John Piper on the Emerging Church


If you have been around here long enough or perused the archives deep enough you know that much of the early work on this blog was spent examining the emerging church and looking for redeeming values to it. I was never a practitioner or proponent of the movement but respected aspects of it from a distance.

In a similar way I do not consider myself reformed and while I hold Piper in high regard I often cringe not necessarily at what he communicates but how he chooses to communicate it.

The Emerging Church has fell apart in many respects but to talk about the leaders living “immoral lives” and being “in shambles” was one of those cringe moments.

So what do you think will there be any expressions of the emerging/Emergent church in 10 years?

Is Piper’s analysis accurate?

September 21, 2012 in Challenging with 6 Comments

About Josh: Josh is a Rookie Pastor who works for a local church that he loves. He coordinates local lunch meet-ups with other Rookie Pastors in the Indianapolis area and loves to connect with other Rookie Pastors on and off line. It is his hope that Rookie Pastor will contribute to the health, longevity, and effectiveness of church leaders.

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6 Responses to “John Piper on the Emerging Church”

  1. aj September 21, 2012 at 2:47 pm #

    josh a lot of the people dont use that word anymore but yes, the various movements are growing all over the world and even in USA.

    Reply
    • Josh September 23, 2012 at 10:14 pm #

      Thanks for commenting, as someone who has been so involved with the movement I appreciate you chiming in here.

      Reply
  2. Matt Steen September 22, 2012 at 10:10 am #

    Defining “emerging church” is like trying to nail jello to the wall… you just can’t do it. There is no real leadership, there is no real structure, there is no real form to it… and it wasn’t ever designed to be long lasting. It was more of a movement away from what the church had become towards something that the church is becoming.

    I think we will be feeling the effects of it for years to come, but for the most part, I think it is done…

    That said, I respect Piper but worry about him becoming another Pat Robertson.

    Reply
    • Josh September 22, 2012 at 10:57 am #

      agree. there was no real agenda for the movement to become a denomination. A structure will not come from something that reacted against structures.

      Well in regards to Piper. His wisdom is immense but he has so many “cringe” moments that I worry he is damaging his credibility.

      Reply
  3. Jesse Pals September 22, 2012 at 12:28 pm #

    I don’t like it. I don’t know Piper at all but he seems to revel in the demise of others here and that’s not virtuous or becoming of a man with such stature. I too Josh, while never taking on the identity of an emergent, believe it is an instrumentally beneficial movement with integrity. That said, there are warts but what school of doctrinal thought doesn’t have imperfections and failure? And that business about Truth over relationships? Please, he should ask buddy Hybels what that did for Willow Creek.

    Appreciate your thoughts Josh!

    Reply

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  1. Monday Morning Quick Hits | Rookie Pastor - September 24, 2012

    [...] John Piper made me cringe and then one of the main innovators and practitioners of the emerging church movement comment on the post. [...]

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