A movement that has been afoot since the 1990's within various denominations is "the Emergent Church". Whether we are aware of this new theology or not, it has already established its particular brand of quasi-doctrinal thinking into mainstream Christian culture, including Adventism. Most of us are not familiar with its precepts and do not recognize many of its buzz words or the meanings behind its catch phrases. "Social Justice", "being missional", "participating in a conversation", and "an alternative framing narrative" are but a few of the terms emergent authors bandy about during the disclosure of their post modern orthodoxy. Writers such as: Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Leron Shults, Jurgen Moltmann and Doug Pagitt are but a few of this new breed of "Christian" spin doctors. But why do we need to concern ourselves with this recent trend that has infiltrated contemporary Christian thinking? Because, when its theological ramifications are understood for what they are, we suddenly realize our Advent message of the 3rd Angel's Message is diametrically at odds with an emergent agenda.

So what exactly is the Emergent Church and what do they stand for?

The Emergent Church, the Emergent Village, or the Emerging Church is a post modern movement that manifests itself through almost all contemporary Christian denominations of today. It has as one of its core behaviours, a preoccupation to evade labels, theological mission statements, or any fixed ideas regarding its form, style, or structure. Rather it places emphasis on the deconstruction of traditional Christian methods of worship and expression. Yet this emergent movement is the most powerful and pervasive direction Christianity has taken into its worldview since the inception of the ecumenical mandates from Rome.

What does the Emergent Church concern itself with theologically?

Leaders, writers, and laity who sympathize with emerging ideas busy themselves with the "Social Gospel" and by "being missional" rather than espousing salvational strategies or evangelism. There is a simple reason for this. The Emergent Church does not believe in the Biblical concept of a final judgement nor does it therefore accept the necessity of salvation.¹

The Emergent Church also denies any concrete absolute interpretations of Biblical texts thus making the reader of the scripture the originator of their own subjective/contextual theology. ²

This is what is referred to as participating in a theological "conversation". The Emergent Church embraces mystical rituals and practices as a means to bring us closer to God, not just the vehicle of faith. Contemplative prayer, chanting, yoga and prayer labyrinths are but a few of such techniques being used to accomplish intimacy with God in emergent savvy churches. ³

So to them faith is not the only road to God. This return to mysticism, by those what are emergent, has placed many unwitting Christians firmly within the bastions of spiritualism.⁴

The occult world has arrived in broad daylight to ply its trade through emergent expressions of worship. However, few Christians seem to realize the gravity of such seemingly innocent practices. In short, the emergent church has through its authors, academics and popular pastors such as Rob Bell's Nooma video vignettes, radicalized and changed Christianity, taking the evangelical gospel theology and tearing it to shreds. The problem with most lay Christians, Adventist included, is that they do not take the time to research the nature of these movements, and thus find themselves joining interfaith initiatives, such as the “More Than Gold" program at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. ⁵

Often, we have no idea who we are aligning ourselves with or their various ulterior agendas. It is sad to see how many Christians today have been so easily misled and taken down Satan's garden path, only to find themselves in a circus of twisted theological carnival rides that support modern Babylon's apostate plan. The Emergent Church is one such harlot. Nothing within the Emergent Church message advocates God's blueprint to end once and for all, the universal scourge of sin and Christ's ultimate sacrifice to emancipate us individually from the plight of Satan's nihilistic abyss. The Emergent Church is a delusional utopian fairytale that has no basis in Biblical truth. It offers up many sensational distractions and removes any notion of spiritual consequences to rejection God's invitation of eternal life based on Christ's substitutionary atonement. Is it any wonder this emergent movement is front and centre within most Christian denominations today since Satan's time is fast dwindling during these last day events?