely, Mr. Ashton, you cannot expect people to separate life and doctrine when they look on the
church walls, and expect them to unite them once they have left the church?

Conclusion

Personally, I direct a blog for Cross-centered Christians and pastors around the world where I
provide a public place for encouragement and learning (http://spurgeon.wordpress.com). I have
many friends and family who attend Christ Community Church and have been able to observe
the church for two years, trying to formulate an understanding of its goals. I have defended you
from unwarranted personal attacks and many weeks ago I personally confirmed to a Christ
Community pastor of my certainty of God’s gracious work in his life. And I was greatly
anticipating the beginning of your ministry in Omaha, which is why I attended your first sermon
in Omaha.

But I am also Christian who loves the gospel of Jesus Christ and who loves the city of Omaha. I
will take a public stance when I believe the spiritual health of this city is being endangered by a
confusing gospel message. It is here that I sense there is something seriously wrong with the
direction of the church.

We may forever disagree on this point. I am open to correction. But I do hope this exchange at
least causes more caution in future pastoral decisions.

My conclusion is this: Christ Community Church printed posters of Pope John Paul II and
Mother Theresa, called them “people of faith” and then told 3,000+ souls to be more like them.
The most optimistic conclusion I can draw from these actions is to say that this demonstrates the
highest expression of negligence in the shepherding of souls.

Cross-centered

I do not want to be misunderstood. I am not writing this to simply get banners taken off walls.
My aim is not public apologies. I do not seek to be ‘appeased’ with big-church concessions, nor
am I claiming Christ Community Church is itself preaching a false gospel. I am asking the
question: How important to you is the genuine gospel?

The most important issue at stake is one question: Is the beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ – that
sinners deserving of hell, are rescued by the perfect substitute of Jesus Christ, who being fully
man and fully God, was alone fitted for our salvation, a salvation we could never earn – is this
message central to Christ Community Church?

For Paul, the precious gospel was EVERYTHING! Paul tells us we should boast in and find our
joy from one thing – the Cross of Christ (Galatians 6:14). Paul says, even better than persuasive
oratory and wisdom, is to come preaching one unending sermon series – “The Cross of Christ” (1
Corinthians 2:1-5). Paul was willing to throw away all his religious attainments and accolades,
reputation and status for one thing – the precious knowledge of the Cross (Philippians 3:2-11).
For Paul, there was one thing that took “first importance” in the church – the Cross of Christ (1
Corinthians 15:3). And now Paul threatens us with the fact that there is one sure way to

- 11 -
guarantee God’s curse upon one’s soul – to publicly misrepresent the Cross of Christ (Galatians
1:6-9).

And it does not stop in theology. For example, Paul tells us that the only hope for a husband to
truly love his wife is to live with the sacrifice of Christ constantly in mind (Ephesians 5:25). In
other words, without a clear understanding of the doctrine of the Cross of Jesus Christ properly
placed front-and-center, marriages don’t work.

It is exciting to see churches from many different denominations and influences unified together
in major conferences to define and embrace the biblical gospel (like the Together for the Gospel
conference). This new wave of concern for biblical faithfulness recently caught the attention of
Christianity Today (see the September 2006 cover story). I am not writing this from some
isolated fundamentalist position.

My point is that if Christ Community Church holds tightly to this precious gospel (beyond mere
creedal affirmation) that gospel would have certainly exerted a direct influence upon the decision of
who to posterize and promote on its walls. It obviously did not.

And so I can only conclude that the gospel Paul held as the center of the Christian life and
Christian church is not at the center of Christ Community Church. This is my ultimate concern.

My prayer continues to be that Christ Community Church be, under the direction of Mark
Ashton, its pastors, elders and the oversight of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, a Cross-
boasting church where believers are fed from the depth of the gospel and protected from false
gospels.

It is from this conviction that I am compelled to write you, not out of fondness for controversy. I
speak from individual convictions. I do not represent anyone or any group of people. I have
spoken fully, but I am open to any corrections, comments, or questions for the sake of clarity.

I write because my conscience is held captive by the Word of God. To go against conscience is
neither right nor safe.

Here I stand.

