ARE ALL DOCTRINES, DENOMINATIONS, & POPULAR PERSONALITIES RIGHT?

[Pastor Z. M. D. McGregor]

We are living in very ecumenical times right now as it relates to Christian ministry. I am interested in receiving feedback on the issue of positional doctrine. Since being ecumenical calls for persons and churches, of different denominations to fellowship, (and fellowship amongst believers is good), I'm curious to know, if and when, are ecumenical relationships bad and/or unhealthy?

In Romans 12:16, we are admonished to be of the same mind, in
1 Cor. 1:10, we are admonished to have no divisions among us, in
Eph. 4:14, there are doctrines that are the results of tricky of deceitful men, and in 2 Tim. 3:16, all scripture is inspired by God, yet we are sharply divided in many areas of doctrine:

Carlton Pearson has a very divergent doctrine, Benny Hinn has a unique doctrine, the Full Gospel Fellowship (Paul Morton) has a doctrine, PAW has a doctrine, Dr. James Cone has a doctrine, Southern Baptist have a doctrine, COGIC has a doctrine, Methodist (AME, CME) have a doctrine, Creflo Dollar & Kenneth Copeland share a doctrine, T. D. Jakes has a doctrine, Dr. Tony Evans has a doctrine, Joel Osteen has a doctrine, Bishop College had a doctrine (the doctrine of Harry S. Wright, Manuel L. Scott, Sr., C.A.W. Clark, Sr., E.V. Hill, E.K. Bailey, etc.)

Can any two churches of divergent believes about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, salvation, eternal security, and the Holy Bible truly worship together and is it healthy?

In a purely doctrinal conversation, what do Dr. Harry S. Wright and Bishop Paul S. Morton have in common, if the following is true: the hold divergent views on about salvation, function and purpose of the church, the Holy Spirit, and the superiority and authority of the Holy Scripture?

What do Dr. Tony Evans, Dr. Ralph D. West, and Dr. Joel C. Gregory (Group A) have in common with Bishop T. D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, and Benny Hinn (Group B) if the following is truth: these two representative groups hold divergent views about the Trinity (the Triune God).

Amos 3:3 (KJV) Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

All feed back is welcomed.

P.S. - Poll Question:

Would it be healthy for my congregation to hear Ralph D. West, Joel Osteen, Carlton Pearson, Paul Morton, Jeremiah Wright, T. D. Jakes, and William Shaw all in the course of one week?

(Please respond to this question with a simple yes or no, thank you)

[Pastor Trevor Ducreay]

Pastor Z,
This is . At first blush the question appears to have an obvious slant or appears to be eliciting an obvious response, but I think it is a very interesting and thought provoking (and merely provoking) question. You have loaded three problematic categories together which makes it even more spicy.
To attempt a response I'd like to decouple the categories. Second judging what is right particularly about others must always fill us with a sense of humility, responsibility and charity. So:
1,. I believe divergent doctrines/teachings are obviously not equal as a matter of logic. And all may not be entirely consonant with traditional Christian theology or accepted positions of the current dominant Christian influences.
2. Denominations exist to accentuate differences theologically, politically (governance issues) and in terms of mission emphasis.
3. The influential personalities gained and earned their prominence by either emphasizing one or a few biblical truths and focusing on empowering people rather than arguing theological positions. In doing that the very thing some wanted to avoid (arguing over doctrine) they end up doing.
I would suggest that the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) provides guidance. There has been a lot of recent scholarship that conclusively show that the faith of early Christians was not homogeneous and that it is better to speak of a number of Christianities rather than a monolithic faith. That might seem a bit far for us evangelicals but it is closer to the truth than denying divergence in beliefs among early Christians.
We see the tension between faith and works and their emphases in the Pauline corpus and the writings of James for example.

So to answer the poll question at the end : Yes.
If you can imagine inviting Paul, Peter, James and Jesus to address your congregation in the same week I think having Joel and others wouldn't be such a bad idea.

