The Walls Are Coming Down. NAE Joins With WCC.

Fundamental Evangelistic Association
selected articles from:
^{^{^©}}FOUNDATION
A MAGAZINE OF BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALISM
Dennis W. Costella, Editor; Karel Beyer, Production Manager; Matt Costella, Copy Editor
M.H. Reynolds, Jr. (1919-1997), Founding Editor

The Walls Are Coming Down
NCC and WCC members can now join the NAE.
How far left will the NAE go?

by Matt Costella
©FOUNDATION Magazine May-June 2000

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS (NAE) began 58 years ago in St. Louis, Missouri, as an organization designed to provide an alternative to both the Fundamentalist Movement and the apostate liberal denominations that permeated the United States at the time. From its inception, the NAE has served as a "middle-of-the-road" organization and has repudiated the Biblical doctrine of separation from false doctrine and disobedient brethren. The preface to the NAE constitution specifically states, "We believe biblical separation is separation from the worldly spirit of the age and not from other evangelical believers (emphasis added)." Yet at the same time, however, the NAE also refused to allow member churches or organizations to hold membership in the liberal, apostate World Council of Churches (WCC) or National Council of Churches (NCC). One NAE constitutional bylaw stated, "Denominations shall not hold dual membership in the National Association of Evangelicals and any other organization at a comparable ecclesiastical level, such as the National Council of Churches of Christ in America, the World Council of Churches, and the American Council of Christian Churches." Clearly, the NAE purposed to distance itself from both Fundamentalism and liberalism.

The founders of the NAE realized the potential danger of theological liberalism, yet they refused to militantly oppose the teachings and doctrines of the liberals. A brief history of the NAE written for its 50th anniversary in 1992 noted that the early NAE founders and participants "did not feel that militant opposition and direct confrontation with the well-established [Federal (National) Council of Churches] was the best strategy" for voicing opposition against the apostate organization. They hoped that by focusing more on the "positive testimony to the gospel" they would not offend the liberals who were so often held in high esteem within society. These same Evangelicals basically agreed with many Biblical doctrines taught and embraced by Fundamentalists; however, they not only refused to militantly oppose error and separate from disobedient brethren and false teaching but also refused to even identify with those who took a militant stand for the whole counsel of God as revealed in His Word.

Today, any denomination, church, individual or religious organization that desires to become a member of the NAE must adhere to the NAE statement of faith which provides a broad umbrella under which a multitude of professed Christians could reside. The seven-point statement of faith reads as follows:

1.      We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

2.      We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

3.      We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

4.      We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

5.      We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

6.      We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

7.      We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Noticeably absent from the seven-point statement is a description of how a sinner becomes a part of the body of Christ; the security of the believer in Christ; the inerrancy of Scripture; the Biblical mandate of separation from unbelief, worldliness or compromise and many other essential doctrines that are necessary in order to maintain a pure, holy fellowship of believers. The NAE mission statement is equally inclusive and penned in a such a way that actually invites the maximum amount of ecumenical cooperation allowable in an attempt to "extend the kingdom of God." The NAE mission statement reads as follows:

The mission of the National Association of Evangelicals is to extend the kingdom of God through a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals, demonstrating the unity of the body of Christ by standing for Biblical truth, speaking with a representative voice, and serving the evangelical community through united action, cooperative ministry, and strategic planning.

Few professed Christians today, even those within mainline denominations, would reject the NAE's mission statement and statement of faith.

The NAE's drift from a middle-of-the-road position to an inclusive fellowship with those who question or even reject many aspects of orthodox Christianity began many years ago. While the NAE did agree with many doctrines held by the Fundamentalists since its inception in 1942, it also welcomed into its fellowship Charismatic and Pentecostal churches which held beliefs that were often diametrically opposed to orthodox Christianity. According to the aforementioned report documenting the history of the NAE, the NAE leaders admit that their organization "embraced numerous Christians in the Pentecostal, Holiness and Anabaptist traditions," adding that "Pentecostalism, which had been kept at arm's length by most fundamentalists, had become part of the conservative [NAE] alliance." By 1958, the Assemblies of God, Church of God (Cleveland), International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, Pentecostal Church of God and the Pentecostal Holiness Church comprised nearly two-thirds of the NAE's membership. In 1995, Assemblies of God pastor Don Argue was elected president of the NAE, and in 1999, Kevin Mannoia, a self-professed Charismatic pastor with the Free Methodist Church of North America, became the NAE's latest president.

