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Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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[Innerlight]

I agree with EAS, even a four year seminary degree exhibit's someone's love and desire to sincerely study God's word.  That does not preclude that someone cannot be a great Bible teacher, but all too often they either grow up in a system (e.g.  GCC, Calvary Chapel, IHOP) and cannot deviate from the so-called non denominational (denominational) teachings of the leadership...meaning they can't think for themselves, or they have their favorite pastor, Charles Stanley, Swindoll, Piper, etc... and they basically read their commentaries to formulate their messages.  Now, there is nothing wrong with reading commentaries, I use them all the time, but there is a big difference between scholarly commentaries and books written by well-known pastors.  We had points taken off our bibliographies in grad school if we cited anything other than scholarly commentaries.

The well trained pastor will know how to exegete and interpret scripture and more importantly listen to the Holy Spirit's words of instruction.

My two cents...
 

[EverAStudent]

Hi Innerlight.  For me the old proverb was certainly true:  Seminary made me aware of a massive volume of knowledge that I did not know even existed before I went in; in short, by the end I became aware that my scope of ignorance was even larger than I had thought it to be before I started. 

That said, as avid a Bible student as I had been before I started classes, no one ever bothered to train me in hermeneutics in any manner even close to what my first hermeneutics course accomplished.  My course of study required four hemermeneutics classes in which I was required to exegete and exposit Jude, Titus, some Proverbs, major groupings of chapters from the Corinthians and Matthew along with others, and then have all my written interpretive work critically analyzed.  Grueling but valuable.

No, seminary does not guarantee a student will develop and hold onto sound doctrine, but it does teach a person the skills necessary to be able to do so.  Even today I cringe at the shallow silly (GC-like) interpretations I used to lay onto Scriptures before I had the tools necessary to dig out the biblical authors' intended messages for the audiences of his day.  Not that I have somehow arrived even now...I am constantly finding the need to dig and correct my wrong assumptions and improper conclusions.  Like I said, I am more aware now that there are entire areas of theology which I have not even begun to grasp because I did not even know they had existed. 

And now, we return you to our regularly scheduled thread on Summitview Loveland and Rick Whitney...

[Innerlight]

well said, the more you think you know, the more you realize you don't. 

[removed]

Hello All!   My first post! My family and I have been encouraged and informed by this forum, thank you!  The mess at Summitview/Beggar's Gate is yet another example of GC at it's worst. Don't think for a moment (most of you don't) that it was a simple name change!  What has happened there is a current example of the "former issues" at GC-elitism, favoritism, lies, un-Biblical correction, pride and exchanging the truth for a lie. 

1 Corinthians 13
The Message
The Way of Love

13 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

Unfortunately, Beggar's Gate has become a "rusty gate" and those who have been ignored, dismissed, un-loved, rejected, and "removed" are not the only casualties of this chronic GC disease. Many many more have suffered as collateral damage.   In my opinion I take great comfort that God is on His throne and that He is unchanging in His perfect love, faithfulness, grace, mercy and forgiveness towards us all.

[Linda]

Welcome, removed. Thanks for your post.

I am sorry to hear that once again a GC church has caused pain. The rejection is very real when a person leaves a GC church over false teaching.

Would you be able to elaborate on the Summitview-Beggar's Gate situation?