I’ve compiled a short list below of responses to World Vision’s recent announcement that they would no longer prohibit homosexuals from employment. I do not feel that I can add much to the debate beyond what has been said in the articles below, but one thing concerns me greatly that I do not see others mentioning.
Stearns is quoted in Christianity Today as saying,
“This is not us compromising. It is us deferring to the authority of churches and denominations on theological issues. We’re an operational arm of the global church, we’re not a theological arm of the church.”
To suggest that the operation of World Vision (or any other organization) is not driven by theology is disingenuous. In his own book, The Hole in Our Gospel, Stearns argues that neglect of the poor in our world has come about as a result of poor theology. He couches the premise of his entire book and ministry off of his personal belief that there is a “hole in” the gospel of many Western Christians. His ministry is built off of his theology. He defines his theology this way:
“Proclaiming the whole gospel, then, means much more than evangelism in the hopes that people will hear and respond to the good news of salvation by faith in Christ. It also encompasses tangible compassion for the sick and the poor, as well as biblical justice, efforts to right the wrongs that are so prevalent in our world. God is concerned about the spiritual, physical, and social dimensions of our being. This whole gospel is truly good news for the poor, and it is the foundation for a social revolution that has the power to change the world. And if this was Jesus’ mission, it is also the mission of all who claim to follow him. It is my mission, it is your mission, and it is the mission of the church.”
Stearns’ theology is nothing new, but it is also neither biblical nor evangelical. Stearns outlines the beginnings of a social gospel. The gospel, the good news of Jesus, is his death, burial, and resurrection. It is an historical and theological event. Care for the poor is a result of the work of the gospel in the lives of believers, but it is not a gospel in and of itself (See Tim Challies’ article on Fosdick for a quick primer on the social gospel).
I would suggest that the decision of World Vision fits perfectly within Stearns’ theology. When the gospel ceases to be primarily about the salvation of sinners as Jesus defined it, then the gospel becomes whatever we want it to be and the ends justify the means. The social gospel focuses on delivering people from their poverty, but it does so at the expense of the true gospel of Jesus which delivers people from their entrapment to sin. For The social gospel is no less a perversion of the gospel than prosperity preaching.
Our theology and worldview drive our practice. What we do is a direct result of what we believe. If Stearns’ belief is that the true gospel is intended to bring about a “social revolution” then rest assured, what he is doing now is just that. Theology is what we believe about God and what we believe about God affects how we live our lives. Theology and operations can never be separated, they are intrinsically tied together.
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The articles below add much to the World Vision controversy. I’m most troubled by Jenn Hatmaker’s response to Denny Burke. Much that she clings to in her article does not fall in line with historic Christian belief. Though she is right that voices within the church have been wrong before, we simply cannot stand on the sidelines of moral debates to see which side wins. We have a responsibility to carefully discern the Scriptures and stand for something and speak truth. At some point, Hatmaker, as all believers, will be forced to recon with the culture and with Scripture and publicly declare her position on homosexuality (Hatmaker’s clarification can be found here).
Kevin DeYoung has Two responses:
The Worldliness in World Vision’s New Hiring Policy
Two More Thoughts on the World Vision Controversy
Denny Burke:
The Collapse Of Christianity at World Vision
A Response to Jenn Hatmaker on the World Vision Announcement
Jenn Hatmaker’s:
World Vision, Gay Marriage, and a Troubling Way Through
Albert Mohler:
Pointing to Disaster–The Flawed Moral Vision of World Vision
Matt Anderson:
On Whether Christians Should Keep Supporting World Vision