Under the leadership of Argue, the NAE began to officially break down its defenses against the National Council of Churches. In 1997, NCC General Secretary Joan Brown Campbell announced that the "cold war" between the NCC and NAE was over. She touched on several areas in which Argue and the NAE were cooperating more closely with both the NCC and the Roman Catholic bishop's ecumenical committee. Argue even addressed the NCC's general assembly in 1996, a positive sign of cooperation for Campbell who told one reporter that "reaching out to Evangelicals had been part of her agenda since she became NCC general secretary in 1991 " (Ecumenical News International, 1 1-20-97).

The NAE's move toward the liberal left is increasing at a tremendous rate under Mannoia, who has vowed to cooperate more closely with Charismatics and those within mainline denominations. He even appeared at the NCC's 50th anniversary in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1999, and joined in an ecumenical dialogue with liberals, Roman Catholics and other evangelicals (Jan-Feb 2000 Foundation). Upon his election as NAE president in 1999, Mannoia said the NAE leaders elected him as president because they realized that the aging organization needed to change. He stated, "They know what I represent and my vision and my call and they know that ultimately, the complexion and the nature ... of this group is going to change" (Salt LakeTribune,3-6-99). But Mannoia added ,"I'm not sure all of [the NAE leaders] recognize how much that change will cost" (May-June 1999 Ministries Today). Now, one year later, it is apparent that the price the NAE will pay for change involves unprecedented compromise and capitulation to those associated with the left-wing religionists.

At the NAE's annual convention in Arlington, Virginia, in March 2000, two important events occurred which reveal just how far the NAE has compromised despite its longstanding "cooperation without compromise" motto. First, the NAE allowed the Association of Vineyard Churches to become its 51st member denomination. Of course, the NAE has always joined hands with Pentecostals and Charismatics, but the Association of Vineyard Churches, founded by John Wimber and popularized by men such as Peter Wagner, Charles Kraft, Jack Deere and James Ryle, is more unorthodox than many of the other Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations. Also known as the "Third Wave, " the Vineyard churches strongly promote signs, wonders and healing as well as "Power Evangelism" and other unbiblical practices. Leaders in the Vineyard Movement do not believe that God's written Word is God's only message to mankind. They avidly promote the heresy of extrabiblical revelation whether through visions, dreams, tongues or other wild manifestations of the Spirit.

The second important event that occurred at the NAE annual convention involved the alteration of the NAE constitutional bylaw which stated that NAE member organizations could not hold dual membership with other organizations such as the National Council of Churches or the World Council of Churches. Now, member organizations can hold dual membership, and the National Council of Churches is enthralled with the change. Mannoia called this change "a monumental decision" and added, "The ramifications are as yet unseen" (Associated Press, 3-16-00). NCC General Secretary Bob Edgar said, "The National Council of Churches welcomes this change in bylaws and rejoices in this new opportunity to draw closer to brothers and sisters in Christ. " He added, "This bold step by the NAE is evidence of God's abiding Spirit working in and through us for the sake of the world " (Religion News Service, 3-28-00). Now, any organization that desires to become a member of the NAE must simply commit to the NAE's already inclusive statement of faith and mission, and no longer is its membership, or lack thereof, in the NCC or WCC a consideration. Edgar said, "Reliant on God's guidance, we look forward to a future that brings us into the candid and discerning kind of conversation that ought to characterize Christian fellowship."

The decision to change the dual membership requirement is not merely a minor change in policy but a further step toward the panoramic change in the very purpose and structure of the NAE. The April 24, 2000, issue of Christianity Today leaves no question as to the shift in purpose and structure of the NAE when it states, " Mannoia, who started full time as the association's president last July, says NAE's reason for existence has changed from providing an alternative to theological liberalism to calling the church to transform communities" (emphasis added). NAE chairman Edward Foggs elaborated, "The identity of NAE has to be seen as leaning into culture. I don't want to go to an enclave of evangelicalism. " Once again, doctrinal purity has been cast aside at the expense of common political and social cause. While it is true that the NAE never provided a complete alternative to theological liberalism, it has now officially enunciated its desire to refrain from even upholding the image of distancing itself from apostate, liberal churches, denominations and organizations.
Why is it necessary for every Fundamentalist to be aware of the blatant compromise of the NAE and its increasing shift toward ecumenical unity with those within mainline, liberal denominations? Because so many who profess to be conservative Evangelicals are a part of the NAE. One who would never join the NCC or WCC but who is a member of the NAE is now associated and identified with an organization that finds nothing wrong in associating with members of the NCC or WCC. The NAE currently includes 51 denominations and 45,000 local congregations. It represents 250 interdenominational organizations such as the National Religious Broadcasters and World Relief. Thousands of the most "popular" Evangelical churches in many communities are part of the NAE. Every church, individual or Christian ministry that desires to obey the Word of God and maintain a consistent testimony of holiness and doctrinal purity must not associate with any organization such as the NAE which has purposely decided to associate with those who are enemies of Truth.
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