(Hope I wasn't too long. BTW Pastor Mcgregor I found the Black Preaching Network while googling your name. I remember you did a week of revival in the Bronx some years ago at the Outreach Baptist Church and I said then to myself this young man has the hand of the Lord on him and will do great exploits for God. Been checking on you occasionally since.

[Pastor Z. M. D. McGregor]

Let me begin by saying that I am greatly humbled by your rememberance of me over these years. Second, I must say that your response to my discussion post is both appreciated and refreshing. I posted this discussion with the original intent to just simply gage the overall critical thinking body of this online community. To, perhaps, stir up the "Christian mind" as to were. Again, I am grateful to you for your contribution. I too once desired to attend Gordon-Conwell that I may pursue a Th.M and sit at the feet of Dr. Walter Kaiser, he is a great expositor and OT scholar.

I would, however, wish for but a momemt, to respond to your comments. I would like to begin with this preface, that I am in no way questioning the salvation of all of the persons for whom I have previously mentioned, just the overwhelming divergence of doctrine that is coming forth in these last and evil days. I believe that most of them truly love and believe in Jesus, and the word of God, but [what] they believe is often times, inconsistent, incoherent, and imaginative. It is something pervasive and likened unto that of Apollos (Acts 18:24-26), with the difference being that Apollos was objective, receptive, teachable, accepting, corrected, and thus, edified and made perfect in his understanding.

I would respectfully disagree, that from a purely biblical standpoint, that first century Christians (with emphasis on the Apostles and their teachings) were not homogeneous. They were. Scripture repeatedly points this out throughout the NT. I would further disagree that there is any tension between faith and works in Pauline corpus and James based on, again, a purely doctrinal understanding of divine involvement in there origin. In addition, Paul's method of writing always follows a pattern of doctrine (Rom. ch. 1- 11) faith, and deed (Rom. ch. 12-15) fruit. If Romans is faith & works 101, then James is faith & works 102.

With that said, in response to the poll question, and taking in consideration Peter's on confession and admonition to believers to adhere to the teachings as shared by Holy Spirit, to and through the Apostle Paul (2 Pet. 3:14-18), and seeing no contrast only progressive coherency from Romans to James, and lastly with your inclusion of the Messiah in a week of teaching, I am much persuaded that there would be no divergence in the core fundamental doctrine, nor in the practical application. For in the event that there were, it would mean that one would be in disagreement with the Christ, the Holy Spirit, and with the Holy Scriptures.

I appreciate your rich contribution, it has challenged me greatly! I look forward to more dialogue with you. Be blessed.
This type of exchange is both healthy and needed within the context of African American Ecclessiology. There is nothing wrong with raising real queations. I am reminded of the words of my pastor, Dr. Ralph Douglas West, Sr. who once said,
"buffoons do not deal in weighty matters."

Be a blessing.

Pastor Z. M. D. McGregor

[Pastor Trevor Ducreay]

Thanks for your kind response and your strong rebuttal. Perhaps our difference on this issue is illustrative of the small point I was trying to make. I do agree that the early believers (at least the apostolic leadership) were a bit unified in their understanding of some basics of the Kerygma. They sensed that the Incarnation had brought about a new order. They believed that Jesus was unique and Divine (perhaps not as clearly as we do since Nicea). They knew that the Cross was pivotal, crucial, indispensable to God's plan of salvation. They clearly needed time to figure out what to keep from Judaism and the Old Covenant and in my humble view it appears (against my Dear brother and friend Pastor Z's probable objection") they did not have time to sit and work out fine points of theology. When your pastors and leaders are being jailed, you have no state security for the church, few church assets, no seminaries, you really don't have much time to sit and work out a clear theology or articles of faith.
Probably they did like we are doing: we love each other, we clearly are both committed to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and to the primacy and supremacy of Scripture and to the work of ministry, yet we can disagree about matters important but perhaps not essential. As the saying goes: In essentials unity; in non essentials liberty and in all things charity. Be blessed my brother. I hope to continue to interact with you.

I really have great memories of you although it was such a brief interaction. Your sermon "Things Fall Apart" on the experience of Job has never left me.