I hope and pray that this letter will encourage you to think before starting or joining an
Alpha course and continuing down this road and stop identifying with the insidious slide into
ecumenism and multi-faith worship rampant in so many churches in these end time days,
inevitably leading into a one world New Age church and all that entails.

Many Bible based evangelical Christians are extremely concerned by (a) the dangerous drift of
countless churches from biblical and Protestant truth into ecumenical confusion, and (b) the
emphasis in worship today away from the Lord Jesus Christ, who should be the centre of our
praise, to the person of the Holy Spirit, with such unbiblical practices as praying and
singing to Him and inviting some "spirit" into services, etc. One of the main reasons for this
shift to error is the ecumenically based Alpha course which appears to encompass with ease any
and all doctrines, for the sake of false unity.

Alpha accepts and promotes the Roman Catholic church as just another "christian" denomination. This alone should warn evangelical Bible believing Christians to shun it. (2 Cor. 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?) The actual source from which Alpha is spawned gives even more cause for alarm. In Britain the Anglican Church's Holy Trinity Brompton is the centre of the so called "Toronto Blessing - the laughing revival," Imparting of the Holy Spirit, Word of Faith, Replacement theology, "Name it and Claim it," Kingdom Now, Pensacola, being "slain in the spirit" and almost every other new fad which comes across the Atlantic.

They support Wimber's false theology, the "Kansas City Prophets," and support Benny
Hinn whose heretical doctrine purports that Jesus died spiritually on the cross and had to be
born again in hell, etc. etc. Nicky Gumbel the author of Alpha, does not appear to believe in
the Rapture, and invites the Holy Spirit [or as I think a demon spirit ] into his services! Do
you really wish to be aligned or even vaguely associated with such unholy practices and
doctrines? (1 Thes 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.)

How apposite are the words of Bishop J. C. Ryle, that godly Anglican saint, "Unity in the abstract is no doubt an excellent thing: but unity without truth is useless Peace and uniformity are beautiful and valuable: but peace without the gospel - peace based on common Episcopacy, and not on a common faith - is a worthless peace, not deserving of the name.

When Rome has repealed the decrees of Trent and her additions to the Creed - when Rome
has recanted her false and unscriptural doctrines - when Rome has formally renounced her idol
worship, Mary worship and transubstantiation - then , and not till then, it will be time to talk of reunion with her. Till then there is a gulf between us which cannot honestly be bridged. Till then I call on all Christians to resist to the death this idea of reunion with Rome.Till then let our watchwords be "No peace with Rome! No communion with idolaters!"

Well says the admirable Bishop Jewell, in his Apology, "We do not decline concord and peace with men; but we will not continue in a state of war with God that we might have peace with men! If the Pope does indeed desire we should be reconciled to him, he ought first to reconcile
himself to God". This witness is true! Well would it be for the Church of England if all her
bishops had been like Jewell."

C. H. Spurgeon, speaking on the same theme commented, "Remember that a church is unchurched which is not faithful to the truth. The church of Rome when she forbade to marry, and commanded to abstain from meats, set up also masses in the place of the sacrifice of Christ, and her priests in the place of the one Great High Priest.

Then she taught and encouraged idolatry in the worship of images, relics and the like; and by
all this she unchurched herself, and is now described in Scripture, not as the bride of
Christ, but as the harlot of Babylon. She is not the pillar of the truth, but the grave of it.
She was moved by error; she fell from her uprightness; she lies prone in utter ruin, never to
be restored. Alas, any church may thus perish. The apostasy of Rome should be a warning to all
other churches, lest they also by little and little become defiled, and cease to answer to the
divine design, and are cast away forever."

Despite what liberal or even some evangelical Protestants may like to think, the Church of
Rome has never withdrawn any of its dogmas, bulls or beliefs, staying true to its motto
"Semper Eadem" - "Always the Same". As Pope John said at the opening of Vatican ll "The
deposit of faith is one thing, the way it is presented is another. For the truths preserved in
our sacred doctrine can retain the same substance and meaning under different forms of
expression".

This is exactly the point!! And yet those who promote Alpha say we're all the same. Well did Paul admonish the Galations " I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

Do you not find it strange that what I presume is still one of the major doctrines, Believer's
Baptism, [the first step a believer should be taught to consider after conversion] is ignored
by Alpha? We are told to make disciples not converts. Yet Alpha is also content to allow
people to stay, and indeed encourages membership of the apostate Roman Catholic church. As I
say above, it promotes prayer to the Holy Spirit, something not found in Scripture unless in
the context of prayer to the Trinity. But all this should not be surprising considering the
"spring" from whence it comes.(James 3: 11 Does a fountain send forth at the same hole the
sweet and the bitter? Rom 11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if
the root be holy, so are the branches.)

