January 14, 2008 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article)-

Transitioning: Leading Your Church through Change, a book by Dan Southerland that is highly recommended by Rick Warren, calls those who oppose the Purpose Driven philosophy “leaders from hell.” Southerland is “the leading expert on implementing the Purpose Driven paradigm in existing churches” (Church Transitions web site), and Warren sells his book.

Southerland says they have experienced two major sources of criticism as they have transitioned churches to the Purpose Driven model: Christians from traditional backgrounds and traditional pastors. He hastens to add that not all of the traditionals oppose them, “just the meaner ones” (p. 116). On page 115 he likens Purpose Driven opponents to Sanballat who resisted the building of the walls of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah. Southerland says, “Sanballat is a leader from hell. We all have some Sanballats in our churches. This is the guy who opposes whatever you propose. ... You cannot call this guy a leader from hell to his face--but you could call him Sanballat” (p. 115).

Sanballat was an unsaved opponent of God’s Word, God’s work, and God’s people. To liken Bible-believing Christians who love the Lord Jesus Christ and who stand for His Word in this apostate age to Sanballat is a vicious slander, and Rick Warren is guilty of recommending this slander.

Isn’t it interesting that about the only time that the Warren crowd talks about hell is when they mis-apply it to fundamentalists and evangelicals of a stricter stripe!

It is a sad fact that Southerland has trained 100,000 people in the transitioning principles in the last seven years, but it is a sign of the times. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).