This statement about the Emerging Church is simply false. When you make claims such as these, the burden of proof is on the person making claims to SUPPORT those claims with reasonable evidence. The fact that Mike and Lou are even able to make these claims at all demonstrates that either 1. they have done little to no objective research into the phenomenon known as the “emerging church”, or, 2. they have an agenda that the conversational, non-propositional nature of the emerging church dialogue appears to be threatening, and as a reaction, they are resorting to libelous rhetoric. I have at least six books sitting on my shelf from a variety of perspectives on the emerging church movement, and I have yet to come across a single claim from any “emerging” leader that is anything close to how it has been characterized in this letter.

I have always held a high opinion of IHOP. It is doing a great work for the Kingdom, and it is a valuable member of the body of Christ. Its emphasis on intimacy with Christ as the bridegroom and on the role of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives has greatly impacted my walk with God. But right now, I would ask that IHOP take greater care in its interactions with the rest of the body, and not make slanderous accusations (bordering on outright bigotry) that only do harm to those who are genuinely, sincerely asking legitimate questions about how to engage the emerging culture with the gospel of Jesus.

I am only a few months away from my degree in English literature. I am highly conversant in contemporary philosophy and critical theory. The word “postmodernism” actually makes sense to me–it’s not a big scary monster under the bed, but a term that can mean a number of different things. And most of all, I want to be able to live my life in the way of Jesus, empowered by His Spirit to reach out to a world that is changing at an incredibly rapid pace. Can we please end this unhelpful war rhetoric, quit screaming about the “culture wars,” and get on with our mission? The world will not listen to a church that is too busy quibbling over (and exaggerating) minor issues. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

God is doing a great work in today’s emerging culture, and He is using all sorts of people and all sorts of methods to do it. IHOP should know this, because the same heresy hunters who are badmouthing Emerging are also badmouthing ministries like IHOP. Can we put fundamentalism behind us and love God, love each other, and learn to let the Holy Spirit work in each of us–each person AND each ministry–at His own pace? Because if these comments about the Emerging Church are what “the Spirit is saying to the churches,” then the Spirit obviously hasn’t done much research on the Emerging Church. My point? Using “the Spirit” to make erroneous claims is a dangerous zero-sum game–one which I never expected to see IHOP start playing.

If anyone is actually interested in learning about the Emerging Church movement (the real thing, not the demonized “secret society” that the current witch hunt bandwagon is out to derail), I recommend reading “A Generous Orthodoxy” and “Adventures in Missing the Point” by Brian McLaren.