I also do not want it construed that I am attacking Pastor Warren's person or overall heart for ministry. His is a fantastic work and I commend him for this. I just feel that this particular vision of his Global P.E.A.C.E plan is misguided for the reasons expressed in the letter. I will continue to pray for Rick Warren and the many other high profile, and lesser known ministries in this nation that they would see that as America goes, so goes the world. Let us heal our land and see that healing spread throughout the entire earth.
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3, February 2006
Pastor Rick Warren
Saddleback Church
1 Saddleback Parkway
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Dear Rick,
I have wanted to write this letter to you for some time, but I also wanted to be sure that I wrote it in the right spirit and actually understood why I felt as I did. I believe that I can now do that. Several months ago I learned of your Global P.E.A.C.E. plan. In looking into the plan I did an internet search and found several sites attacking you for various reasons, including some persons you had working with you and other issues. I was finally able to find and also look at the plan on your own website and watched the video of you and your wife presenting the plan at Saddleback Church. As a former YWAM missionary having worked in missions for 12 years, some of it in East Africa, I am always thankful for additional help and resources in that great area of need. However, I do have a few problems with the plan and its focus. About the same time that I heard of the Global PEACE plan, I also saw you interviewed on CNBC. In that interview you were asked and admitted that you were no longer going to get involved in social issues. By "social issues", I assume you meant abortion, the gay rights debate and other such socio-political issues. This answered a question that I had been asking for some time. How with all of the dynamic ministries and ministers in Southern California can it be such an anti-Christian bastion? It appears that spiritual leaders there have given up the fight.
I am a black American, AKA African American. Actually I am Mulatto, but for all intents and purposes I am Black. In 1981 I left the U.S. to become a missionary overseas. While there, I had someone ask me why I did not come back and minister to Americans. My answer was that I did not believe I could make a difference in America. I wonder if that is not the same conclusion you have come to. Oh, I realize that you have one of the biggest churches in America and a "mega" ministry, but are you really making a difference? In his book, Scandal Of The Evangelical Conscience, Ron Sider asks the question, "Why are Christians living just like the rest of the world?" He indicts Christians, and I believe rightly so, for not being substantially different from their "unsaved" neighbors in areas of morality, taking care of the poor, and for exceeding those same "unsaved" neighbors in the area of racism. Survey after survey seems to indicate that Professor Sider is correct. But I digress. Back to the Global Peace initiative. I have read the "Plan," and it covers all of the right standard bases, and some new ones, such as working with national political leaders. On the surface it looks good, but I would like to present you with some things to consider. Your P.E.A.C.E. plan envisions making a great difference in the world, but what about Southern California? Last year I wrote a few articles asking where the prophetic voice was in California after the various legal and legislative decisions affecting moral issues there. I asked how a state with as many large churches and renowned pastors could allow the Cross to be taken off of the seal of Los Angeles, or to see a city to allow gay marriage in the face of overwhelming public support for the traditional family unit. Where is the authority of the church in these matters? Have we conceded these areas? You believe that your plan to reach foreign leaders and nations will revolutionize the world. I do not feel I am going out on a limb to prophesy to you that it will not. I have been to several Third World nations and have seen the leadership, and the rank and file citizen. It is not possible to transplant an American system into a society that does not have the basic and essential American values. Unfortunately America is quickly losing those same values, which will make the task that much more difficult. Another issue that is close to my heart is the whole idea of the “White Man's Burden.” Your plan implies that it is our responsibility to save the Third World. This thinking has been around for hundreds of years. In fact if you will read much of the history of the evangelization of Africa and other tribal oriented nations, you will find that the way the nations were reached was by converting the King or leader and in one fell swoop the entire tribe or nation was converted. This was fine until a new leader arose who was bought or influenced by someone with another ideology and then the change to that region or ideology ensued. We still see this particularly in South and Central America. I also believe that we see the after affects of this politically in Black communities in the U.S. . A particular political party influences the so-called black leaders and the sheep follow. This is not true influence and it surely is not evangelism. I realize that this is not what you are envisioning or proposing, or that you wish to see this happen, but I predict it will if you use a top down approach. Which brings me back to the U.S., and a vision for it. I am of the opinion that if you want to save the world, save the United States. Whether we like hearing it or not, it or not, I believe God has chosen this nation for a particular purpose. As God told Moses in Deuteronomy 9, not because we are better than the rest of the world does He do this, but to show His glory through us. We are the last, best hope for seeing mankind live as God intended us to. Our influence both good and bad cannot be underestimated. In my travels south of the border, to Europe, and to Africa there is one thing common to all, they marvel at the United States of America. This cuts both to our secularly and our spiritual influence. For this reason I say that if America loses its Christian freedoms and voice it will not matter who you work through or what you do, there will be no great response in those lands. The main reason that we have a voice now is that we exemplify all that the kingdom of God can be on this earth. I urge you, if you really want to make a difference, to concentrate your efforts, your large financial resources, and your vast network of pastors and church relationships on reaching Compton, Watts, Inglewood and East LA. From there move up the coast to San Francisco and on up to Oregon and Washington. Urge others to concentrate on reaching the large cities of the mid-west and east coast. I believe that if you want to reach the world, begin reaching this nation in a fresh way. I mean really reaching them by cutting to the heart and the soul; unafraid of being considered intolerant, bigoted, or out of touch. The truth and the power of the Holy Spirit is on our side.
Am I advocating abandoning world missions? Of course not, I hope you and other churches send many more missionaries out. What I am saying, however, is that I believe a greater emphasis should be made in reaching the un-reached people groups in the U.S. Inner city kids, rural skin heads, the girls that have “Gone Wild”, and the men and boys who cause them to do so. In the face of these, I think Third World evangelism almost seems easy. I just ask you to consider these things.
Blessings and Grace!
Eddie Huff
