The CC we attended was full of jokes and was also full of Bible teaching. It was also guilty of glossing over hard verses, especially 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which rather flies in the face of a pre-trib doctrine, one which CCs hold to dearly. Our pastor said of this passage that “people think it speaks against pre-trib rapture, but that is a mis-read”. That’s all he said about it. Never went into WHY he’s so sure it’s a mis-read or WHY he’s so sure it supports his pre-trib side.

We are not anti-Calvary, but they, and by they I mean some of the big name pastors, are sliding away from solid Biblical teaching into heresies of a grand scale — including Chuck, who even said abortion was right for one woman in a radio call in show.

Would we go back if the Lord called us there? Of course. MANY churches are falling away and many have some doctrinal issues. They’re all taught by men, so of course there will be errors in teaching. In fact, our CC pastor always told us to check out what he taught if we thought it was wrong. Doesn’t mean he’d recant if we showed it to him, however, for whatever that’s worth.

As someone who was in a leadership position at a very large Calvary Chapel for years, I must say I agree with this statement. This is what you get when you make electricians and plumbers pastors. They have not attended seminary, and in most cases have not even earned an undergraduate degree. Not surprisingly, there is a serious lack in the abilities of the pastors to think critically and present the gospel in an organized manner. Attendees are left with personal stories and useful anecdotes from relatively-charismatic-yet-alarmingly-simpleminded guys.

I’ve been a Christian for 37 years and have walked consistently with Christ since conversion – and I know my Bible. Calvary Chapel is NOT a cult – but it is cult-like in leadership and practice. And you can blame it all on Calvary Chapel Distinctives and the Moses Model which fosters a belief that church leaders are above “ordinary Christians” and do no sin like the rest of us.

I disagree that doctrinally that is what is taught after all my years with CCs. I was always taught by CC pastors that Lordship is just as much required as Jesus being Savior.

However I have seen in more recent years an entertainment driven church bent on materialism and luxury worship and lacking in personal ministry to the poor, the hungry, and evangelism. I am not saying that is what is taught or that the churches don’t minister in such ways as a body. But I see, where once a CC would have folks going out to the streets now many are giving money to the local mission instead. So the money is given and used but the people are not actually persuing doing these things because instead they’re going bowling, to the movies, and on vacation, oh and to Israel, while the rest of the world is going down to the pit.

I know, maybe I sound like a pharisee or legalistic but I see a marked change in the church of today compared to 20, 30 years ago. I don’t know that the problem is the leadership or CC distinctives. I think people just think Christ is their warm fuzzy psycholigist that gives them anti depressants rather than being Lord.

But I try to avoid the subject around other believers lest I be stoned.

I was with Calvary Chapels on and off (mostly on) for almost 30 years and finally gave up on them recently.

Someone here was saying the CCs never teach the Ten Commandments. My husband was teaching a CC Cub Scout troop a Bible study and the boys were mandated to memorize the Ten Commandments by our pastor of CC.

My first and former pastor was a dispensationalist and graduated from Bible College and Seminary, but I see people here saying pastors with CC are not properly trained and are not dispensationalists. I think it varies from congregation to congregation and pastor to pastor.

I agree that some CC pastors, including one I hear on the radio all the time, teach a mistaken version of the ability to lose ones salvation from the book of Hebrews when the Bible clearly teaches otherwise if one looks at the historical context of why the book of Hebrews was written. I find it very concerning. And when one reads into John’s epistles the concept that one who sins is apparently suddenly not saved. This kind of overlooks the original language of the text wherein it is clearly meant that we cannot lose our salvation because we are viewed in Christ especially in light of Romans wherein Paul clearly admitted he did things he ought not do. But once again, not all CC pastors are making these doctrinal mistakes though some were and are in CC and in other churches. And truthfully I would not have realized the mistakes if I had not gone to a conservative Bible College myself(not a CC Bible College) and studied the word more thoroughly on my own.

It has been implied CC never welcome Calvinists. CCs do welcome Calvinists until they start talking about Calvinism. The minute that happens they are rebuked and made unwelcome. I saw it firsthand and was very saddened because whether we agree on these issues or not I don’t think our salvation is based on anything or anyone but Jesus Christ. Yes the subject is crucial to proper doctrine and many would change fellowships over such a doctrinal difference. But I don’t think one could lose ones salvation over a difference in this point of doctrine. But that is my opinion and I am not a pastor.

I suggest if someone wants to fellowship with CC they ought to read Chuck Smith’s book on the CC distinctives so they can better decide whether that is what they want to believe and be taught through the lense of.

Just remember when you do that Chuck Smith counseled a woman to have an abortion on his radio program and has never repented and I have not seen anything about him being rebuked by leadership. That was one of the reasons our family finally gave up on CCs forever.