By Brandon Brown
This week a board member of the Holiness Partnership (tHP) questioned the calling and ministry of myself and several other pastors. There was even an accusation that we fail to lead people to Christ by commenting on tHP messages. To be honest, while it stung a bit, I'm not that concerned about this. Besides my lead pastor, my ministry and calling are examined by ordained men and women annually as I travel the road toward ordination. The commenter also accused us of desiring to be "minor Facebook celebrities." I could honestly care less about Facebook celebrity. I critique and allow others to publish critiques on this blog because tHP has made public statements which imply problems with clergy and churches within the Church of the Nazarene. In my personal context as a pastor of discipleship, I do not receive a penny in salary, yet I am faithful to the call of God and minister with the discipleship and sanctification of others in mind.
I am not surprised by the accusation against a group of pastors who do critique the message, statements, and writings of tHP because the organization threatens the ministries of fellow clergy and friends. This week one speaker at the upcoming Gathering doubled down on beliefs contrary to the doctrines of the Church of the Nazarene. While the Gathering is not an official gathering of the COTN, the board of tHP is primarily ordained clergy and members of the Church of the Nazarene. I have no problem with speakers outside the Wesleyan-Holiness movement being invited to speak at seminars and institutions, but one complaint that tHP regularly makes against Nazarene Theological Seminary is that the institution invites outside speakers. But those speakers are not leading seminars on hermeneutics (or the methods of interpretation). The Holiness Partnership has Christopher Yuan speaking at the next Gathering, but he is also leading a seminar on a proper hermeneutic of human sexuality. Yuan holds an illogical belief which is contrary to the doctrine of the Church of the Nazarene. This illogical belief is that same sex attraction is always sexual and therefore always sinful. The Church of the Nazarene believes that attraction of another human being regardless of same or different sex is not sinful unless it becomes lust, objectification, or leads to action. Here is a quote from a recent Christian Post article from Yuan:
"I had thought that a desire turns into lust, so as long as you don’t lust, then that’s OK. But then I realized that, actually, wrongly ordered desire is lust. It is sin,” Yuan said. “It’s not just sexual, it is also romantic. So sometimes when people limit sin to be just sexual in the act, well then, they’re not talking about the desires in their heart."
To follow this understanding to its logical conclusion would end the ministries of friends and other clergy in the Church of the Nazarene. It also questions the faithfulness of many members and families within the Church of the Nazarene. I have never attacked the ministries of those involved with tHP. In fact, I have mentioned how I believe them to be faithfully pastoring in their local contexts. I believe them to be sincere in their pursuit of holiness and discipleship even though we disagree on some ideas and conclusions.
They have exposed some roots this week and I believe we have finally seen the attitude of some within tHP who wish to belittle those with whom they disagree. Critiquing magazine articles, blog posts, and messages differs from questioning the ministry and faithfulness of fellow clergy. Claims of not wishing division sound hollow within personal attacks.