I'm not associated with the Chinese Community Church of New York. Never have. I've watched this carefully since the beginning. They gave me membership themselves, I did not ask for it, nor do I see a need to fight for its revocation. I wouldn't call it a cult, I have mentioned of its pros. The key reason for my non-association with this church is:
It is not a Gospel-centered church. It has no vision. It values people to people relationship more than the relationship with God. It is leaning towards liberalism, or to use Jahja Ling's terminology but not intended by him: A "Social Gospel church". However, I wouldn't quite call it a social gospel church, because Redeemer is doing far more social related works and I consider it not a social gospel but a Gospel centered church. Spent a few days memorizing Redeemer's vision:
As a church of Jesus Christ, Redeemer exists to help build a great city for all people through a gospel movement that brings personal conversion, community formation, social justice, and cultural renewal to New York City and, through it, to the world.
I would try to help them, because if Ravi Zacharias dared to preach for the Mormon Tabernacle people, helping this shipwreck [CCCNY] should be a merciful act rather than heresy, but association is just too much to ask for, I will not be part of the shipwreck.
The only reason I agreed to teach especially the Children Sunday School, was because of Dr. Tong. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude. Not that he has any association with this church ecclesiastically. Other than that, after careful examination, I have no reason.
However, those who call themselves "Christians", CCCNY, their fellowships, their events, their programs, they have become my mission field. Not like a pastor, but as a preacher. Preaching the Gospel to a church. Weird, awkward, but necessary. The leaders have made that possible in 40 years of hypocrisy.
May God have mercy on me, grant me wisdom.
Pseudo-Anecdote:
Alex was back then like James. Someone prayed and took much care for Alex and he changed to be the better today. A group saw this, counted Alex as one of them and promote him.
Good.
This same group saw James. Because he is young like Alex back then and still in his troubled ways, this group took precaution to keep James a distance. There's no prayer, there's no care.
Conclusion, so this group only welcome "nice people", not the unreached, not the sinners. How can it be Gospel proclaiming? Not to mention Gospel center. This group takes only those whom others have labor with care and love. This group does not provide such labor for the sake of the Gospel. This group gives what is unnecessary at most times, vanity is the praise of men. Stealing fishes from others' aquarium, that is the bottom line.
The reason I have no association with the church is the same reason, I believe, that Rev. Tong took Michael Liu away from New York City.
On the case of being not Gospel centered or even non-evangelical, I must add that the leaders at the church use support for others' Gospel works to cover their own abandonment of such works.
CCCNY's work on the gospel rally 佈道會 is more of a gathering of old friends. This is a natural result of a non-gospel centered church. I hope it will change in the near future.
Thus, if asked to participate in a CCCNY-only event I can easily reply: 我對老友聚會沒興趣。至於講座會，網路上到處都是。
For the record, I would comment that Elder Lyna's theology is what I would call the Chameleon Theology (变来变去神学立场); while Rev. Lin's theology is what I call the Waiting Theology (等待神学) or Superficial theology (现象神学).
Chameleon theology: Changing one's theological stand based on the party one's in. With the charismatics, one becomes the charismatics, with the reformed, one becomes reformed, etc. Thus, ultimately, this theology is bound for failure - it favors reputable connections over anything else. With enough time of comparing notes, we find this theology exposes that which it had intended to hide in the first place.
Waiting theology: Those who hold on to this stand does not want to do anything new, as long as everything is stable and peaceful. They wait for others to make the important move/breakthrough and then they jump in to support them. The problem with this highly passive theology is that - it is passive. And if this is the stand held by a leader, then the future of the church is doomed. Many Chinese churches in U.S.A. have such leaders. It is unfortunate I have to find one that has (or had) connection with Dr. Stephen Tong's Reformed-Evangelical movement, which is completely opposite to such theology. These migrants have only one important thing in their mind: As long as members of the church have a job, a family and hopefully, but just hopefully, a moral code of lifestyle, we Chinese immigrant pastors have done enough and can rest in peace in this new land which we've supposedly struggled so hard to come. Anything more just means that God's calling us to go back to our home country where we have more supporters. Therefore, those who truly desire to serve God, to glorify and honor God's name, will eventually realize that this theology not only hinders their work for God, but also discredits God, because the true motive of "Waiting" here is this: I am ashamed of the cross, so unless the case is proven to be loved by the majority, I am not lifting a finger.
Based on choice of rentals, amount of compensations, I think this church has money too much to keep. My mentor once said: A church that spends money because they have too much to spare, is a church nearing its doom.
I'll try to keep all my comments of CCCNY in one single, latest thread. Which preferably is here. I may not criticize them directly, but when I refer to things like "unhealthy church", "dead church", etc., they are most likely referring to CCCNY. I shall also try to refrain from assigning negativity to the word church, with God's mercy.
