Warren Throckmorton

I have at times suggested that Michael Peroutka’s “The American View” website (where he promotes the Institute on the Constitution) should really be called “The Confederate View.”
In this video, taken at the 2004 League of the South meeting, Peroutka says the Institute on the Constitution led him to embrace the League of the South.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/j1F1YZN3s-s[/youtube]
For those who say the IOTC is just teaching on the Constitution, I show them this and remind them that Peroutka has claimed that teaching the Constitution is preparation for secession.
Salon has an article featuring Peroutka prominently. I agree that the GOP needs to openly reject Peroutka’s candidacy and ideology.

If Ann Coulter still has followers among evangelical and conservative Christians, she may have lost them this week.  Wednesday she stuck to the missionaries-are-Christian-narcissists argument (see her rant from last week) with lots of venom for all.
Many Christians are outraged and Coulter pretends that outrage is about all her critics have. She huffs:

I planned to respond to my critics this week, but, unfortunately, there’s nothing to respond to. They call me names, say I’m cruel, malicious, not a Christian, compare me to Howard Stern and cite the titles of my books as if they are self-refuting. (Zippy, aren’t they?) 

In other words, it feels like a book tour. 

Missing from these alleged refutations is what we call a “point.” What is with these Christians? I know God didn’t distribute brains evenly, but can’t they make an argument? Christian websites should start separating columns into “Arguments” and “Anger” sections.

It is jarring to read Coulter faulting her critics for a failure to advance an argument since her main approach is to just argue. She has an opinion, but I wouldn’t call what she has a point either. She likes America better than anywhere else and she wants Christians to stay home and do religion here. I get it, but I wouldn’t call it a principled argument supported by anything other than her own brand of outrage.
She contends that America is the most important country in the world and if America falls, then the whole world falls. Thus, all resources should be spent in America.
As it turns out, almost all of the resources are spent in America.
According to an article by the late Bill Bright, only 5% of church budgets go overseas. Former deputy historian of the House of Representatives Fred Beuttler wrote in a chapter on American missions:

For all the public emphasis on missions, it remains a small portion of evangelical budgets.

Beuttler cites Barrett and Johnson who assert that about $16 billion is embezzled in churches each year which is more than the $15 billion given to missions outside the U.S. It should really be obvious to anyone who attends a typical evangelical church that most money and time goes to maintaining existing ministries right here at home. Coulter already has what she wants, but she wants more.
Coulter advances a false dilemma for evangelicals – stay home or go elsewhere as missionaries. If you go on mission, then you are an idiot wasting yourself; if you stay home, you are helping save America which is good. The dilemma is an illusion. Clearly, evangelicals can and should do both. However, looking at the numbers, we are not doing both very well, with missions getting the tiny end of the stick.
This, Ms. Coulter, is a rebuttal and one which I don’t expect to see you include in your next column.

Acting on a tip and noting his picture missing from the conference line up, I asked the Gateway Church conference organizers if Mark Driscoll would be speaking at their annual conference as planned. On the 13th, conference coordinator Troy Wilcox answered:

That is a great question, as it is a very recent change. Mark Driscoll has been scheduled to speak at the conference for about 6 months, but due to some recent complications he and his ministry are experiencing, he will no longer be able to be the closing speaker.  We are hoping to still have him there in some capacity, but that is all pending. I apologize for the late change, and I understand you (sic) disappointment, but it was definitely not intentional.  Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks, Troy Wilcox, Gateway Conference Coordinator

Oh, the disappointment. Gateway Church is where James Robison is an apostolic elder and is another multi-site church which started in a living room.

This just out this evening:

The Resurgence Conference has always been born out of our love of Jesus and the church, and the desire to support efforts to grow leaders to grow churches. Unfortunately, we have decided to cancel this year’s conference due to unforeseen changes to our speaker line-up and other challenges we believe would make it difficult to provide the quality of conference people have come to expect from Resurgence. Anyone who has already purchased a ticket will be receiving a prompt refund. Thank you for your support of Resurgence and the ministries of Mars Hill Church.

