Major Acts 29 Church Resigns from Network, Citing ‘Poor Decision-Making,’ Leftward, Theological Drift’

Staff Writer

A significant player in the Acts 29 Church network has announced they are leaving the network after 18 years of membership, citing a flawed and susceptible to corruption organizational structure, poor decision-making and leftward theological drift, and a loss of ability to help multiply churches.

We’ve written about Acts 29 network a few times, in our posts:

Acts 29 Network Talking Heads Pummeled For Squishy LGBTQ Response
“This is Wrong, Unfounded, and Mean” Church Releases Audio Of Acts 29 Network Kicking Them Out for Unspecified ‘Public Critique’
Church Leaves Acts 29 Network Over Complaints of Theological Wishy-Washy-isms+ Financial Secrecy
Question: Is this the Wokest Acts 29 Church Around? Answer: Probably
Matt Chandler and Mark Driscoll Back Together for Christian Conference

Pastor Rick White of CityView Church in Fort Worth/Keller, TX, shared the news of their departure on X, saying that he owes an explanation to “those I have recruited into Acts 29, those I have encouraged to stay in Acts 29 and those-to whom-I have personally defended Acts 29.”

White served in various leadership roles for the network, assessed 40+ church planters, hosted multiple Acts 29 conferences, and his church generously supported the network financially. Lamenting that the network “no longer deserves our continued loyalty or trust,” he writes:

1. First and foremost, it is our conviction that the current Acts 29 organizational structure is flawed and susceptible to corruption and compromise. Per the current by-laws, Acts 29’s board is a self-perpetuating entity with the current Acts 29 President (who is also the lead employee) serving as a member of the five-person board to which he reports. Curiously, Acts 29’s president also has two family members that work for the Network (one as Director of Human Resources) – all three at a substantial combined financial cost to the network.
   
   Finally, and frustratingly, despite the mandate for member churches to fund the network’s budget, it has been our experience that there is no meaningful mechanism for Acts 29 to be responsive to the concerns of member churches.

2. Second, Acts 29’s poor decision-making and leftward, theological drift makes member churches increasingly vulnerable by association. During 2020, Acts 29 and several Acts 29 leaders signaled leftward positions on multiple social matters. These leftward positions became flash points which served to agitate relational rifts in many churches (including ours). At present, Acts 29 has failed to acknowledge or apologize for any part played in stirring divisions in member churches during 2020.
   
   Another example: In September of this year, Acts 29 posted a poorly conceived video titled Walking with Jesus Among our LGBTQIA+ Friends. While I am grateful the video has since been taken down, the video was an embarrassing distraction for several days to anyone associated with Acts 29.
   
   Finally, Acts 29 has failed to speak plainly and decisively on the matter of women preaching in Acts 29 churches. Instead of making a decisive stand based on our historical position, Acts 29 chose to create a task force and survey member churches prior to writing a “letter on Complementarianism”. While the letter was ultimately unnecessary, it contains much that is commendable, yet lacked decisive clarity, signaling Acts 29’s intent to continue equivocating on this matter while disregarding and disrespecting its firmly conservative members.

White also concludes that “Acts 29 tends to lead by pragmatism and is often captured by the whims of the moment.” and that their focus is on replanting and revitalizing churches, as opposed to the planting of Acts 29, which they believe is “myopic and will produce diminishing returns as planting churches becomes increasingly difficult in our western culture.”