Before a Bible based evangelical non-ecumenical church introduces a course of teaching to its
members, it should examine all the doctrines contained therein in the light of Scripture. To
say [as some do] "but we have adapted it to suit ourselves" is a poor excuse to those outside
who quite rightly will lump such a church in with all of the Roman Catholic, liberal and other
weird churches doing the same course with all of the wrongs contained therein. The man in the
pew will see no difference. When your church's name appears in Alpha News, as no doubt it
will, it will loom alongside the churches in error doctrinally, some with their homosexual
bishops and paedophile priests, with whom I prayerfully presume you have little or no
doctrinal affinity but all will be grouped together in the public mind.

For instance our local ecumenical Church of England has had the Roman Catholic priest sharing the pulpit and advertises Roman Catholic masses, etc. in the Parish Magazine; they are planning a trip for young and old to a Roman Catholic abbey, along with their choir to participate in Evensong; have had a convicted, self-confessed, homosexual, bishop to preach; sells blasphemous Benny Hinn books; a leading choir member holds Hindu Yoga classes in her house; the leader of the Alpha course is into "Name it and Claim it"; its vicar and his wife took part in the town's annual Flora Dance which has pagan fertility undertones (in Roman mythology Flora is the goddess of flowers and spring); and of course have Alpha fever - so you will be in good
company!

Let me quote from an article in the March edition of the Evangelical Times: "Alpha Courses and Catholicism" under the sub-head 'Where the Alpha course is leading" it states: "Youth Alpha manual.....is much the same as its adult predecessor - 'Go with the flow! open your mouth and begin to speak': 'Try on your own in your bedroom' [Youth p.36] these manuals promote decisionism and low views of human depravity. They contain minimal teaching on
God and His sovereignty, on Christ, the Cross, justification, regeneration, faith and
repentance.

There is a disproportionate emphasis on Satan, and seriously flawed teaching on guidance." The article goes on to say that "A gracious and Sovereign God........will save some who join this movement....nevertheless, thousands will be misled by its manifest distortions of the gospel." Describing what it calls "Alpha fever" it says "This fever will inch its adherents inexorably closer to the Roman Catholic church. Rome has welcomed the courses, and waits with consummate patience to embrace those who wander from the path of Scripture......

The true church should pray for those caught in the delusions of false Christianity, not least for
those ensnared by Alpha courses." Again under "Alpha and the churches; .... All are welcome to
buy Alpha sweatshirts, posters, cookbooks, videotapes [positively these], C.Ds and car
stickers. The potential profits are as large as the theological base is narrow."

If you wish to follow Anglican based teaching why choose a church with such a heretical
background? Might I suggest you contact Philip Foster, an Anglican minister in St. Matthews,
Cambridge who practices Believer's baptism. Philip Foster, with support from very few
colleagues, has stood out against the evils of Toronto, Alpha, Promise Keepers, etc., He has
some excellent books on these topics which you may find of interest especially, "Alpha: New
Life or New Lifestyle, " All Roads Lead to Rome," "The Signs and Wonders Movement Exposed," "Weighed and Found Wanting," Another book, "Christianity in Crisis" by Hank Hanegraaff is worth reading, it exposes the heresies of the so called "Faith Teachers" such as Benny Hinn.

Before going down the road of Ecumenism examine carefully the doctrines with which you will be
allied. What God do Roman Catholics worship? The Muslim Koran clearly states that Allah has no son and cursed is any one who believes such things ( Surat At-Tauba, 9 Ayat 30.) However the Roman Catholic Catechism states, referring to the Muslims, "......these profess to hold the
faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on
the last day" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Clause 841).

Scripture clearly says "All the gods of the nations are idols"- but the gnostic pope says otherwise. In addition the Roman Catholic Catechism has an amazing statement "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God. The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods" (Ditto, Clause 460. )..

The Word of Faith preachers such as Copeland and the Mormon church have similar beliefs - it is all leading to a one world church. Be warned and examine thoroughly "The Glories of Mary"
"Catechism of the Catholic Church" the "Syllabus for the People" and such like books and
edicts before proceeding. Do you really believe that Christ wants the church's victories now
and in the future to be through Mary? The Pope says that this is the way it will be. (Crossing
the Threshold of Hope, John Paul 11.) .

Each one of us is answerable to God, not to man. Let us therefore, be very sure that our
doctrine never leads a weaker brother into error. However, in addition we should ensure that
the company we keep and those with whom we are aligned in the public view, do not also cause a snare and stumbling block. Mt. 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which
believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he
were drowned in the depth of the sea." [ http://come.to/wecareministries ]