Open Letter

Cecil Andrews, PO BOX 13, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AL, Northern Ireland.

Telephone/Fax 028 9756 5511. E-MAIL - takeheed@aol.com

WEB-SITE - http://www.takeheed.co.uk

AN OPEN LETTER TO PAM JOHNSTON [chairperson] FOCUSFEST MINISTRIES

In recent weeks I have been contacted by a number of people expressing concern over 2 seminars that are scheduled for inclusion in your FOCUSFEST gathering planned for 9 -11 June at the University of Ulster, Coleraine. The seminars in question are listed in your programme as follows.

The terms 'evangelical' and 'Catholic' would be deemed by many to be mutually exclusive. In this seminar, Eugene Boyle, Northern Ireland secretary of the Evangelical Catholic Initiative, explores from a personal perspective, what it means to be 'evangelical' within the Roman Catholic Church.

First of all it is important to recognise that Mr Boyle is still identifying himself with the Roman Catholic Church and has not renounced his desire to be identified with that religious grouping. How then does the Roman Catholic Church fare when the Word of God tests its teachings?

To avoid any possible allegation of bias or prejudice on my own part I plan to answer that question by quoting from the writings of a former Roman Catholic - Mr Bill Webster.

In his book 'Salvation, The Bible and Roman Catholicism' Mr Webster wrote 'It is quite clear from this that in Roman Catholicism faith in Christ alone is not sufficient for salvation. It is also necessary that one keep the Ten Commandments, be baptised, become a member of the Roman Catholic faith and partake regularly of the sacraments. It is not Jesus alone but Jesus plus all these other things. Significantly all these other things are practically identical to the Judaiser's system and teachings'. [p 91-92]. Mr Webster then goes on to list 15 practices/teachings held in common by the Judaisers and Roman Catholicism.

When carefully examined it is quite evident that Roman Catholicism is the modern-day equivalent of the false 'gospel' of the Judaisers - only more so because Rome has added many more requirements for salvation than the Judaisers ever insisted upon.

Did the Apostle Paul invite these Judaisers who were perverting the true 'gospel' and proclaiming a false 'gospel' to come forth and publicly 'explore from a personal perspective what it means to be 'evangelical' within the Judaisers'? No, he did not. Rather he pronounced an 'anathema' upon their false 'gospel' and rebuked those who would associate with them such as Peter [see Galatians 2:11-21].

Those who claim to be 'Evangelical Catholics' can only fall into 1 of 2 categories.

Whichever category they fall into, the response of true believers to their 'gospel', that is a 'gospel' linked to and identified with Roman Catholicism, must be one of rejection of and separation from [see Galatians 1:6-9 & Ephesians 5:11] this grave error.

I would like to demonstrate why the terms 'Evangelical' and '[Roman] Catholic' are in truth 'mutually exclusive' and to do so let me begin by quoting from their own [Evangelical Catholics] leaflet 'Evangelical Catholics are committed to a respect for and obedience to the teaching authority of the Pope and Bishops of the Catholic Church unless that obedience goes against one's conscience as enlightened by Scripture and Church teaching'.

In the foreword [page 5] to the 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church the Pope wrote concerning it 'I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith'. Paragraph 1129 of that Catechism states 'The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation'. Surely true believers can see that this is the modern-day equivalent of the 'Galatian error'.

The crunch question is this - do Evangelical Catholics accept the teaching of Paragraph 1129? If they do they are promoting a modern-day 'Galatian Gospel'. If they don't they should cease calling themselves 'Catholic' for their own Roman Catholic Church condemns them with its own 'anathema'. The Council of Trent [Session 7: Canon 4] declares 'If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation but are superfluous and that without them or without the desire of them men obtain from God through faith alone the grace of justification, though all are not necessary for each one, let him be anathema'

The following question must also be put to those claiming to be both 'Evangelical' and '[Roman] Catholic'. Do they believe that a believer's 'justification' before God is preserved and increased through good works? If they answer 'yes' then they are rebuked by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:16 & Galatians 3:11. If they answer 'no' they are once more condemned by their own Roman Catholic Church. The Council of Trent [Session 6: Canon 24] declares 'If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also not increased before God THROUGH GOOD WORKS, but that those works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not the cause of its increase, let him be anathema'.

In times past I have sat under and profited from ministry by a number of men involved in your 'parent ministry' namely 'EVANGELICAL MINISTRIES' and so IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I HAVE BEEN MOVED TO WRITE TO YOU. However, the reality is that the very purity of the true 'gospel' is at stake. I hope that upon careful consideration of my letter you will agree that to afford a platform at your conference in June to Mr Boyle would be to disobey the instructions contained in God's word as to how to deal with either 'false brethren' or 'erring brethren'. I would therefore, for the sake of the true 'gospel', ask you to withdraw these planned seminars from your programme.

