Former Fundamentalist Explains Why He Joined Willow Creek

Former Fundamentalist Joseph Zichterman explains why he has left his separatist roots, joined Willow Creek Community Church, and entered the Emergent conversation. You can find out more at his newly launched Life of Faith Ministries website by reading a brief synopsis on his About page or listening to an 81-minute lecture given at TEDS (where he is currently working on a Ph.D. in Church History) entitled “Why I Joined Willow Creek Community Church” (75 MB!).

This move has created no small stir in the Fundamentalist world, where Joe was respected as a musician, leader, and teacher. Joe received an undergraduate degree from Bob Jones University, a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Pensacola Christian College, and taught at Northland Baptist Bible college as professor of Theology, Biblical Studies, and Counseling for ten years. He was also a senior pastor of a Fundamentalist church for eight years.

Here are some Fundamentalist responses and discussions:

• Chris Anderson at My Two Cents:
  • My Two Cents on Joe Zichterman’s Departure (PDF)
    
  • Why I’m a Fundamentalist
  • PDF of Zichterman Post and Food for Thought
• Bob Bixby at Pensées:
  • Why He Joined Willow Creek and My Knee-jerk Reaction (see also the comments)
  • My Criticism of Zichterman’s “Coming Out” (see also the comments)
  • Syrupy Sentimentalism
  • Still Talking About the Zichterman Conversion: How and Why I Intend to Do It
  • Thinking Through the Zichterman Conversion
• Aaron Blumer at Sharper Iron Blog:
  • Why Stay in Fundamentalism?
• Greg Linscott at CurrentChristian:
  • Former Northland BBC Professor Joe Zichterman Explains “Why I Joined Willow Creek Community Church” (see esp. the comments)
    
• Brian McCrorie at Bowing Down:
  • When He Was Reviled…
• Todd Rhoades at Monday Morning Insights:
  • Today’s Buzz: Tommy Newsom, Pastoral Ethics, a Fundamentalist Turncoat, & John Stott Retires…
• Sharper Iron Forums:
  • Joe Zichterman Launches Website
• Ben Wright at Paleoevangelical:
  • Sometimes Fundamentalist College Presidents Lie

HT: CurrentChristian (for the initial news)

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