GRAHAM'S FRUIT

Leighton Ford's New Ministry akin to New Age Mysticism

LEIGHTON FORD'S NEW MINISTRY-Leighton Ford, Billy Graham's brother-in-law, served 31 years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and is Honorary Life Chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. But the 10/2 Christianity Today says his new ministry is "spiritual direction," mentoring, etc., which seems dangerously akin to New Age mysticism. In 1993, he heard Princeton Seminary's Diogenes Allen speak about the Benedictine discipline of lectio divina, a very ancient Catholic art which involves "a slow contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible to become a means of union with God." Ford is now said to be "simply walking in people's souls" and finding out what God is doing there. He was the May 1997 Commencement speaker for Dallas Seminary, and has endorsed Alpha. He recently said individuals "should preach the gospel," but they shouldn't "be so negative as to refuse to endorse or work with those who belong to a group that proclaims a different gospel." (9/1/98 CC). [ THE CALVARY CONTENDER VOL. XVII NO. 20 Oct. 15, 2000 http://cnview.com/>http://cnview.com]

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