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For nearly two years now, I have been writing to expose heretical doctrines and practices within the modern American church. Some may wonder why I bother. After all, what difference does it make if someone believes in Complementarianism, or American Exceptionalism, or the Prosperity Doctrine? Aren’t we all loved and accepted by Jesus in spite of our theological shortcomings?

Well, yes. But with a population that’s 78 percent Christian, over a quarter of whom are evangelical, the U.S. happens to be a major exporter of Christian thought and practice. In this case, accurate scriptural instruction becomes absolutely critical, especially when you consider that other cultures don’t view or respond to Church doctrines – or even the gospel itself – in the same way Americans do.

It would surprise many Western Christians to learn exactly how our brand of Christianity is viewed overseas and just how destructive extra-biblical teachings have been to these cultures. Having spent the past 14 months working for an international church-growth organization and reading many perspectives from indigenous believers, I’ve come to see my own faith and religious upbringing in a new light. It’s time to get real and peek past the curtain and finally admit that, yes, what we teach and observe in our own churches does, in fact, matter. A whole heaping lot. Continue reading →