@BereanHoliness

11 months ago

First, we believe there is value in having public discussions about important, and inevitably controversial, issues in the Church today. Thus, we take no issue with being “called out” last night. We are grateful when ministers cite us as the source they’re referring to (rather than preaching against us ambiguously then shaming us for assuming we were the organization referenced).

Second, we need no sympathy. Instead, we only ask that you consider the way we are portrayed in this clip as an example of how former hyper fundamentalists are treated by their prior church group. Note how we are villianized, assumed to be lost, and assigned the worst intentions possible. All this for defending the position, and all the believers who hold it, that says Holiness standards are not biblically based/required, and there should be liberty to differ.

This sermon paints Berean Holiness as the attackers of Holiness Christians. However, if you follow our content, you’ll see that our message is not that Holiness believers are wrong to follow their personal convictions, but rather that they shouldn’t enforce their personal convictions (extra-biblical requirements) upon other believers. No one should be shunned, divided from, or their salvation denied only because they don’t attend a Holiness church and/or follow modern, Holiness rules (which forbid everything from nail polish to wedding rings to men’s shorts).

The root issue is not that Berean Holiness is attacking Holiness movements, but rather that many Holiness churches/ministers are attacking the rest of the Body of Christ. Sadly, it is their own differing members who receive the brunt of these attacks—fear tactics, defamation, shunning, and worse.

We have a front-row seat to the harm this “Holiness attacking Holiness” has done, given the thousands of messages we receive from Holiness and formerly Holiness believers who reach out to us (along with many, many others who’ve had similar experiences in other hyper fundamentalist fellowships). Our hearts break for those who lose their whole worlds—their community, churches, friendships, support systems, ministry opportunities—simply for saying, “I can’t find that teaching in Scripture.”

We do our best to stand up for, encourage, and support the believers who hyper fundamentalist movements have written off as less than and lost. And for that, we are portrayed as “ravening wolves” set out to deceive and devour sheep.

Across the spectrum of movements that enforce extra-biblical requirements, this is the norm for how believers are treated who differ, even if their differences root from a deep conviction regarding what Scripture has and has not said.

We hope you will join us in pushing for change and having compassion for all who are affected. You’ll find some of their stories at bereanholiness.com/testimonials

To hear these clips in context, listen to the full sermon on the @bibleholiness YouTube livestream, dated December 1, 2023.

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