I have heard this charge many times and have ignored it, but it is time to give an answer.
It is a slanderous, unscriptural charge
The Lord is my witness that I have zero desire or intention to rule over any pastor.
David Cloud is born again by God’s free grace and loves the Lord Jesus Christ, submits to Him as the Head of all things, owns Him as Lord of lords and King of kings. David Cloud knows that he is nothing but a wicked sinner saved by God’s lovely grace through Christ’s vicarious, substitutionary atonement. That is not popery.
David Cloud preaches the grace-only gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved and plants life-changing New Testament churches in one of the most difficult places in the world. That is not popery.
David Cloud loves the Bible, holds it to be the infallible Word of God from the first to the last verse, and delights in the sound doctrine of God’s Word. That is not popery.
David Cloud loves the New Testament church, believing it to be the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth, the headquarters and training institution of Christ’s Great Commission.
David Cloud preaches the Word, reproves, rebukes, exhorts, with all longsuffering and doctrine (2 Timothy 4:2). Preaching God’s Word is not popery. Paul did not tell Timothy that he could only preach the Word to some people in some situations.
David Cloud encourages his readers to prove his teaching by God’s Word (1 Th. 5:21). That is not popery.
David Cloud critiques public ministries by God’s Word and warns about things that are contrary to God’s Word. That is not popery.
David Cloud publishes well-documented reports and Bible studies for those who want to use them. Every preacher should being doing this. It is not popery.
David Cloud gives away most of his material. That is not popery.
David Cloud has never enriched myself by the ministry. That is not popery.
David Cloud has been married to the same woman for 48 years and all of his children and grand children are legitimate. That is not popery.
David Cloud cares deeply about the glory of Jesus Christ in His churches. That is not popery.
It is an ignorant charge
Those who claim that David Cloud thinks he is the pope of fundamental Baptists or the pope of fundamentalism don’t know the man and probably have not read his books. They have not contacted him personally to inquire about their concerns.
“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him” (Proverbs 18:13).
What a pastor wrote to another pastor about David Cloud
“A few weeks ago I shared the following comments with a pastor concerning your ministry: ‘Could I say a word concerning brother Cloud. This man has more discernment in his little finger than some pastors have in their entire mind. I know him too well to have preachers convince me that he is an unloving, nosy, hyper-judgmental busybody who accomplishes little for God and ‘shoots’ at good men. The facts are, Brother Cloud is a most diligent and faithful student of the Word of God, a wise and humble servant of Christ, a gifted teacher, preacher, writer and effective Gospel witness as well as a Biblicist, Baptist, separatist church planter who is discipling converted Hindus to be bold preachers of the Word of God and forming them into effective, New Testament Church members. His willingness to confront the waywardness of Independent Baptist leaders who are ill affecting pastors and local churches across the globe has helped many believers avoid the shark infested waters of easy-believism, Calvinism, universalism, doctrinal neutrality, interdenominationalism and ecumenical, apostate bridge building.’”
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