Cary Schmidt, More Contemporary Fruit of Lancaster
Enlarged November 26, 2024 (first published September 27, 2023)
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143,
fbns@wayoflife.org
Lancaster Baptist Church

Lancaster Baptist Church

Lancaster Baptist Church of Lancaster, California, pastored by Paul Chappell, is spawning large numbers of contemporary churches by graduates, associates, and former staff members. Examples are Rock Hill Church, Fontana, California (pastored by Chappell’s son Matt); Coastline Baptist Church, Oceanside, California (pastored by Chappell’s brother, mentored Matt Chappell); Grace Gathering, Santa Barbara; Ambassador Baptist Church, Fresno, California; Southridge Church, San Jose, California; Citypoint Baptist Church, Tempe, Arizona.

See the report “
Lancaster’s Contemporary Fruit” and the video “Lancaster’s Roll in the Downgrade.”

Cary Schmidt took the pastorate of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Newington CT, in 2012, after serving 22 years with Paul Chappell at Lancaster. He left on good terms and his material remains on Pastor Chappell’s web site.

Schmidt has transitioned Emmanuel Baptist from a fundamentalist stance to a contemporary evangelical one. A former member of the church informed me in 2017 of the changes, including $85 thousand spent on a “slick platform renovation.” In typical contemporary fashion, the auditorium is darkened and the spotlight is on the speaker.

In April 2017, the new Emmanuel hosted
a Steve Green concert. While Green is on the “conservative” side of Contemporary Christian Music, he is a rocker and an ecumenist and is therefore a bridge to the world and to the “broader church.”

In 1996, Green appeared at the Promise Keepers Atlanta Clergy Conference and sang “Let the Walls Come Down,” referring to tearing down walls between all denominations. Ralph Colas, who attended the conference with media credentials, wrote, “The big beat, contemporary music brought the ministers to their feet. ... Steve Green belted out repeatedly ‘Let the Walls Come Down.’ The 40,000 clergy shouted, whistled, clapped, and cheered as they worked to a higher and higher pitch of emotion” (
Calvary Contender, April 15, 1996).

Promise Keepers’ ecumenism is cutting edge. At the 1997 Stand in the Gap conference in Washington, D.C., Promise Keepers’ founder Bill McCartney declared, “We have a plan ... Baptists, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, we’ve been divided, but now we’re being reunited.” He said that full Catholic participation was his intention from the start (
Our Sunday Visitor, July 20, 1997). Catholic priest John Salazar spoke at a Promise Keepers rally in Plainview, Texas, in December 1995. A Promise Keepers leadership conference was held at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, in July 1995, and priest Michael Scanlan, who heads up the school, conducted a Catholic mass. In an article in New Covenant magazine for June 1997, Scanlan called Mary “the Spouse of the Holy Spirit.” He believes Mary is the Queen of Heaven and that she hears and answers prayer. Promise Keepers participated in follow-up conferences at the Franciscan University in 1996 and 1997. Catholic lawyer Mike Timmis was a member of the Promise Keepers board of directors. In an interview with attorney Michael Thomas in October 1997, Timmis said he attends mass daily and is dedicated to bringing Catholics and evangelicals together.

Green’s
The Faithful album featured songs that promote Pentecostal-ecumenical heresies. “The River” preaches the dangerous charismatic practice of opening oneself non-critically to “the Spirit” and being led wherever the Spirit goes (nonsensical tongues, uncontrollable laughter, shaking, roaring like a lion, spirit slaying, etc.). “The river calls, we can't deny/ A step of faith is our reply/ We feel the Spirit draw us in/ The water's swift, we're forced to swim/ We’re out of control/ And we go where He flows.” “The Great Revival” promotes the false doctrine of an end-time miracle revival: “Oh, glory hallelujah/ For the Lord is pouring a holy fire/ The great revival started...”

