Socialist Theology in the Assemblies of God in Brazil
By Julio
Severo
Socialist
evangelicals in Latin America have become revolted that C. René Padilla, who
was scheduled to deliver the main lecture on Theology of Integral Mission at FAECAD
(Assemblies of God Evangelical School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in March 10,
2017, had his lecture cancelled. His lecture would be sponsored by World Vision
Brazil.
“To express that
I am uncomfortable with the cancellation of the lecture and my uneasiness with
the reasons that justified it. To cancel such lecture by labeling as Marxist a
lecturer as Padilla is to ignore what Marxism is, is to ignore who René Padilla
is and forget the way a theological reflection is done.”
Segura
also said,
“I think that
what happened in Rio de Janeiro is a sign confirming what we are seeing also in
other Latin American nations: a resurgence of past discussions. The return of
old Christian squabbles of the 1970s and 1980s, when TIM appeared. In that
time, those daring to talk about social responsibility in the churches were
labeled communists; those venturing to preach in defense of social justice were
under suspicion of Marxist militancy, and those believing in preferential
option for the poor were excluded for being undesirable liberation theologians.”
In
his Twitter account, Segura showed solidarity to Padilla and also to the gender
ideology, by saying,
“Do you know
what is gender equality? UNESCO explains key concepts for discussing in a very
informed way.”
Actually,
UNESCO does not explain gender equality. UNESCO advocates and promotes it. In
2012, UNESCO
and other UN agencies asked Brazilian president to criminalize “homophobia.”
The
gender ideology is one of the main left-wing banners promoting the
homosexualist agenda. But Segura does not accept the label “Marxist” even when
he carries its banner.
He decries
the defeat of several left-wing governments in Latin America, and he recognizes
that most these governments were promoting the gender ideology. He recognizes
that Socialist President Dilma Rousseff was impeached especially by the
Evangelical Parliamentary Caucus, among several reasons, over the gender
ideology.
He
sees these defeats as throwbacks to the Theology of Integral Mission (TIM).
While he tries to defend TIM as a non-political theology, he cannot help lamenting
over the political defeats of the Left in Latin America.
About
50 years ago, C.
Peter Wagner warned in Latin American evangelical congresses that
TIM was Marxist. In 1969, when participating in CLADE (Latin-American Congress
of Evangelization), Wagner distributed his book that affirmed that the mission
of the church is to prioritize personal salvation and warned of the dangers of leftist
theology. He gave his book because evangelical leaders were beginning to praise
TIM.
In
the 1st Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in 1974, while Padilla was leading
efforts to promote TIM, Wagner was leading conservative efforts against TIM.
Nevertheless
all resistance decades ago, TIM grew internationally. Today, thanks
to John Stott and his incredible work of make-up and enabling, TIM dominates
Lausanne as an elegant social theology. Wagner’s resistance has been
forgotten and TIM Latin American theologians have prevailed.
In
2014, Lausanne paid Wagner’s resistance back in the same coin, by holding in Brazil
a meeting of Lausanne leaders against Wagner and his apostolic
movement. The meeting was led by TIM leaders, especially Rev. Valdir
Steuernagel.
In my
2013 e-book “Theology of Liberation vs. Theology of Prosperity,” there is a
special endorsement by C. Peter Wagner, where he said,
“It is very
important to be aware of the inroads that Marxist ideology has made into some
branches of Christianity. In Latin America the nice-sounding concept of misión
integral (integral mission) has turned out to be a thinly-disguised platform
for leftist politics. Julio Severo understands this and he skillfully exposes
these potentially harmful ideas in his book, Theology of Liberation vs.
Theology of Prosperity. In it he helps bring forth the reality that even deeper
and more permanent social change from poverty to prosperity can be effectively
produced by proclaiming and practicing the biblical doctrine of the kingdom,
opening the door for the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. This is a book
that I highly recommend!”
For
information on how to get the e-book “Theology of Liberation vs. Theology of
Prosperity,” click ON
THIS LINK.
