In the youtube video below, a number of Christian ministers are interviewed who came out of the religion of Islam. In this video they are asked about the Insider Movement (IM) and how it is affecting their Muslim communities. The Insider Movement is a missionary approach that uses a syncretistic method of sharing the gospel with Muslims. “Syncretism… is an invalid procedure by which the content of the Gospel is changed or partially assimilated by a hostile world view found in another culture” (Mickelsen, 172). Some of the most controversial aspects of this movement are as follows: ~Teaching new believers to remain inside of Islam ~Engaging in and modeling the Salat in the mosques ~Reciting the Muslim creed (Shahada): “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger“ ~Producing and using Muslim Friendly Bible translations that actually take out the words ‘Son of God’ The majority of the financing for the Insider Movement comes from well meaning Western Christians ignorant of the unbiblical approach that they are funding. The truth about the Insider Movement has intentionally been disguised. IM presenters are trained to “spin” to the Western Church this deception. Even when questioned about the controversial nature of this approach, the presenters skillfully avoid speaking to biblical concerns. The following video is a sampling of the typical perspective of Christians from a Muslim background who engage these practices. [youtube id=”LzPK93pI65I?version=3″ width=”600″ height=”350″] Since the prophecy given to me in 2007, when the Lord told me that He hates the pigeonholing of Christianity with Islam, Shouts of Joy Ministries has attempted to raise the awareness of the Church in hopes that she would cease funding and perpetuating this travesty. We have also been involved with a group of ministers, the Biblical Missiology Society, which has been commenting on articles of this topic. The exposure of IM has caused a flood of articles both for and against the Movement. Many Churches and Organizations have been confronted both privately and publically about their adherence to C5 and C6 Contextualization in missions. There are a few organizations being proactive and forming policies for their missions departments that give clear guidelines that forbid C5 and C6 practices. One such organization is the Presbyterian Church. This June at their Thirty-Ninth General Assembly they will be debating the Insider Movement and its use of “Muslim Friendly” translations of the Bible. Here is the link to Overture #9 “A Call To Faithful Witness”. Also Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis MN, whose Senior Pastor is John Piper, is in the proposal stage of establishing guidelines for their missionaries as well. Taken from the 2006 statement from Arab World Ministries they have included:

“We do not think it is biblically justified for Christ- followers to teach or model:

1. Reciting of the Shahada
2. Continued participation in ritual prayers (Salah) in the mosque
3. Continuing to call oneself a Muslim”

Erik Hyatt GO Pastor Bethlehem Baptist Church Minneapolis, MN

Included in their proposal is a Biblical Rationale:

“Acts 15:19-20 Gentile Background Believers were given four restrictions to show clear separation from previous religious practices; Rom. 10:9-17 One must confess Jesus as Lord to be saved; John 5:23 Whoever does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him; 1 Cor. 10:23-33 All things lawful but not all helpful; 2 Corinthians 4:2 We refuse to practice cunning; 2 Cor. 6:14-17 Believers not to participate in worship of other Christ-denying gods.”

This is a great beginning and the tide is turning in exposing and rejecting the IM, yet so much more needs to be done. One thing that you personally can do is to ask the missions organization that you support what method they use in witnessing to Muslims. In confronting those who teach the IM method, we often encountered this response, “We use a Pauline method of missions.” They often then explain that they believe in being all things to all men and speak about Paul quoting the pagan literature in Acts. Those things can be accepted by every Bible believing Christian however, what exactly that means practically is another matter altogether. Proponents of the IM craft these phrases in such a way that nullifies questions and renders a belief that they are in fact doing missions as the Bible directs. They avoid the plane truth; excusing themselves by saying that people are not educated enough to understand what is required of them to do what they are doing. They believe that this justifies the crafting of very specific answers that foster a naivety and ignorance of what is in fact a distortion of the truth. What we also have found is that when the more direct questions are asked, they put off answering them, most often indefinitely. When asked, “Why the secrecy?” they answer by saying that people’s lives could be endangered if they speak plainly. This response is well refuted on the www.biblicalmissiology.org web site and stands against what is clearly written in Matthew 5:14-16 (New American Standard Bible)”You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. “ The question that I am asking you today is are you personally funding the Insider Movement?