CLONING
By Ken Blue
“Cloning: The process of making a clone, a genetically identical copy. Cloning can refer to the technique of producing a genetically identical copy of an organism by replacing the nucleus of an unfertilized ovum with the nucleus of a body cell from the organism. The first adult mammal cloned was Dolly the Sheep in 1997.” Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary.
The cloning process has been going on for many years in fundamentalism. The procedure is simple. The pastor or evangelist attempts to “implant the nucleus” of his own organization or church into other churches. He does this because he believes what he does and the way he does it, is God’s way, and therefore, those who are not identical in every aspect are sick or somewhat deformed.
You can always identify these men. Your music must be identical to theirs. People must dress the same and sport the same haircut as those in their churches. If they have a street preaching ministry or jail ministry, you too must have one, to be right with God. If they shout and yell, you too must shout and yell or be classified cold and dead. Their goal is not to help you be what God wants you to be; they want you to be just like them.
In the cloning process, there are also some things you do that must stop or be removed. Their goal is to create a “look alike” church. This is how they know their cloning efforts have succeeded. As we said before, they are convinced that their “model” is God’s model and you must fit it to be right with God.
These men are convinced that prerecorded background music is wrong. If you project songs, a sermon outline, or a Bible verse on a screen, you are in league with Beelzebub. Why? Because your church is not just like theirs, and they believe their church is God’s model for all churches. Tradition has bound them to the hymnal to the point; they feel awkward or carnal if it is not in their hand.
I feel sorry for young pastors who will discover that they will never be granted the freedom to pastor their own church, as they believe God wants them to, and still maintain a relationship and fellowship with many, so called, Bible believers. You must submit to the cloning process, or be thrown overboard.
Cloning may or may not be evil. It is good to learn what you can that will help your ministry. If you must hold the hymnal, refuse background music; or the screen in your church to feel spiritual, that is fine and acceptable. But, in the name of all that is holy, stop your pious hypocrisy by pretending that you and your company have the Bible model for how a church should look and worship. You don’t know the answer to that; you simply want to clone one more church to look like yours for your own glory. “For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.” Galatians 6:13.
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.