Pam has asked me to respond to your recent letter... I do note your concerns and would confirm that there is nothing in your letter which you have stated about the Roman Catholic church which I would not agree with. Folk who follow the official Roman Catholic line will not be helped toward salvation. So please don't think we have suddenly changed our position.

In fact, I had already decided to issue some guidelines/comments about this seminar for those who enquire. I enclose a copy.

There is no doubt that the issue of the evangelical catholic is very real for many of our ladies. Many regularly encounter folk who claim to be of that persuasion. Indeed many of our own team have also personally met these folk and are persuaded that there is a work of God going on in their lives. The questions are what is going on and what should our attitude be toward them?...Obviously this seminar will raise some deep questions and objections in the minds of those who attend...Are the terms 'evangelical' and 'catholic' mutually exclusive. The speaker has courageously and graciously agreed not to dodge these issues...This is a difficult area and we really need God to show us his answers and what our response should be'

Thank you for your letter of 16 February and enclosure. In my letter to Pam I set out a case for showing that the terms 'Evangelical' and '{Roman} Catholic' are 'mutually exclusive' in the same way that the scriptures teach that the terms 'Evangelical' and 'Judaiser' would be 'mutually exclusive'.

Can I ask you directly - do you agree with the case that I have set out and do you and Evangelical Ministries agree that the terms 'Evangelical' and '{Roman} Catholic' are 'mutually exclusive'?

If you do believe that they are then surely any seminars that you are organising under the banner of "EVANGELICAL Ministries" should be demonstrating from scripture [as I have sought to do] that the term 'Evangelical Catholic' is a subtle, devilish oxymoron. Also if you believe that they are then Mr Boyle can only be a 'false brother' or an 'erring brother' and needs to be "reproved and corrected" [2nd Timothy 3:16] and certainly NOT afforded a platform to justify a view that is anathematised by God Himself in Galatians 1:6-9.

If you don't believe that they are 'mutually exclusive' then I can only reluctantly conclude that there is something seriously wrong with your understanding of the true 'evangel' and/or {Roman} Catholicism. Roman Catholicism is as much a false cult as Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses and you can no more have an 'Evangelical {Roman} Catholic' than have an 'Evangelical Mormon' or an 'Evangelical Jehovah's Witness'.

In relation to your 'guidelines/comments', whilst I have no doubt that they are well intentioned, they represent an example of human reasoning over-ruling the authority, teaching and wisdom of God's Word. Those who claim to be 'Evangelical Catholics' have, by myself and many others, been challenged scripturally and in love ["love rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in THE TRUTH" 1st Corinthians 13:6] about the scripturally untenable position that they are holding to but they have doggedly refused to break the link with the false system of Roman Catholicism. So long as they claim that linkage the scriptures forbid us from fellowshipping with them and exhort us to "earnestly contend for THE faith". Sadly your seminars, as they stand in their present planned format, are being viewed as condoning their position rather than challenging their position. That may not have been your intention but that is the perception.

In your guidelines you write 'This is a difficult area and we really need God to show us his answers and what our response should be'. God has spoken clearly on this 'difficult area' and if you proceed with these seminars with Mr Boyle as the sole platform speaker and with no 'contrary-view' platform speaker then you will be doing so in clear disobedience to the teaching of the Word of God. Paul wrote "mark them which cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned AND AVOID THEM" [Romans 16:17] and "neither give place to the devil" [Ephesians 4:27].

Let me assure you David that this is personally a painful matter for me to address, but the very GOSPEL is at stake here and the enemies of that GOSPEL grow ever more subtle and seducing with every passing day - none more so than the spokespersons for Roman Catholicism [remember Mr Boyle still claims that connection].

Paul wrote "For if he that cometh, preacheth another Jesus...such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers ALSO be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" [2nd Corinthians 11:4 & 13-15].

For the sake of Christ and His true gospel I ask you once more to make the humanly-speaking hard decision and withdraw the invite to Mr Boyle - if you do I know the heart of God will be gladdened rather than grieved.

I received your letter and to be honest it grieved my spirit. I do believe that God is doing a very real work among many of these dear Catholic folk and remain convinced that what is happening warrants the question we are asking at the seminar.

I note your feelings but I have made my decision and feel I can proceed with a clear conscience and without compromising my beliefs on the precious Gospel to which I am truly committed. I therefore do not think there would be any purpose in further communication.

Sadly my friend David Millen made it plain in his e-mail that he wanted no further discussion on this matter. That being the case I will not be replying to him but I would like to put on public record the following comments.

David declares he was 'grieved in my spirit' when he received my letter. I would just like to state that I too have been grieved deeply in my spirit by the scant responses to the scriptural case put forward in my letters for either calling off or for re-formatting the planned seminars.

If God is truly 'doing a very real work among many of these dear Catholic folk' they should be lovingly shown the error of their present ways [ie trying to square up the 'mutually exclusive' terms of 'Evangelical' and 'Catholic']. They should certainly not be afforded a public platform to justify their scripturally untenable position, a course which carries with it the potential to poison the minds of those who attend into thinking that Roman Catholicism is a viable expression of biblical, evangelical Christianity.

