ECT+5, A Biblical Reponse

March 26-27, Dallas, Texas

Contenders Conference

March 30-31, Bayou DuLarge, Louisiana

Quote from ECT-I:

"Those converted -- whether understood as having received the new birth for the first time or as having experienced the reawakening of the new birth originally bestowed in the sacrament of baptism -- must be given full freedom and respect as they discern and decide the community in which they will live their new life in Christ." [This is a total compromise of the biblical Gospel.]

Quote from ECT-II:

"As Evangelicals who thank God for the heritage of the Reformation and... as Catholics who are conscientiously faithful to the teaching of the Catholic Church... we affirm our unity in the gospel that we have here professed." [According to the official "teaching of the Catholic Church," salvation comes through the dispensing of grace earned by participating in sacramental religious works. According to the Bible, salvation comes through faith in Christ alone. Thus, this proclaimed "unity in the gospel that we have here professed" can only be a unity in a gospel other than the biblical Gospel.]

Quotes from ECT endorsers:

"Despite our doctrinal differences, we who by faith know, love, trust, and hope in Christ the Mediator are brothers and sisters in the Lord." (4/98) "Evangelicals" Timothy George, Thomas Oden, J.I. Packer in a Christianity Today article explaining why they endorse the ECT-II. (One is compelled to ask these men, "If the doctrinal difference in question has to do with baptismal regeneration - which is the official teaching of Roman Catholicism - are you saying that we are to just overlook this difference in fundamental doctrine in order to dishonestly declare a false unity?")

"Muslims and Christians preach and practice the same First Commandment.... we serve and worship the same divine Commander.... The power that will unite the Church and win the world is Eucharistic adoration.... Consecrate your life to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She is the one who will win this war. She is the one, as the Bible says, who triumphs over Satan." (1996) Peter Kreeft in his book entitled Ecumenical Jihad. This book is endorsed by "evangelicals" Charles Colson and J.I. Packer.

WHY WE ARE SENDING YOU THIS ANNOUNCEMENT...

WHY WE ARE INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT TO OPPOSE THE ECT...

We are a historic SBC congregation that has contributed voluntarily to the Cooperative Program of mission support since 1936. Since some SBC executives have been involved in the drafting and promotion of the ECT, we consider it our obligation to call for a proper correction of this wrong at high levels of leadership within OUR SBC organization.

The ECT-I was published on March 29, 1994. Two SBC agency heads, Dr. Richard Land and Dr. Larry Lewis, were involved in the drafting and promotion of this document. After a year of intense pressure applied by many Southern Baptists, Dr. Land and Dr. Lewis issued a joint statement saying that they would remove their signatures from the ECT. Nevertheless, accusing those brethren who opposed their involvement in the ECT of promoting "uninformed, distorted, and unjust criticism," they defiantly proclaimed their continued personal endorsement of the document. In November, 1997, Dr. Land endorsed yet another ECT document. This one was purely theological in nature and was even more deceptive than the first. Once again under heavy pressure, Dr. Land withdrew his signature while maintaining his personal endorsement.

Obviously, the endorsement of perverted doctrine is contrary to Scripture. These specific acts by SBC executive leaders have had a very adverse affect on the ministry of our church. Thus, we endeavor to confront and expose this wrong for the recovery of these brethren, the alerting of all Christians to the dangers of the ECT, and in the hope of deterring these men and others from any future ecumenical entanglements which may harm our cooperative work for our Lord Jesus Christ.

The ECT controversy is not just going away. Indeed, the ECT consortium continues to meet with SBC leaders involved in this compromising "dialogue." While promising even more of the same sort of documents, this group continues to draw more and more evangelical leaders into its ecumenical influence. Its deceptive work founded upon the perverted doctrines promoted in the ECT-I and ECT-II poses a growing threat to the eternal well-being of multiplied millions of souls.

Recent quotes from some prominent Southern Baptist leaders...

"Baptist evangelicals don't have any business signing any doctrinal consensus papers with Rome until Rome disassociates itself from the Council of Trent." (11/97) Paige Patterson, SBC President

"The basic agreements regarding salvation appear to be nullified by the questions which the document [ECT-II] says require further exploration. How is it that sacramental grace is still an outstanding question [if] salvation by grace alone is affirmed by the document?"
(11/97) Phil Roberts, North American Mission Board, SBC

"Justification by faith alone, if genuinely affirmed by Catholics and evangelicals [in ECT-II], would require repudiation of baptismal regeneration, purgatory, indulgences and many other issues presently affirmed by Roman Catholic doctrine." (11/97) R. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"The ECT... is subject to interpretations harmful to Southern Baptist work of global witness and missionary outreach." (1995) From a resolution by the Foreign Mission Board, SBC

"Southern Baptists, let us say... we're not going to give up one inch of the territory of truth found in this book [the Bible]... regardless of what it means for denominational peace, institutional loyalty, or ecumenical progress!" (6/98) James Merritt, Chairman SBC Executive Committee

Given such statements by leading SBC individuals, one must wonder why there is still no public statement from SBC leaders opposing the involvement of Dr. Richard Land and Dr. Larry Lewis in the ECT heresy.