LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — The Kentucky Baptist Convention has withdrawn its invitation to pastor and author Brian McLaren to speak at its evangelism conference.
Officials said they made the decision after reviewing McLaren's statements about salvation and the author's most recent book, A Generous Orthodoxy. McLaren, pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville, Md., is author of several books on evangelism, including A New Kind of Christian, which caused a stir in evangelical circles in 2001.
“I respect Dr. McLaren greatly and have appreciated his insights on reaching people in today's culture,” said Bill Mackey, the convention's executive director. Mackey made the decision to disinvite McLaren with Dan Garland, church development and evangelism team leader, who invited McLaren to speak at the Feb. 28-March 1 event in Louisville more than a year ago.
“We try to bring dynamic speakers to the Evangelism Conference who will challenge and inspire their listeners,” McLaren said. “I felt that in this instance, however, Dr. McLaren's position diverges too greatly to be appropriate for this conference.”
In A Generous Orthodoxy, McLaren writes that, while there is no assurance that salvation can be found outside of Jesus, Christians should not jump to the conclusion that Jesus is the only way to salvation.
“I must add, though, that I don't believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many (not all!) circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu or Jewish contexts,” McLaren states in the book.
Albert Mohler, president of the conservative Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, wrote a review critical of McLaren's book Feb. 16. “The problem with A Generous Orthodoxy, as the author must surely recognize, is that this orthodoxy bears virtually no resemblance to orthodoxy as it has been known and affirmed by the church throughout the centuries,” Mohler wrote.
McLaren said he respects the convention's decision. “We need to keep our focus on what's most important,” McLaren said in an e-mail response to Garland. “It would have been a shame if my presence distracted people from Christ and the Great Commission.”
Time magazine recently named McLaren one of the most influential evangelical leaders in America. He is considered the elder statesman for a group of “emergent” churches, a loose federation of congregations seeking to be more effective at connecting with people in the postmodern culture. More information is available at www.emergentvillage.com and www.anewkindofchristian.com.
— With additional reporting by David Winfrey of the Western Recorder. Robert Reeves is a writer for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. A photo of Brian McLaren is available from Associated Baptist Press.