May God help us all,

Tony S. Reinke
Omaha, NE

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 "How can this Nan give us His flesh to eat"? This was iully accord to this great man his full meed of praise for
the question of Christ's hearers, as He told them that He came a n ~ ~ a bclualities
le and great abilities, )et we cannot but utter a
to give His flesh for the hfe of the world. To them it sounded humble protest against the reckless and indiscriminate way in
like a coarse kind of cannibalism. To the Spirlt-taught mind which many Christians and Christian journals seem to forget,
it is the most exquisite and glorious truth of the supernatural notwithstanding the highest personal qualities, that this man
* life. H e came not only to give His life for the world as an was the head and front of the most pernicious and dangerous
atoning sacrifice, but to the world as an all-efficient source of system of false religion on earth today, the very Antichrist
vital strength. This H e did by first laying down His life and prophecy and the unchanged enemy of Christ and His most
. then taking it up again to be given back to us as our life. Holy faith.
How can we receive it? He only can teach us, and He will , % % %
teach the heart that is willing to come close enough to Him A I.RIEKD with a large Christian experience recalled to us
to learn the blessed secret. But what a secret it is! How it recently that one of the greatest needs among young Chris-
.
changes the hardest trials into mounts of blessing and gives to tians seemed to be a right understanding of life's troubles. So
its possessor a charmed existence. Dear friend, if you have many people are perplexed and overcome by their troubles
not discovered it, God help you to "feel after Him" until you simply through not understanding them. We should look at
find Him. everything in the light of faith and of our Father's love.
- - - Nothing comes to us by chance. Even the devil must pass
through God's will befoi-e he can reach us. The natural-and
T H E Pennsylvania Convention, wh~chclosed at Lancaster
unbelieving way when a trial meets us is to say "who sinned,
on Sabbath, July 19, was another forward movement of the
this man or his parents, that this happened to him." The
Alliance work, and marked a distinct advance in every direc-
Divine explanation is, "nobody sinned, but it came that the
tion. Especially did it speak, as it so often has, for the value
works of God might be manifested in him." These hard places
of quiet, thorough organization. Not less than forty-four
come to us simply as occasions and opportunities for God to
branches were represented in the pledges of the closing Sab-
show what H e can do for us, and for faith to claim Him in
bath, and their offerings covered 19.20 per cent of the entire His sufficiency. Do not lose the blessing that lies hidden in
missionary offering. That offering reached a very high rec- your trials.
ord, the sum of $37,000, besides nearly $ 1 , ~more con- % % i%

!
tributed on the previous day for home mission work and the BLRACHAH, Nyack, is filling with a happy family circle and
expenses of the Convention. At this rate Pennsylvania and unusual blessing these summer days. Rev. W. H. Daniels, a
the Eastern District will very soon lead all others in mission- beloved and benignant father in Israel, is spending the sum-
ary giving. The whole Convention was marked by unity, mer at the home and ministering to the spiritual wants of the
power and wise and well-directed work. Our dear brethren guests and many others, including Rev. Max Morehead,
. ,
in this State have much cause to thank God for His marked Principal Stephens, Miss Draper, Mr. Simpson, are giving
- presence and blessing on wise leadership and faithful work. special services. Miss Lindenberger and her staff of helpers
expect to be at home during the entire summer. Intending
% % %
guests should apply to her, at Berachah, Nyack.
I T H E Old Orchard Convention will have begun before this % % %
page is read by most of our constituency. May we beg your T H E attitude of President Roosevelt and the Cabinet at
earnest prayers and fellowship in this important work? And Washington with reference to the petition of the Hebrew Citi-
a word of cheer will not be lost amid the many voices that will zens of the United States to the Russian Czar for consideration
be blended in that great Convention. toward their fellow coreligionists in Russia has been manly and
I R % % worthy of all praise. Even if Russia refuses to receive this
>aper, the moral effect of the incident is overwhelming, and
THE death of the Pope after a protracted illness and a Russia cannot escape the fact, patent to the gaze of the world,
prolonged career of successful administration of the great that the government of the only civilized nation which com-
religious body over which he presided, marked an e p d l of pares ~ ~ hert Inh population has voiced the protest of milhons
I
I
great importance. Whilr all hittvr controversial spirit ma!' of h r r C I ~ I ~ C I Iagalnqt S one nf the most cruel wrongs and out-
well he huqhcrl in tliv pr.c\,wt. ( , I ,1,,;1111.,(1111 \\1111,, i\(cl~cvr- T ' I ~ , < ot I l l ( v .I I ~I ( I' \ 111qtor\