Lighthouse Trails Research Journal
10
GC2 Conference on Mental
Health Includes “Spiritual
Formation” Teachers Rick Warren
and Ruth Haley Barton
BY LT EDITORS
n December 12, 2019, Christianity Today posted an article
by “new” Christianity pastor Ed Stetzer, giving a recap of
the GC2 Summit that took place on December 6th. The article,
titled “Lies Pastors Believe, Part One,” states:
O
Two months of planning for our GC2 Summit on Facing
Hard Truths & Challenges in Pastoral Ministry couldn’t
have prepared us for what we saw God do this past
Friday. Over 400 leaders joined us in person and nearly
80 livestreamed in from all over the world to hear pastors
and counselors talk about leadership, burnout, and mental
health. If you were unable to join us, you can purchase the
full day’s recordings through the GC2 website. They will
be available until January 10, 2020.
The messages from leaders such as Rick Warren, Derwin
Gray, Ruth Hayley Barton, Drew Hyun, David Wang,
Philip Ryken, Margaret Diddams, and others reflected
the most important messages pastors need to hear today. 1
With at least three of the nine speakers being strong advocates
for Spiritual Formation (a synonym for “contemplative spiritual-
ity”)—Rick Warren, Ruth Haley Barton, and David Wang (a
pastor of Spiritual Formation)—it is clear that organizers of GC2
believe Spiritual Formation is a crucial element of “the most im-
portant messages pastors need to hear today.”
Spiritual Formation is the entry point for bringing New Age
meditation into the church as Lighthouse Trails has time and again
documented. The GC2 is yet another example of how Spiritual For-
mation has become saturated in today’s evangelical church. In fact,
it is so integrated now that it’s difficult to find many lines of distinc-
tion. Ruth Haley Barton and Rick Warren illustrate this perfectly.
Both Barton and Warren have been long-time activists for con-
templative spirituality (i.e., Spiritual Formation). Rick Warren began
endorsing it with his first book The Purpose Driven Church saying
that the movement has “a valid message” and a “wake-up call” to the
church (p. 126) and continued promoting it in The Purpose Driven Life.
Ruth Haley Barton, after training at the highly New Age panentheis-
tic Shalem Center in Washington, DC many years ago, moved into
Willow Creek to work with John Ortberg. Together the two created
the Spiritual Formation/Contemplative Prayer curriculum for Willow
Creek. Today, Barton runs The Transforming Center, a contempla-
tive outreach that trains thousands of pastors in Spiritual Formation.
VOLUME 8—NO. 1
The GC2 Summit (which was a conference for pastors and
church leaders) focused primarily on “burnout,” “mental illness,”
and pastoral care and was at least in part to be a remembrance of
Rick Warren’s son who passed away in 2013 from suicide. We
cannot even imagine the suffering a family would go through from
such a loss, and we would not wish that on anyone in this world.
We also recognize that the incidence of suicide by young people
has reached epidemic proportions. People are looking for answers
understandably. Unfortunately, as with the issue of racism that we
recently wrote about, the church is looking to the world (and to
the New Age) for its answers.
It was no accident or coincidence that GC2 organizers brought
in to the discussion of mental health issues prolific Spiritual Forma-
tion teachers. They obviously believe that Spiritual Formation is a
major part of the answer to mental illness and pastoral burn out.
But as we have shown for nearly 18 years, Spiritual Formation,
contemplative and centering prayer, lectio divina, Yoga, mindful-
ness meditation, energy healing, and other New Age-based esoteric
experiences and practices will not bring lasting relief for those in
mental anguish. Quite the contrary as even secular studies are
now showing.
If your church or someone you know is involved with any of
the practices mentioned above, first bring yourself up to speed on
understanding these issues; then, pray and do what you can to help
others who are caught up into something that is very spiritually
(and mentally) dangerous. Remind them that the Lord and His
Word are what will bring true peace of mind, comfort, and rest
for our souls. The world, and worldly carnal practices, cannot
give these things. Today, many pastors are going on sabbaticals
and retreats at various Catholic monasteries. When they return
to their churches, they will very likely have been infused with the
esoteric doctrines of mystics and monks and have not found true
help for their weary souls.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his
eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a
while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
(1 Peter 5:10)
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and
I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)
ENDNOTE:
1. https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2019/decem-
ber/lies-pastors-believe-part-one.html.
SPRING 2020