Re: I have been meaning to write -- RSQUBF discussion forum

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Date Posted: 02:48:28 11/25/04 Thu
Author: Chris
Subject: Re: I have been meaning to write
In reply to: A Christian Man 's message, "I have been meaning to write" on 23:43:53 11/24/04 Wed

I have been meaning to write to your organization

Common misunderstanding of UBF members. We are no organization. We are simply ex UBF members from around the world, with very different UBF experiences and different approaches how to deal with them. Some have written personal letters, open letters, friendly articles, cynical articles, biblical articles, unbiblical articles. Some have prefered to stay in change UBF from inside. Some have prefered to simply leave and say nothing. All of these approaches have failed.

if some leaders within the ministry are hard hearted, then it is up to YOU to search your own hearts and forgive them.

Sounds good, but no, it is wrong. If a leader, e.g. ordered abortions and divorces and got this accepted via his nearly divine power in this organization, if the leader is above accountability regarding every question including money, if he established and unbiblical shepherding/discipling system based on authority of man, then the leader and the system has to be challenged, and not turned a blind eyed to. The UBF ministry is corrupt in its core teachings and practices and at the top of the hierarchical pyramid. This is what we challenge. The Bible does not tell us to turn a blind eye to what is happening in the church. If there is unbiblical behavior of members, it has to be challenged, and if there is unbiblical behavior of top leaders, it has to be challenged all the more. Please read 1 Corinthians 5 and Matthew 18:15ff or Eze 3:18ff

You make a valid point that there ARE problems within the ministry, and things that need to change, but I want to change them from the inside out starting with myself.

Many people tried this and were expelled. "Starting by yourself" is a typical UBF phrase. Yes, all people are sinners. So whenever you challenge another sinner, you have to be aware that you are a sinner, too. But this does not mean that we should never challenge or admonish anybody, particularly if they claim to be spiritual and to live according to the Bible, but behave differently. "Starting by yourself" subtly implies that we have the same kind of sins as UBF leaders, i.e. the core problem of UBF are the ciritcal members, not the leaders, which is not true. It means shifting the guilt of the abusers to those who are abused. If you said "from the perspective of another sinner," this would have been ok. But what UBF members need to learn is that their own sins and the sins of UBF leaders are two different kinds of things, and these should not constantly be mixed up and stop challenging wrongs because of wrongly understood humbleness, subservience and feelings of own guilt and sin. The first is a systemic problem of UBF that needs to be challenged, not matter how much we are sinners ourselves. The second is about our private life of faith which must be challenged, too. Nevertheless these are two different challenges and you need to learn to separate them (except you are a leader of UBF or engage in the same kind of problems).

The Lord Jesus said that we must love our enemies, so if you have hatred in your hearts you need to realize that that is sin.

When the lord talked about loving your enemies he certainly did not have church leaders in mind, but those who persecute Christians. We don't see UBF leaders as enemies. We see them as leaders who went astray by establishing a ministry that is not biblical and spiritually abuses people. These leaders have to be challenged and people have to be warned of that ministry. It is very simple.

Likewise, most of us have no hatred in our hearts. This is a typical UBF argumentation. Anybody who criticizes UBF leadership has hatred in his heart, thus disqualifies himself. Second, even if there are people with hatred in their hearts, this is a problem produced by UBF spiritual abuse.

Let me summarize: We consider UBF leaders as our neighbours, because we have been in the same organization and coworked with them for many years. I for instance, have been in UBF for a time that is double as long as yours. So I consider these leaders with whom I spent a long time of my life as neighbours. What does loving your neighbour or hating your neighbour really mean, "Christian man"? Maybe you know that Jesus quoted that command from Lev 3:19. Did you ever read the whole passage of Lev 19:18-19? Not hating your neighbour means rebuking him frankly if he did anything wrong. If you abstain from doing so, for whatever "spiritual" reason of wrongly understood humbleness and friendlyness, you are in fact not loving him, but hating him. Think again about your concept of love and hate.

I believe though that there are many redeeming qualities within this ministry, such as emphasis on Bible study, and world mission.

After I made Bible study in several genuine Christian ministries, I don't call UBF's bible sessions Bible study any more. They are abusing the Bible. They don't care what the Bible really says, but only care how the Bible can be used to justify their own doctrines and practices. This is not serious and humble Bible study. This is Bible abuse.

My sincere hope is that someday RSQUBF and UBF can come to reconciliation and healing in the name of Jesus.

This can happen when UBF leaders really repent and change their ways. Outside of Jesus, there can never be real reconciliation and healing. By chosing to not repent and to not even answer us, UBF leaders show that they are not interested in a Biblical solution and in reconciliation and healing.

It is true that UBF needs to be more Grace centered, and more charity centered, and ethnically diverse, and economically diverse as well.

That's not all. The main point is that it must stop to build upon self-claimed authority of man, unbiblical shepherding/discipling paradigms and unbiblical church leadership structures. A second point is that the leadership needs to repent. Because they refuse to repent, they have stopped to be Christians. Luther first of his 95 theses was When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. The life of the UBF leaders is however, one of unrepentance. As long as it is like that, forgiveness is not the biblical approach to UBF leaders.

Do you put the UBF missionaries that are in places like Saudi Arabia and UAE in the same category as ones in Chicago?

Of course, not. They already prove not to be in the same category by themselves. And they are very few, compared to the mass of UBF "missionaries" in the richest countries of the world, USA and Germany. Anyway, if these missionaries engage in unbiblical practices we would challenge them as well. Being in Saudi Arabia and the UAE does not automatically justify your theological teachings and mission practices. However, as you may know, so far the missionaries in Saudi Arabia have never been made an issue here.

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going to Moody -- Nick T., 10:16:21 11/26/04 Fri