Probably, the absence of Paul Tripp, James MacDonald and others would have made the conference a little slim. More Acts 29 fallout. The line up that was to be included is here. Paul Tripp, James MacDonald, Greg Laurie, J.I. Packer, Crawford Loritts, Terry Virgo and of course Mark Driscoll were slated to speak. Before last night:

Free lance writer Becky Garrison has been asking Mars Hill Church’s partners in education if there is any fallout relating Acts 29 Network’s removal of Mark Driscoll and the church from the organization’s membership. Western Seminary and Corban University are slated to offer classes at the church’s new Northrup Way location in Bellevue.
Western Seminary

Garrison emailed Derek Hiebert, the Seattle Teaching Site Director for Western Seminary inquiring about the status of their relationship with Mars Hill given the fact that Western Seminary partners with the Acts 29 Network. Here is his response.

Thank you for your inquiry and question about the nature of our relationship with Mars Hill and Acts 29.
Western Seminary is committed to providing gospel-centered graduate level training in the Seattle metro area.  Mars Hill acts as a partnered host organization providing facility and some of the logistics.  Western is leading and implementing the content, curriculum, programs and structure of our training, while Mars Hill provides the space for us to accomplish the training.  Western is excited to serve anyone and everyone in the Seattle area who desire to pursue theological and ministry training.  Western is not under the authority or structure of Mars Hill.  We are a separate and distinct organization here to serve Mars Hill and any other church, organization and person who wants to benefit from our ministry.
The nature of our partnership with both Mars Hill and Acts 29 is such that we will continue to serve both organizations.  As a graduate level training institution, there is not a conflict of interest with the way that we serve both Mars Hill and Acts 29.  Acts 29, as a separate organization, can decide the nature of their partnerships with churches and organizations.  We do not influence their jurisdiction on those matters, nor do they influence ours.
Hope this helps for clarity.  Please feel free to respond if you have more questions.  We want to ensure everyone understands our role, vision and purpose in the Seattle area.

When she inquired about their stance on plagiarism given that Driscoll has committed plagiarism in multiple books, his answer failed to address the fact that Driscoll is scheduled to teach a course during the Spring 2015 semester.

As a gospel-centered evangelical institution, our policy is not to practice or encourage plagiarism.  We maintain integrity within our walls when it comes to accurately citing sources we trust and with which we dialogue.
As an institution partnering with Mars Hill Church in order to serve the Seattle area with our training, we certainly do not condone plagiarism.  Whatever the incidents are concerning this, we pray and hope that Mars Hill Church, as a separate organization, will be able to deal internally with them from a biblical perspective according to the gospel.

According to the Mars Hill Schools page, Driscoll and other MH pastors plan to teach for Western Seminary at the Seattle site:

You’ll learn from our senior pastors and ministry leaders as well as seminary professors, all on-site at Mars Hill Church Bellevue.
“As a graduate of Western Seminary, I am very excited to host this top-notch theological program and to be in the classroom investing in students committed to serving Jesus’ mission through the local church.”
Pastor Mark Driscoll, Founding, Preaching & Vision Pastor, Mars Hill Church

Mr. Hiebert did not return my call to learn if Western had dealt internally with the Driscoll plagiarism issue.
Corban University
When Garrison asked Corban University about their current relationship with Mars Hill Church, she received this response from Steve Hunt, Vice President of Marketing for Corban University.

We, and others, are watching the events surrounding the Mars Hill ministry with interest as recent developments unfold. In November of 2013 we entered into an agreement to provide faculty for a Bible certificate at Mars Hills Schools, with the hope that many more people could benefit from deepening their understanding of the Word. That is still our hope and our commitment, and we are in dialog with all parties concerned to see if any developments will hinder our effort to carry out our mission ‘to educate Christians who will make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.’

Driscoll is on the schedule to teach an apologetics course at Corban’s Seattle Mars Hill site.

Western wants to make sure people know that the two institutions are separate and Corban is “watching the events.” I suspect more announcements are coming and I will update this post if either school addresses the plagiarism issues.