pure hit piece
This article on Carlos Whittaker, worship pastor at Northpoint in Atlanta (Stanley) shows how little discernment goes in to the online discernment ministries or CRN. All that Ken Silva the editor commented on what the style of Whittaker. Well, since it is sho short, here it is
The emerging church and the new breed new evangelicals are busy lowering the standards of what it is to be Christian. Yeah and the great thing is it means we get uber hip worship leading/producer “pastors” with Ragamuffin Soul like Carlos Whittaker, “a musician, blogger, and pastor living in the ATL, Atlanta, GA.”
Party on Garth, oops I mean — Rock on 4 Jesus dude!
Do you see anything in this article that refutes heretical doctrine, incorrect ministry practices or mistreatment of the word of God? Probably now, because there is none. This piece basically says “OOH! You’re really cool! You must be all about being ‘relevant’ and watering down the gospel.” I just don’t get articles like this, that attempt to show if you are a normal person in American culture, you are inherently bad. I don’t want to use “culturally relevant”, because that implies that someone is attempting to catch up trends or society, and being a part of a culture that isn’t their own. But just because you dress in modern fashion, speak in the modern vernacular and use modern technology, does not mean that you are trying to be a “uber hip” pastor. I just means that you are living your life out as a normal person. Why can’t Christians just live in their culture without having to being mocked as trying to be culturally relevant or super cool? i find that it is the people who are out of touch with culture that often accuse people like Whittaker of trying to be hip and relevant. Does that make sense?
Carlos has been doing his worship confessionals online for some time now. His honesty as a minister is so refreshing. He shares openly about what goes well and what bombs. He shares his human frustrations and joys in ministry. He gives us a look at the normal stuff that goes into ministry (like how Sunday mornings are run). I have noticed that CRN has been featuring alot more articles that are just plain hit pieces, with no substance, against people they dislike. Where’s the discernment in that?
btw… CRN is all messed up right now.(literally)
October 11th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
You know, you make a great point that, after months of reading their material, can sometimes slip through the cracks.
They say their ministry is meant to correct Christians in error, but because it’s just more fun to mock people, they opt for the latter.
The incorrect “corrections” are frustrating enough.
The jabs without content are just embarrassing.
The other ODMs should really correct the “editor” in this case. That story was a complete waste of time. How is that “discernment”? If you call yourself a “discernment ministry”, then at least do some bad discernment. It’s better than none at all.
October 11th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
I had the pleasure of meeting Carlos at Catalyst. He’s genuine and friendly. I have no idea what the elusive editor was trying to intimate about him, but fortunately, he/she/it failed at making Carlos look bad at all.
I love that story in scripture when Jesus and Peter are mocking the rich young ruler because he bought a new camel that all the hip kids were riding. Stupid rich young ruler.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:23 am
Okay so “Hope in Laodicea” is listed under Christian Encouragment on the CR
apN page. ?????October 12th, 2007 at 10:16 am
I never got this line of thinking either. I know for me, dressing up in a suit and tie and playing organ music would be me trying to be “hip” and “relevant” because those things aren’t part of my culture at all, but it’s part of the culture of many I minister to.
A think a good base for understanding this is when you said “i find that it is the people who are out of touch with culture that often accuse people like Whittaker of trying to be hip and relevant.”
I imagine for the authors of articles like that one, dressing like this, listening to music like this, this style etc. would be them faking something or putting on something.
When for others it’s just who they are, the cultures they run with and these authors can’t get outside themselves to realize this, that if these things would be faking it in the name of being hip and relevent, then that must be true for everyone.
Just wait twenty years when all of us in ministry accused of being hip and relevant when really we’re just running in the cultures we’ve grown up in or ascribe to are the ones being accused of being irrelevant and out of touch.
I always tell my kids that if I show up in a tie, a sports jersey or a brand name shirt then they should take me to task for being fake in an attempt to be hip and relevant to them.
I imagine for this Carlos guy this would be his style and way of things ministry or not.