Wagner’s
warnings 50 years ago and today are very important. If TIM has nothing to do
with Marxism, why do its adherents defend the gender ideology and the left-wing
governments in Latin America that promote this ideology and several other
anti-family ideologies?
Padilla’s lecture on Theology of Integral Mission at FAECAD was publicized within its institution in a very subtle and discreet way.
By
the explosive reaction of TIM adherents, I suppose the lecture was cancelled.
Marcos
Habib, a Brazilian who introduces himself in his Facebook as a “follower of
Jesus Christ” and “communist militant,” said,
“There is again
the litany of conservative ministers against the lecture at FAECAD (Assemblies
of God Evangelical School) with René Padilla. Shi***ng boring people. They do
not know the Theology of Integral Mission, but they criticize it as if they did
it. What these people really want is to control church-goers. When there are
church-goers engaged, there is a church fighting for the emancipation of the
oppressed and the poor. Who is Julio Severo??? A talker, spoilt and a sh**.”
“Gang, I ask
your assistance to remove a post of religious intolerance and deceptive information
here in Facebook. Please, read this post and report!”
Religious
intolerance because of a Christian view disagreeing with socialism and TIM?
Yet,
my warning probably came too late. In his article of solidarity to Padilla, Harold
Segura assured that in February 2016 he delivered the main lecture at FAECAD. He
spoke about the Theology of Integral Mission and ecumenism.
I had
thought that Padilla would be introducing TIM for the first time in the
Assemblies of God. Segura has already
done it. Padilla would only reinforce the initial introduction. TIM is
already present in the Assemblies of God in Brazil through their most important
theological institution.
Segura
informed his readers that he is travelling to São Paulo, Brazil, to speak at
the congress Integral Mission: Ways and Perspectives in the 21st Century. The
congress is happening this week.
According
to Segura, this major TIM congress will be sponsored by World Vision Brazil,
and will have several speakers who are TIM advocates, including René Padilla, Ariovaldo
Ramos, Ed René Kivitz, Valdir Steuernagel (whom he called a friend and former
director), Christian Gillis, Carlos Pinheiro Queiroz, Ziel Machado and Regina
Sánchez.
Ariovaldo
Ramos, one of the main TIM advocates in Brazil, is famous for having defended
socialists Hugo Chavez and Dilma Rousseff. Why then try to say that TIM has
nothing to do with socialism and politics?
TIM
adherents praise Marxists and advocate Marxist politics, including the gender
ideology, but do they refuse the label “Marxist” for their theology?
Valdir
Steuernagel is a powerful leader in the Evangelical Church of Lutheran
Confession in Brazil (ECLCB).
ECLCB
has international liberal leaders. Rev. Walter Altmann, a former ECLCB president,
is the moderator of the World Council of Churches and he is an international
theologian renowned
for defending Liberation Theology (LT).
Steuernagel
is known in Brazil as a TIM activist and internationally known for
his leadership roles in the Lausanne Movement and in the World Evangelical
Alliance.
From
this pro-LT and pro-TIM liberal environment, what can result? A
homosexualist theologian called Andre Musskopf.
With
Altmann, ECLCB is in the Liberation Theology forefront.
With
Steuernagel, ECLCB is in the Theology of Integral Mission forefront.
With
Musskopf, ECLCB
is in the Gay Theology forefront.
Of course,
Steuernagel is not more prominent in TIM advocacy than Calvinist Ariovaldo
Ramos and Caio Fábio.
TIM has no problem to walk hand in
hand with Liberation Theology and Gay Theology.
Yet, if
you cannot call TIM and its adherents socialist and liberal, so it follows that
you cannot call ECLCB and its leaders liberal and socialist.
If Segura,
Padilla and other liberal evangelicals want to defend the gender ideology at ECLCB
and other liberal denominations, they will be warmly welcome there.
Yet,
why do they insist in conquering the Assemblies of God, the largest evangelical
denomination in Brazil?
Portuguese
version of this article: Teologia socialista
na Assembleia de Deus no Brasil
Source: Last Days Watchman
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