Documenting the 'Shadow War' on Mainstream Faith
Bruce Wilson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Mon May 29, 2006 at 12:52:45 PM EST
Talk To Action contributor the Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer has kindly provided me with these scanned examples of literature ( see full story for complete set of full size images ) used in attacks on United Churches of Christ churches by fundamentalist "renewal group" para-church groups associated with the far-right funded Institute on Religion and Democracy Listen to a recent, groundbreaking Talk To Action / State of Belief radio show [ link to archived podcast of show ] on these attacks, hosted by Interfaith Alliance head C. Welton Gaddy. See "State of Belief" show description.

John Dorhauer writes an ongoing series here, on Talk To Action, detailing methods used to attack individual UCC churches and also methods for protecting and innoculating churches against takeover efforts.

Such takeover efforts can be highly traumatic to church congregations, and even among those which succesfully resist such attacks - which often feature covert tactics of innuendo and misinformation - those who have lived through such conflicts can be loath to talk openly about the experience.

That has worked to cast a veil over the subject which has in turn facillitated this ongoing "shadow war" which is detailed in Dorhauer's writing and also in a dedicated section of collected writings here on Talk To Action which - although very far from comprehensive - nonetheless may have no equal, in its range of material and sustained treatment of "The Shadow War"

All mainline Protestant denominations are under such attack ( see: The Shadow War ), and both the Presbyterian and Episcopalian churches face possible schism this summer.

The Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer was also recently featured on a groundbreaking Air America /. State of Belief radio show*, the result of a collaborative effort between Talk To Action and Interfaith Alliance head C. Welton Gaddy's new "State of Belief" show, which featured a discussion between Gaddy and two other prominent leaders in the fight against far-right engineered church takeovers, Dr. Andrew Weaver - also a Methodist Minister, and Dr. Bruce Prescott - also a Baptist minister : the show was very likely unprecedented in that the subject matter had never before been openly discussed in a detailed way in on such a public forum as  radio or television broadcast with wide distribution. Here is an archived podcast of the show

*Produced by Isaac-Davy Aronson

"Welcome To The Matrix" :

In John Dorhauer's latest installment he discusses one document that is central to the attacks on UCC churces. "The Matrix", however, is not merely found in attacks on UCC churches. Analogues of "The matrix" seem to be used in attacks on the  entire range of Protestant denominations under attack : The United Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Congregationalist, and UCC churches and also in attacks on Baptist churches not yet affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Perhaps one of the most often used devices circulated amongst our churches under attack is a document we refer to as "The Matrix."

sample 'matrix'

This particular document purports to be an objective analysis of how the United Church of Christ compares to biblical principles, orthodox theologies, and the historic faith. It is most often presented as the work of a "Research Committee" whose purpose it is to present objective analysis about the merits of staying or leaving the UCC; and it is presented with the assumption that the members of the committee came up with this information on their own.

It is, in fact, a document that - though in each location it goes through some editorial revision to appear "new" and particular to that church - began circulating almost 20 years ago and which gets handed to the activists in a local church by whomever it may be that is coaching the takeover.

Here is a brochure for a group attacking the UCC which goes by the name of "Faithful and Welcoming" : what are these "Faithful and Welcoming Groups ? - John Dorhauer explains

Other Denominations :

For evidence of attacks on other Protestant denominations, here are two recent examples : he