Read this first

by Matt Slick

The Emerging Church movement is controversial and CARM does not approve or disapprove of it as a whole. There is so much diversity within it that it cannot be labeled as all good or all bad.

There is no official, single doctrinal statement from "The Emerging Church" nor is there a single official leader. There are prominent figures who are pushed to the forefront as representatives of the movement by some critics and some adherents (Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, etc.), but they don't represent the whole. So, it is difficult to summarize the entire movement into a few sentences and give it a thumbs up or down.  Therefore, I ask you to be patient with me as this section continues to grow and be updated.  There are more articles to come.

Undoubtedly, people who read the pages in this section will have opinions that range from very supportive to very negative.  As this happens and I am sent various citations about who said what, I'm sure I will want to modify some of the articles and write new ones.

Of all the topics I've researched for CARM, none of them has taken as long as this section.  Primarily, I've been sidetracked with a lot of CARM related issues that have made it difficult to focus.  My traveling has increased and the necessities of running this ministry are becoming more complex.  On one hand it's been frustrating.  But on the other hand I'm glad, because it has given me more time to peruse the topic, think about what I've written, and polish some ideas.  After all, this is a controversial movement in the church and publishing articles about it means that they will be scrutinized.  Of course, this is good but it can also be rather demanding to respond to everything that people say.

Nevertheless, I decided to release the section before I took a week long trip even though there is more I wanted to write about.  Heck, the Emerging Church is changing and growing and there is no way I can keep up with its claims, errors, strengths, quotes, etc.  Still, I kept getting side-tracked and I finally just decided to get out there.  But remember, there is more to do so expect updates periodically.

Have a comment or complaint?

So, if you have a comment I would like to hear it.  If you e-mail me with a complaint or question about the Emerging Church that I know I've addressed in the articles, I'll simply delete your email. Use the search engine before you ask a question.  I don't plan to rewrite in emails what I've already answered here.  I've done a lot of research on the movement.  I've interviewed several emerging pastors and read thousands of Emerging Church pages both pro and con, so the least you can do is read what I have written before you contact me -- with a complaint, that is.  If you want to say, "Well done", that's fine.  But, if you want me to change something, make your case well.  Provide documentation and please be patient.

Thanks

Matt Slick

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