Before I graduated high school, I had no idea what the concept of the “emerging church” was, nor had I ever heard the term. But since I’ve become more aware of this broader movement, I’ve read many blogs and seen many web pages that bemoan the emerging church and label it as heresy.

I’m not here to engage in the debate about who’s right and who’s wrong because frankly, I don’t think it’s worthwhile, but I saw this post over on Under The Iceberg, the blog of Sam Metcalf, President of Christian Resource Ministries. Apparently he got a letter criticizing the “emerging church” and wrote a response to that letter that was really well put. Here’s an excerpt:

“What God is undoubtedly doing is raising up, on the cultural fringes, a new generation of people who are faithfully and wholeheartedly followers of Jesus and true to the bible, but they are committed to living that faith out in an increasingly secular, postmodern world. From my experience, what I believe is most unsettling to the traditional Christian establishment is not primarily the theological nuances and questions that emanate from emerging churches, but forms and ecclesiological expressions that are outside the acceptable box. While some would attack the emerging church on theological grounds, my suspicion is the real backlash is primarily cultural. In most respects, the emerging church movement is profoundly biblical…”