9 The Emerging Church and The One Project

My study into the emerging church started when a pastor back East asked if I knew anything about “The One Project”. When I began to study into the history of the Project and those who started the movement, I was lead to enquire about the Emerging Church and its teachings and history. I found that it deals with much more than just “spiritual formation” and “centering prayer.”

We will now take a look at Terry Swenson and his vision for the One Project.

De Oliveira states that himself and 4 others gathered in Denver and came up with the idea of the One Project: “In July 2010, five simple Jesus followers (Alex Bryan, Japhet De Oliveira, Sam Leonor, Tim Gillespie and Terry Swenson) got together in room 602 at the Holiday Inn in Denver. …” (Japhet De Oliveira, “The One Project: Our Purpose and Mission,” http://the1project.org/assets/documents/the-one-project.pdf)

(http://the1project.org/board/terry.html) picture

The LLU web page and The One Project give short biographies on Pastor Terry Swenson. Pastor Swenson terms himself “the old one” of the group of Project thought leaders. His vision for campus ministries at Loma Linda University is not only respectable but also very admirable.

(http://www.llu.edu/central/chaplain/terry.page)

(http://the1project.org/board/terry.html)

Pastor Swenson terms himself “the old one” of the group of Project thought leaders. His vision for campus ministries at Loma Linda University is not only respectable but also very admirable. The question is what modes of ministry is he willing to use to attempt to fulfill his goals?

The same websites (LLU.edu and The One Project), and the LLU ON Campus blog, list Terry Swenson as completing a doctoral degree from George Fox University. However, very few details are given.

(http://www.llu.edu/central/chaplain/terry.page)

(http://the1project.org/board/terry.html)

(http://myllu.llu.edu/oncampus/story/?id=2976)

Review from Presentation 4. Terry Swenson graduated from George Fox University with Leonard Sweet as one of his teachers and mentors. George Fox University has a very Ecumenical approach to Christianity.

Leonard Sweet is “Currently the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew University, Madison, NJ and a Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University, Portland, Oregon,…”

George Fox University which was founded by Quakers in 1885 and is located in Newberg Oregon, and has centers in Portland, Salem and Boise, ID. In 1996, the college merged with Western Evangelical Seminary to form George Fox University. Notable graduates include Richard Foster, and Dan Kimball, both big names in Emerging Church movement.

Doctor of Ministry

George Fox offers 3 Doctor of Ministry programs:

DMin in Leadership and Global Perspectives

DMin in Leadership and Spiritual Formation

DMin in Semiotics and Future Studies

Leonard Sweet is especially in charge of the “Semiotics and Future Studies” program at George Fox University, to which 3 of the 5 main leaders of The One Project have attended and received their post-graduate degrees (Alex Bryan, Sam Leonor, Tim Gillespie). But Sweet is involved in all three Dmin. Programs including “Leadership & Global Perspectives” which Terry Swenson completed.

(http://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/programs/dmin-lgp/index.html)

Leadership & Global Perspectives is one of the three 3 year post graduate courses. Some aspects of the description of this course are not wrong in and of themselves, but in the context of the Emerging Church and what they mean by this description should raise some concerns.

George Fox University posted pictures from one of the Learning Sessions with “lead mentor” Leonard Sweet. This was during the 2008/2009 school year. Pictures are from May 29 to 30, 2008, Orcas Advance. This took place at Leonard Sweet’s Orcas Island, WA home. Even though Terry Swenson graduated from George Fox with a DMin in Leadership and Global Perspectives, it appears that he attended mentoring sessions with Leonard Sweet as well.

Leonard Sweet listed Terry Swenson as his doctoral student in 2007 in his book 11: Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without.

On Wednesday, May 7, 2008, Leonard Sweet was invited to speak at Loma Linda University Chapel. This 5:39 minute clip is taken from an hour presentation. The meeting was held in the LLU Church. Sweet acknowledged Terry Swenson as one of his doctoral students. Although Sweet’s message had some relevant points, his concepts of the history of Christianity and of the battles or storms that we face today do not appear to be entirely accurate in the context of the Great Controversy. Sweet has so much baggage why was he invited to speak at an SDA University? How has his ecumenical, Emerging Church theology effected the views of Terry Swenson? How much of these views are being pushed through the One Project?

(https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/may-7-2008-university-worship/id510736064?i=111564011)

ON October 25, 2012, George Fox Evangelical Seminary posted a statement about three of their graduate’s accomplishments in leading out in The One Project. It seems clear that this is seen as a success for George Fox University. Terry Swenson, Alex Bryan and Tim Gillespie were all named. They obviously forgot to mention Sam Leonor. It would seem that if these alumnus of George Fox were promoting a truly Adventist program through the One Project that George Fox would not brag about it…?

(https://www.facebook.com/georgefoxevangelicalseminary/timeline?filter=1)

At The One Project’s first gathering in Australia, July 28-29, 2012, at the Kellyville Adventist Church, the program guide featured many articles by The One Project organizers including one by Terry Swenson. Here Swenson shares his views of The One Project’s mission and vision for the church.

Swenson shares his views of The One Project’s mission and vision for the church. He presents in his own words how evangelism used to be done. But now this all needs to change! At face value this may sound good, but it is clearly dabbling in Emerging Church ideas which are based on an Ecumenical foundation.

We will now take a look at how this has played out in The One Project’s gatherings as they hold “conversations” about Jesus.

Leonard Sweet has worked closely with Rick Warren who it could be argued is not presenting the three angel’s messages of Revelation 14. Notice Wide is the Gate: The Emerging New Christianity, vol. 2, section “Roman Catholicism,” 22:30 – 26:35. In this clip Rick Warren talks about the ecumenical work that he was involved with at Georgetown University (2:11 – 2:55 in clip).

This is right in light with the Emerging Church movement. Does this not represent more the other powers represented in Revelation 13 and 14? And is this the direction we should be going as a church? Is the One Project really about lifting up the Biblical Jesus?

(http://www.goodfight.org/store/resources_video_witg2.html)

This is a 4:15 minute video clip taken from the DVD Wide is the Gate: The Emerging New Christianity, vol. 2, section “Roman Catholicism,” 22:30 – 26:35. In this clip Rick Warren talks about the ecumenical work that he was involved with at Georgetown University (2:11 – 2:55 in clip). Does this not represent the other powers represented in Revelation 13 and 14 more than the pure message of the three angels?

Rick Warren has worked closely with Leonard Sweet under which Terry Swenson and 3 other One Project leaders have graduated with post graduate degrees. Is the One Project really about lifting up the Biblical Jesus? And is this the direction we should be going as a church?

At the same time we must be clear that we not judging the motives or sincere intent of those who sense a need for change in our church, a remedy for the Laodicean condition, but only question if the agenda of the Projects leaders as seen in their history is what our church needs.

Click here to go to presentation 10.

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9 The Emerging Church and The One Project - Part 9