I would encourage all that read this and share my concerns to either write to David Millen at Evangelical Ministries, 114a Holywood Road, Belfast BT4 1NU or e-mail him at info@emins.com asking him preferably to call off the planned seminars or at the very least to afford equal time to a speaker with a 'contrary view'.

Update Focusfest Seminar No.8 "What is an Evangelical Catholic?" Thank you for writing expressing your concerns re seminar 8. Please accept my sincerest apologies for taking so long to reply, but lack of administration staff (due to illness) and pressure of other ministry has prevented this. I do hope the following clarifies the position.

Ø Things are progressing really well toward Focusfest 2000. It promises to be the best year ever with numbers up 50% on this time last year. Praise God with us.

Ø One seminar in particular has attracted some feedback. We therefore thought we would issue those who enquire with the following guidelines.

From its inception Focusfest (and indeed E.M. generally) has sought to help believers anchor their faith with relevancy in the real world. This requires us to tackle the real issues women are facing today, even those that are clearly controversial. In the past, for example, we have touched on such issues as homosexuality, human genetic engineering, and euthanasia. Tackling these issues neither means that we agree with them nor condone them. It simply means that there are very real questions that we feel need real answers, answers firmly rooted in Scripture.

There is no doubt that the issue of the evangelical catholic is very real for many of our ladies. Many regularly encounter folk who claim to be of that persuasion. Indeed, some of our own team have also personally met these folk and are persuaded that there is a work of God going on in some of their lives. This raises the question of what is going on and what should our attitude be toward them? In the past as a generalisation, sadly, those of us from a Protestant background have simply 'protested' (often in a very ungracious fashion) rather than 'communicated' (in love) and sadly isolated ourselves from the very people who needed us.

Anyone who has worked for any length of time with folk from a Catholic background, as I have myself, will soon realise that there is a vast difference between what are the official Roman Catholic teachings and what the average member actually believes. While it is true that, in our view, following the traditional teachings will not help anyone to find the way of salvation we still believe that we are encountering many individuals who are clearly showing every sign of the enlightenment of God in their lives. Truth is never discovered with the natural mind, it is always revealed by the power of the Spirit. It is certainly clear to us therefore that God is meeting /dealing with these people. This in turn begs the question "should we not also be there helping?"

Obviously this seminar will raise some deep questions and objections in the minds of those who attend. We anticipate this. In fact, the format of the seminar will be such that the difficult questions, such as the one implied in our introductory 'blurb' (Are the terms 'Evangelical' and 'Catholic' mutually exclusive) will be asked. The speaker has courageously and graciously agreed not to dodge these issues. There will also be opportunity given to question what he says (may we assure you that we too have many questions about the position). The questions will be asked by Clive Johnston a Baptist Pastor who was attending a Roman Catholic church at the time of his conversion. This experience gave him a real insight into Catholic teaching and will enable him to ask searching questions on the subject. Clive, time permitting, may well also take questions submitted in writing, from the floor on the day. It is our desire that the question time would be mutually edifying and held in a gracious manner. Do pray that this will be the case.

Finally: The seminar (which will be repeated morning and afternoon) is one among twenty-six others. No one is obliged either to choose it or attend it, but may we ask you to pray for those of us who do. Thank you again for your response.

Having received this 'final letter' [the term used in David's covering e-mail] concerning the planned Seminar I spoke with David by telephone. I stated that I was pleased to see time being allocated to Baptist Pastor Clive Johnston to handle a question session that apparently will have equal time afforded to it following Mr Boyle's presentation.

I asked if this new format represented a departure from the original format and was told that no format had been agreed until the past few days. It was inferred by David that wrong assumptions had been made about the planned format - if that is the case it seems strange that David did not challenge these 'wrong assumptions' when replying to my previous letters to him and Pam.

He also felt I should have adopted the approach to his ministry of Matthew 18:15 - however as he had 'gone public' on this matter through the brochure advertising the seminars my public challenge is sanctioned by Galatians 2:11-14.

He also stated that I had voiced concerns before communicating with him. As soon as I was able I communicated fully to him my concerns and continued to do so until he abruptly terminated our exchanges. It must be borne in mind that a number of people contacted me in the first instance to ask for my views on these planned seminars and this then led to the exchange of written correspondence. It is possible that some that contacted me at the outset then went back to David following their conversation with me and spoke to him before I had written down my concerns and communicated them to him. If that were the case it would not justify what David inferred about my behaviour in this matter.

I would ask all to pray that when this Seminar takes place it will be abundantly clear that the terms 'Evangelical' and '[Roman] Catholic' are indeed 'mutually exclusive'. Please pray also that the glorious fullness and sufficiency of Christ's saving work at Calvary [a fullness and sufficiency denied by Rome] will be clearly declared resulting even in the genuine conversion of some of those present.