C3 DOESN’T HAVE THEOLOGICAL/BIBLE COLLEGES

Solid theological churches with theologically trained ministers don’t generally need to have Bible Colleges with their churches. Qualified teachers should be able to educate the congregation to the best of their knowledge. Often a member can question ministers and ministers will be open for correction or will happily provide members with material to spiritually grow in. As a result, the congregation grows in the Wisdom of God.

Because C3 members generally can’t discuss in depth what is being taught on Sundays, the structures provide it’s members to discuss their teachings in their C3 bible study groups (aka Connect Groups).

Unfortunately, the content isn’t deep. C3 therefore encourages it’s members to go to their colleges to learn, if you have a passion to learn about God. However, it is important to establish that the C3 Colleges are NOT bible colleges or theological colleges. C3’s 1985 Ministry Training College Prospectus says on pg 2,

“We are not a “theological college” though we teach theology, nor even a “bible college” per se, but a ministry training college where students learn biblically how to be effective in the work force of Jesus.

You will learn how to pray, how to move in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, how to preach the word of God, how to set your faith loose, how to study the Bible and numerous other essential skills.”

View the pdf we have made here on the 1985 C3 MTC Prospectus:

Christian City Church Ministry Training College PROSPECTUS 1985

More articles will be written on this topic later.

THE EIGHTH DIMENSION

The above statement by C3 has proven to be true. Mark Kelsey is proof of this.

In the first term of 2007, I had to take a class called ‘Life In Ministry’.  School of Creative Art (SCA) students had to take this class with School of Ministry (SOM) students. Mark Kelsey, the Executive Pastor, was our lecturer. He demonstrated effectively that both Christian City Church Colleges were not theologically or biblically based colleges.

I disagreed with the course content since Mark Kelsey continually taught from this diagram for the majority of the lessons we had with him:

Where is this in the bible? The only thing I found biblical about this diagram was that in the world we need to get a revelation to get into the Kingdom of God.

While loosely applying very few verses in the bible, Mark Kelsey made this up. Each segment was called a ‘dimension’. The way you access the next ‘dimension’ was by crossing the ‘bridge’ to the next dimension, usually through works. It’s important to note that the way you progress up the pyramid to the visionary status of the head C3 Pastor Phil Pringle, is through works of commitment, submission, discipline, responsibility and authority.

Mark Kelsey also drew a snake under the diagram at one point to teach that offense can make us fall back a dimension or take us back to the beginning again. It looked as though he was teaching an Amway scheme of ‘Snakes and Ladders’.

I didn’t want to do the assessment that was in relation to this and tried to protest my way out of doing something so stupid. Some students actually discussed the peculiarity of this subject, discussing the theology and practicality of it. They were confused. Some SCA students inquired how this was biblical in class, (not the SOM students). Unfortunately, none of us found that we could approach C3 College staff to address this peculiar teaching. Since the majority of the students were under 25, none felt they could actually object the class content and the assessment we had to complete in relation to the diagram

I found the entire approach Mark Kelsey was teaching about ministry was unbiblical, religious and pointless. As a result, I purposely went out of my way to mock the assessment. I was shocked to receive an ‘A’ for my efforts.

C3 College Class Assessment

I purposely went out of my way to be proud and not humble. I exalted myself of being prophetic, counselor-like, leadership material.

To get an ‘A’ for an assessment I treated as a joke reveals Mark Kelsey’s lack of competency and understanding as a minister, pastor or teacher of God’s Word and His Church. A thorough examination and training in the letters to Timothy of the bible would have been much more beneficial to students. Instead – Mark Kelsey made up his own theology and had us submit to his teachings.

THE EIGHT CORRECTIONS

The issues with the Amway-like diagram results in people and God favouring those who are in the upper class dimensions. Scriptures teach us that we are all on the same level playing field. While God does delegate certain people for certain roles, gifts and offices, God uses all of us and has no favourites (As C3 members say, ‘God is no respecter of persons’). All Christians:

1. … still sin. (1 John 1:8)

2. … are part of Christs church, therefore included as part of the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 16:19 – Read Gills Commentary on this.) (Mark Kelsey taught we are not of the church until we chose to commit ourselves to the church).

3. … are to be humble servants like Christ and be “with humility of mind” regarding others “as more important than” ourselves (Philippians 2:3-8).

4. … are to submit to one another. (Ephesians 5:21)

5. … are to minister to God’s people and those in the world. (2 Corinthians 5:18, Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 4:29, Romans 12:10)

6. … are called to be responsible. (1 Corinthians 7, Hebrews 4:13, Colossians 3:23, )

7. … are committed to the cause and vision of Christ. (Colossians 2:8, 2 Corinthians 5:18, Hebrews 3:12, 1John 5:20, 1 John 1:2, 1 John 5:5, 1 John 5:13, 2Peter 3:9, Romans 16:27)

8. … are under the authority and pledge loyal integrity to Christ. (Ephesians 5:24, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:21, 1Peter 1:7-9, 1Peter 3:14-17, Romans 16:27, Jude 1:25, Colossians 3:13, 1 John 3:16)

Hebrews 4 addresses that all people in the church are to grow together in fulness, maturity and unity in Christ. The gifts of God are there to help bring the church to the standard of Christ.

It is disturbing that Mark Kelsey calls students up on their loyalty to gain positions and titles within a church-like structure. Cults will often call people to pledge their loyalty to their leaders and movements. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and moral uprightness. Integrity is greater then loyalty.

Mark Kelsey seems to disagree with the scriptures by forcing students to submit to his made up diagrams that supposedly look biblical. Then again. He is fulfilling the C3 College mandate that they are neither a “theological college” or “bible college”. We will see another sample of C3 College inventing their own theology in another article similar to this.