Why would a fundamental Baptist pastor bring Steve Green to his church to build bridges to the very dangerous ecumenical and charismatic movements?

In 2023, Cary Schmidt joined Bryan Samms at the Church Advanced conference. Samms is at the forefront of teaching pastors how to transition away from the King James Bible.

Samms transitioned the River City Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, from a conservative fundamental Baptist Church to a contemporary evangelical church. He and Schmidt are two peas in a pod.

In October 2024, Cary Schmidt and Emmanuel Baptist Church of Newington hosted Keith and Kristyn Getty, Matt Papa, and others for a “Healthy Church Weekend.” Cary’s son Lance, who is “executive pastor,” was prominent in the advertisements. The Gettys are ecumenical rock & rollers who associate closely with Roman Catholic musicians, such as Matt Maher. They have a “conservative” side, but in practice they have no real boundaries in music, in association, in dress, etc., so that they are a bridge to the “broader church” with all of its heresies and spiritual dangers.
(For documentation, see the video presentation “
Bob Jones, Majesty Music, New Reformed Calvinism & The Gettys.”

Conclusion

Not all West Coast graduates are planting contemporary churches, but that is the overall direction, and the seeds are being sown at Lancaster itself. I don’t know any graduates who have spoken out against what is happening. As far as I know, Paul Chappell has never denounced the aforementioned churches
publicly and plainly.

A discerning pastor commented, “Pastor Chappell has produced this legacy. This is the fruit of his labor to embrace pragmatism and soften the lines of Independent Baptists. I would guess that 75% of WCBC grads end up this way within 10 years of graduating.”

It is very sad to me that these young men (the Matt Chappells, the Mark Rasmussen Jrs, the John Guys, etc.) are on a wrong path, a path that will lead to anywhere within the “broader church.” Only time will tell where they and their followers will end up.

They are young, talented, studious, zealous, visionary. They could be starting strong Bible churches that would stand and bear fruit and be a bright light in an evil day. They could be starting churches that are biblically stronger and wiser than any that have existed in my lifetime. They could be testing everything by God’s Word alone and rejecting every tradition that is unscriptural. But this entails going back to the New Testament church described in Scripture, which is a pilgrim separatist church, rather than following the “after their own lusts” pattern of end-time apostasy (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Sadly, that is not what we are seeing as the fruit of Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College.



- Receive these reports by email
- www.wayoflife.org

______________________

Sharing Policy: Much of our material is available for free, such as the hundreds of articles at the Way of Life web site. Other items we sell to help fund our expensive literature and foreign church planting ministries. Way of Life's content falls into two categories: sharable and non-sharable. Things that we encourage you to share include the audio sermons, O Timothy magazine, FBIS articles, and the free eVideos and free eBooks. You are welcome to make copies of these at your own expense and share them with friends and family. You may also post parts of reports and/or entire reports to websites, blogs, etc as long as you give proper credit (citation). A link to the original report is very much appreciated as the reports are frequently updated and/or expanded. Things we do not want copied and distributed are "Store" items like the Fundamental Baptist Digital Library, print editions of our books, electronic editions of the books that we sell, the videos that we sell, etc. The items have taken years to produce at enormous expense in time and money, and we use the income from sales to help fund the ministry. We trust that your Christian honesty will preserve the integrity of this policy. "For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward" (1 Timothy 5:18). Questions? support@wayoflife.org

Goal:Distributed by Way of Life Literature Inc., the Fundamental Baptist Information Service is an e-mail posting for Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. Our primary goal with the FBIS is to provide material to assist preachers in the edification and protection of the churches.

Offering: Offerings are welcome if you care to make one. If you have been helped and/or blessed by our material offerings can be mailed or made online with with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Paypal. For information see: www.wayoflife.org/about/makeanoffering.html.



Bible College
Information

Way of Life Literature

Publisher of Bible Study Materials

Way of Life Literature

Publisher of Bible Study Materials

Way of Life Bible College