Back then, it was CCGCLI/CCF (Stony Brook), which I have strongly criticized when they value social relationship above that with God. Which is now why they have disassembled into something else (the young adults do not congregate with the older ones, many of them adopt Charismatics/Childish theology). The value of membership became as good as only for voting purposes. And now everything is crystal clear of my criticism. Those who objected, try their best to avoid me, as if that would make their shame go away.
As a more mature church, CCCNY is a sturdier one. Therefore, the problem involves in this community will take a much higher number for its days, should they or their pastor not repent from their current path. Like CCGCLI, the leadership (mainly Rev. Lin & Elder Lim) favors social relationships above a fellowship (that is, the communications of believers that put God in the center). Theology-wise, Rev. Lin had Westminster training, and I have shown it to be mere academic for her. She couldn't or didn't wish to put reformed theology in practical use. Unless it is for debating or criticizing trivial issues to make herself look good and others look bad (Even that she was not too successful: For example, she once tried to criticize John Calvin being a weak lecturer on the Holy Spirit, but it turns out she was wrong and apparently just wanted to belittle my sharing using John Calvin during a Bible Study, which wasn't even related to the Holy Spirit). However, unlike Newtown Reformed Church in Elmhurst, which is charismatic oriented like many U.S. Chinese churches, Rev. Lin's current direction is that of the liberal orientation. That is why some elder (the one who claims he's the founder of CCCNY) could dare to claim that everyone in the world could go to heaven. Dare, but not bold enough, for he immediately find an excuse to disappear when I confronted his universalism.
Because of Rev. Lin's despise in the general methodology of street preaching, the practical preaching of the Gospel is lacking. Hence, one does not see the Gospel actively preached in any form from this community, disregarding street form. And I stand by my point when people see the support of this community for some named guest speakers. In time, one could see that the invitation of these guest speakers is motivated by less of the contents of their speeches, more of showing the connections they have with these speakers - or more precisely, more of showing the "agreement"/support of the theological/Gospel essence these guest speakers represent. Notice, I said only agreement and support. Nothing more. Because as a dead church (without the Gospel-centered beating heart), this church cannot derive what they have heard (not learned) from these speakers into practical use. Should there be a devotee of God in the midst, he/she shall find it highly obstructive fellowshipping amongst the dead.
Of course, the excuses Rev. Lin could provide are not unheard of: How do you know we don't preach the Gospel (where in the Bible mentions one has to preach on the street), this is a tough neighborhood, nobody wants to help, wrong theology does not matter but as long as the pastor deals rightly (theological?) with the congregant in private, white lies are ok when in practice but not ok as a theological theory, etc.
Excuses, nonetheless.
So, why I left and considered myself not associated with CCCNY? Ever (I really didn't apply for membership or anything pertaining to such, I was awarded the membership)?
The answer is simple: Serious practical theological problem (which one could relate to serious theological problem in general): As I have said before: No Vision, Not Gospel-centered.
Do I need to persuade others to leave this church?
No.
Why not?
Though not Gospel centered, the Gospel they "support" is still good and therefore Philippians 1:16-18 applies here.
Why would I leave and not advice others to leave?
Oh this is a long one. But skip to the last paragraph for brief conclusion.
Firstly, I was never associated with them, hence my leave is not really leaving. There are many others who truly participated in membership of this church.
