Acts 29 Network.
The Acts 29 Network is an association of churches with a mission of planting churches internationally by recruiting, assessing, training, and supporting church planters. It has been steeped in scandal since its beginning regarding its leader and founder, Mark Driscoll. Its downward spiral continues with a leftist social justice agenda, the teaching of critical race theory, a couple of scandals with its current leader, Matt Chandler, and now some of its churches are supporting transgender ideology. They have consistently aligned with the latest cultural and ideological trends rather than having a holy ardor to teach and uphold the integrity of the Word of God.
After reviewing these resources, ask yourself:
Do I want to belong to a church that supports this dogma?
Do I want a portion of my tithe to support this network? (Acts 29 churches are expected to give money to the network, 2-3% of tithes)
If my church is affiliated with Acts 29, does my pastor agree with their woke teaching? If not, what is the reasoning and wisdom behind associating with Acts 29?
Consider the evidence of unbiblical teachings and scandals that have plagued this organization for approximately 10+ years. There has been no confession (such as we made a mistake getting on the CRT bandwagon, and we were wrong), no genuine repentance (an inner change of heart and mind and an outward change of action), and the liberal, progressive trajectory is running full speed ahead. Learn more about the dangers of Critical Race Theory (CRT) here.
At what point does this organization disqualify itself from Christian ministry? How many scandals and unbiblical teachings will it take for pastors to call out and warn unknowing Christians? Paul went beyond “avoiding them” to “rebuking them publicly”(1 Timothy 5). Where are the pastors mandated to protect their flock from false teaching? See more on false teaching here.
Before joining a church, search here to see if it’s associated with Acts 29 or if your church is an Acts 29 member.
Articles
Partnership Update: Grimke and Acts 29 (article) - throughout 2023 and into 2024, Acts 29 has undergone significant changes as untold numbers of churches have left the network, and a substantial number of executive and support staff have left. Grimké and Acts 29 began to discuss the possibility of another formal partnership agreement for 2024. Grimké Seminary was offered a complimentary exhibitor booth and sponsorship package at the Next Conference in Dallas, Texas. Unfortunately, a formal partnership agreement could not be reached. Acts 29 asked Grimké to withdraw as an exhibitor due to an article written concerning the current state of complementarianism in the broader evangelical landscape.
In April 2024, it was announced that Acts 29 will partner with Talbot Theology and Ed Stetzer (Dean of Talbot) to offer a fully accredited Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and Leadership. Ed Stetzer is a pastor at Mariners Church, a fully egalitarian church with many women pastors, including Christine Cain as a teaching "pastor." They believe that liberal Ed Stetzer will save their dwindling membership.
Question: Is this the Wokest Acts 29 Church Around? Answer: Probably (article) - Park Church in Denver, Colorado, is part of the Acts 29 Network and is drenched with wokeness and streaks of compromise. Of chief interest is their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program, which explains that Park Church “has an opportunity to either lead us into unity or remain complicit in allowing systems of racial inequities to harm our sisters and brothers of color disproportionately” and that they’ve “spent the last three years intentionally breaking down such systems internally and have focused on building a more inclusive culture and church.
Why We Are Leaving the Acts 29 Network by Grace Free Church (article) - Our concerns have continued to grow over the last 5+ years by the way the network chose to address the issues that were causing so much polarization in the culture, especially concerning race, class, and gender. While some of this was helpful, there was also a push to formally teach and train our churches in unbiblical ways of thinking about these things. Further, when attempts were made to ask questions or disagree with this teaching, member churches and pastors were often met with dismissal, insults, hostility, and accusations.
What is Going on at Acts 29? by Warren Throckmorton (article) - Acts 29’s CEO Steve Timmis was fired. According to a report in Christianity Today, he was let go “amid accusations of abusive leadership.” The ripple effects are significant. His church in the UK is investigating, and his publisher has stopped selling his books.
Why We Love and Left Acts 29 by Pastor Justin Blizzard (article) - Acts 29 used to have a culture of existing to serve its planters/pastors/churches; however, Acts 29 has lost this. The culture, tone, and communication of Acts 29 have become one where it feels like you, the pastor, exist only to serve the organization called Acts 29.
Why We're Leaving Acts 29 by Pastor Jon Needham (article) - Our goal has been to get clarification from Acts 29's leadership regarding pressing and essential theological and cultural issues, including gender, church leadership, critical race theory, and LGBTQ+ ideology. Unfortunately, our efforts have not led to the clarification that the elders believe is necessary for us to continue our partnership with Acts 29 in good conscience.
Pastor Rick White and CityView Church Resign Membership from Acts29 (pdf download) - the current Acts 29 organizational structure is flawed and susceptible to corruption and compromise, poor decision-making, and leftward theological drift, making member churches increasingly vulnerable by association; Acts29 does not help multiply churches.
Churches Leaving Acts 29 Cite Issues with Financial and Organizational Transparency by Ministry Watch (article)—Buzzard told MinistryWatch that the unwillingness to share financial and organizational information gave the “appearance of a bloated organization where the 3% churches like ours give to church planting seemingly must be going to lots of operational overhead rather than to actual church plants.”
Major Church Leaves Acts 29 Network Over Promotion of Transgenderism by Disntr (article) - a principal Acts 29-affiliated megachurch in Australia was openly promoting transgenderism from the pulpit. In a recent sermon by Guy Mason, one of the pastors of City on a Hill Church in Melbourne, Australia, the pastor preached that Christians can and must lean into the rights of those who identify as transgender. The Christian philosopher Edith Stein explained that whoever is near and needs us must be our neighbor.
Acts 29 Church Under Matt Chandler’s Leadership Says Christians Need to Support Gender Inclusive Bathrooms by Disntr (article) - Matt Chandler is woke and has been given over entirely to the social justice movement. Chandler has made headlines for saying that Black people who aren’t woke are just trying to win the “approval” of White men, pushing progressive “woke” politics, his church writing worship songs about microaggressions, comparing Black Lives Matter leaders to biblical prophets, denouncing America as racist and demonic, declaring that parts of Critical Race Theory are good (even though it’s demonic), having disdain for White people, speaking at various “woke church” social justice conferences, or sharing the stage with lesbians, racists, and charismatics all in the name of social justice.
Former Acts 29 Director Says Most Terror in the World is Committed by Right Wing, White Supremacists by Disntr (article) - Leonce Crump, an Acts 29 pastor and former executive leader of Matt Chandler’s Acts 29 network, says that 70 percent of violent terrorism committed is by right-wing white supremacists.
Matt Chandler takes indefinite leave of absence after exchanging ‘unwise’ online messages with a woman by Baptist News Global (article) - Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in the far northern suburbs of Dallas and leader of the international Acts 29 church planting network, said he had not engaged in a sexual or romantic relationship with the woman but that his frequent and “coarse” direct messages exchanged over Instagram were “unguarded and unwise” and “revealed something unhealthy in me.”
Response to Acts 29 Video "Walking with Jesus Among our LGBTQIA+ Friends"
Michael Clary @dmichaelclary
A quick response to @acts29 pulling the video about "Walking with Jesus Among Our LGBTQIA+ Friends" this morning. First off, I'm happy to see that this video was pulled and A29 issued an apology statement. Much appreciated. Secondly, biblical sexuality is an area of urgent concern where A29's value of theological clarity could be put to good use. The issue with the now-removed video highlights the fact that there is not agreement or sufficient clarity within the network about human sexuality.
The A29 statement says:
"Acts 29 has always-and will always- hold to a historically orthodox view on gender and human sexuality."
That statement sounds good initially, but it does not distinguish Acts 29 from "gay Christian" organizations like Revoice.
Revoice's website says:
"Whether individuals choose "gay" or "same-sex-attracted" to describe their orientation and experience is a matter of wisdom and liberty, and should not divide believers who otherwise share a commitment to historic Christian teaching about marriage and sexuality."
In short, a claim to "historically orthodox" views on sexuality isn't clear enough because orgs like Revoice claim the same thing.
Revoice would surely support the approach taken by the A29 video that has been removed. Since we don't have clarity on this issue right now, the ambiguity is causing real problems.
Pastor Chase Davis exposes what's happening in the leadership of Acts 29 Church Planting Network.
Matt Patrick and Chase Davis share their experience of being removed from the network and the phone call audio where they kicked our church out. They felt burdened to release this audio as lies have been told to prospective Acts 29 churches regarding their removal. Given the state of the network, they think it’s their responsibility to provide transparency to fellow brothers currently pastoring Acts 29 affiliated churches about the precarious position in which their fellowship rests.
Why is it that the same people who went after Mark Driscoll have largely gone woke, including the Acts 29 network, while Mark seems to be attacking the idols of the day with ferocity? This episode is about the Rise and Fall of Acts 29, how wokeness corrupted the organization, and where it is today.
Unbiblical teaching on race: from an Acts 29 “Pastor to Pastor” call by the Director of Pastor Care on June 17, 2020 - teaching Critical Race Theory, a teaching completely antithetical to the Gospel of Christ.
“People are thinking political…that’s why Trump is in office and he is wreaking havoc on America..America has never been great…America was founded on lies, slavery, murder, rape, greed…We have a president who has destroyed America.” pic.twitter.com/XDWdeYHxNv
— J. Chase Davis (@jchasedavis) March 29, 2023
*Update. They removed this video in March 2023 due to social media backlash, after leaving it up for almost 3 years.
Comments on this video call:
Ray Ortlund is confused about who Jesus is and what the gospel is. If they have him teaching here, it’s no wonder Acts 29 has gone off the rails. Read more about his confusion and bad teaching here.