Secondly, I must certainly distinguish myself from their kind of "fellowship" (the living do not fellowship with the dead) for they (Rev. Lin) attempted to make me even the future pastor of her church after her. I have already detected this kind of manipulation since the beginning -
trying to introduce me to Dr. Tong's youngest daughter (I've complied out of respect while foreknowing the outcome),
to Dr. Tong himself (never worked, I've rejected all her attempts - which may be the reason when I was going to meet Dr. Tong myself she seemed angry enough to threaten me that she would not support anything Dr. Tong/Michael Liu and I plan, like me listening to Dr. Tong's workshop will result in that kind of thing),
to Dr. Stephen Chan (didn't work because I didn't talk much via her introduction until I have some serious questions to ask Dr. Chan myself),
to Dr. Tong's wife (I didn't talk much until opportune time if any which does not involve the "Uzzah's" hand),
to Dr. Jahja Ling (as did Elder Lyna. But until this day, I have not done any conversation with him - I see no reason why. No reason that's a God-centered one.),
making me lead various Bible Study groups (I have shown grace to a couple of groups, rejected a few others, and sometimes it seems that I need not even reject because God already caused confusion among them: Rev. Lin once asked me to lead a group temporarily - Elder Lyna and YuJie (his group) agreed in a meeting with Rev. Lin and I, but somehow YuJie never wanted me to take over until the agreed period is up. I then remember Elder Lyna once said of her disagreement with letting Michael Liu lead anything because he wasn't participating in those groups or being a long time church member in the first place. That might be the reason, or it could be some contention between YuJie and Rev. Lin - after all, it was YuJie's group. Rev. Lin's excuse to me was to help him out while Elder Lyna was away for a month or two. Bottom line, I promised out of respect, but thanks be to God, I did not have to fall for such trap),
making me lead the whole youth/children ministry (I refused because I follow the principle of "clean up your own mess" in this case),
tricking me with trying to follow the podcasts (including Christian ones) I listen to, preacher I've mentioned (Paul Washer - which is not someone I emphasize that much that she had to buy his books, thus she even missed the point of Paul Washer), none of which appear to be followed-up by her after I left,
vainly flattering me (on multiple occasions, Rev. Lin's not the only one in this case. Many of which are even false, for example: there was a time I didn't prepare but was able to finish a Q&A Bible session, Rev. Lin lied to the audience that I spent long hours preparing it. As for some 60 yr+ church member's (Ruth) praising me, this one is a funny one: I don't know what I did, she praised me during lunch time saying that I am smart and 乖, I ignored her, the next week, she said to me: Don't be too proud of yourself - again I have no clue what I did - because you are not a pastor, only pastor is more right than you - something like that, I found this rather amusing but had to repent before God for looking down on such simpleton),
etc.
Hence, I think I am justified in not associating myself with them and not advising others to do likewise, as it poses serious spiritual threat to myself and my family than to others who aren't in any serious position to be any prospective leaders of Bible study/pastoral call by this church.
Are they not in Christ? Yes. But according to 1 Corinthians 3:10, everyone must take heed how he/she builds thereupon the foundation of Christ. I am not part of the sinking ship that they are building. Sinking, theological/spiritual-wise. Not number-wise. One clear evidence is the problem of holiness. I don't mean something sexual or the likes. I mean the leadership over there loves the hand of Uzzah. Meddling with things of God, testing God, thus, justifying their care and love more than God. Should they not repent of such unholiness, it will be the root of their sway from orthodox teaching, particularly in the next generation of leadership, if not becoming a Christian cult. Because it is unholy, though I would call them Christians, I cannot touch them or what they build.
Tim Keller: "Christianity is not about being nice. It's about being new." All Chinese churches I know thus far are confused of this principle.
有心志异象的，无论是凭野心或是受神带领，都不会在此教会留着太久。所以，这教会也可说是没有生命的。这乃此会最可怜的地方。
Observing some of the old members of CCCNY, my responses are "What has the pastor been doing all these years???", "the blind leading the blind", etc.
I'm not expressing these out of mere criticism. It's something I have confronted the leadership of CCCNY, in a rather kind way. However, since their responses were akin to "you have your way, we have ours", hence my criticism.
So, if I say to Rev. Lin "clean up your own mess" when she tries to pass me the torch again, it is from a well grounded anger.
A few months ago, I recall Rev. Lin emailed me about not posting anything negative about her church. I would think it's about her that I posted negative things. If she only learns humility, perhaps she might learn a thing or two on how to lead a church properly.
The kind of humility that she must learn is one that is sincere. Not one of showing off, which I think was the case more often than not.
I think her willingness to be the "least of these" is admirable. However, she followed the near fatal way of reputation worship. So instead of trusting on God, she trusts on the connection she has with other servants of God.
It should be clear that it is not the church CCCNY that I am eventually criticizing but the pastor running it. But because of the pastor's failure, it's affecting the church. The church is still served by many who love the Lord and has yet to become a cult.
At this point, since Rev. Lin is about to retire or at a stage of transitioning, I should also be clear that I now only stand against Rev. Lin's bad methodology and practice, instead of CCCNY. I pray there will be great mercy, grace and blessing from the Lord upon this transition.
How should I describe Rev. Lin? or perhaps her church, in the simplest, not too stereotype sort of way, such that everyone's clear why I make take Nadia and leave this church while noting that I'm not calling for others to leave as well. First of all, it's important to note that I never officially signed up to be their member, despite being confirmed and have my marriage there. Thus, it is a legit church of God. So the reason to leave is not quite heretical than problematic.
In short, I shall put it this way, this is why I leave because this is generally the attitude of the leadership:
"Because our church's affiliation is Reformed, if you think Mormonism is not bad, just keep it to yourself" Period. No further discussion needed.
That said, they are not completely incompetent, because what Nadia shared with me about how Rev. Lin prevented her from going back to Charismatic churches and other advices that she had given her, proved to be useful. I just don't know if Rev. Lin's true motive was simply trying to keep people in her church or not, or that she could only handle certain basic issues.