Justin Dean former Marketing Director at Acts 29
Transgender Issues: Acts 29 church in Australia says Christians "must lean into the rights of those who identify as transgender," including "creating space for gender-inclusive bathrooms."
Guy Mason of the City On A Hill church network gives a mixed-bag sermon titled "Transgender Rights," which affirms that God's design for our bodies is best but then goes and gives the extrabiblical command to create space for gender-inclusive bathrooms.
Books recommended by Acts 29: we know that any study or author recommended by an organization, pastor, or leader is a good way to discern what they believe, support, and teach. When Christian leaders suggest books, they are introducing their people to more than just content but to the authors themselves.
Jemar Tisby’s book The Color of Compromise (he works for Ibram X Kendi, and his organization is rife with pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ people, including the VP of The Witness BBC)
Pastor Eric Mason’s book Woke Church (Mason blamed ‘white foolishness’ for black people not being saved, said ‘whiteness has caused blindness of heart.’ Oh, and this clip)
You Don’t Need to Be ‘Woke’ to Be Biblical: A Review of Eric Mason’s ‘Woke Church’ by Alex Kocman (article) - It is always easier to be angry at someone else’s sin than our own. We cannot be ignorant of the way that the current social justice narrative deflects the gospel’s emphasis on my sin in favor of a focus on their oppression. Our gospel witness depends upon emphasizing our sin in Adam, Christ’s gift of righteousness to his people, and the call to personal faith that lives itself out in love of neighbor. Contrary to Dr. Mason’s claims, we need not be “woke” to care about suffering and injustice. By adopting the world’s lingo, we’re playing into a larger agenda that deemphasizes the gospel of guilt, grace, and gratitude. We need to be biblical.
Ligon Duncan wrote an enthusiastic foreword to Eric Mason’s social justice book, Woke Church. Duncan states that Woke Church is a solid book based on Neil Shenvi's review. Both Room For Nuance and Duncan argue that Neil Shenvi is no fan of wokeness. Neil Shenvi is a JD Greear’s church member and supported Resolution 9, which endorsed Critical Race Theory at the 2019 Annual Southern Baptist Convention.
Problems with Matt Chandler: the current executive chairman of Acts 29 and pastor in Flowermound, Texas.
Matt Chandler Calls on White Pastors to Help Fight Miseducation of White America on Blacks (article) - Making no apologies for leading a predominantly white church which he loves because that's where God called him, Chandler explained at the "MLK50: Gospel Reflections From the Mountaintop" in Memphis, Tennessee, Wednesday morning that he was concerned about some of the inconsistencies among his God-fearing flock when it comes to racial issues.
Deconstructing Matt Chandler’s Perverse “Racial Reconciliation” by Faith & Heritage (article) - Chandler’s understanding of race places diversity (as he understands it) as a Gospel mandate and a natural outworking of the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. But Chandler misapplies the biblical texts that he uses to make his case, and his understanding of race is steeped in the presuppositions of our modern post-Christian culture. Chandler’s message is harmful and dangerous. Dalrock observed that Chandler’s preaching unduly emphasizes men’s sins and exonerates women, and Chandler’s preaching about race is just as problematic. It harms whites by propagating anti-white narratives while disingenuously claiming to reject white guilt. It blames racial hostility on the historical actions of whites and foments non-white resentment. Chandler’s affirmation of “white privilege,” as the world defines it, also morally disarms whites on issues such as racial disparities in achievement or interracial crime.
What have we learned about Matt Chandler’s sin and restoration? Not much. by Baptist News Global (article) - Village Church elders have demonstrated why they can’t be trusted from the beginning of the controversy. Even assuming Chandler’s innocence, pastors who are supposedly submitting themselves to their elders’ discipline shouldn’t get to announce their discipline from the pulpit, frame the expectations for the congregation to forgive, play down the accusations without giving any actual details, and receive a standing ovation from their church.
Matt Chandler takes indefinite leave of absence after exchanging ‘unwise’ online messages with a woman by Baptist News Global (article) - Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in the far northern suburbs of Dallas and leader of the international Acts 29 church planting network, said he had not engaged in a sexual or romantic relationship with the woman but that his frequent and “coarse” direct messages exchanged over Instagram were “unguarded and unwise” and “revealed something unhealthy in me.”
Matt Chandler’s Village Church sued for $1M in child sex abuse case by The Christian Post (article) - Pastor Matt Chandler’s The Village Church in Texas was hit last Friday with a lawsuit by former congregants seeking more than $1 million in damages for the alleged sexual abuse of their daughter at a church camp by a former minister in 2012 when she was 11. The lawsuit comes just over a month after former Village Church members Christi Braggs and her husband, Matt, alleged in a report in The New York Times that fired Village Church children’s minister Matthew Tonne sexually abused their daughter.
Matt Chandler's Woke (Racist) Hiring Practices: At a talk hosted by The Gospel Coalition and the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), Matt Chandler makes comments about his search for a new pastor to hire that judge people based on skin color, all in the name of being "against racism."
