The Wartburg Watch: Feminist and LGBTQ Change Agents

"Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" Acts 20:30  

INTRODUCTION

The Wartburg Watch is a watchman blog started in March 2009 and run by Darlene "Dee" Parsons and Wanda "Deb" Martin who write nearly all of its posts. In the description of who they are, they claim that truth is of utmost importance to them and that among their goals in starting Wartburg Watch was to expose heresy.

"We are two Christian women who have seriously pursued our faith. We have discovered some disturbing trends within Christendom which compelled us to start TWW. Our goal is to shine a light into the darkness, exposing hypocrisy, heresy, and arrogance while also examining trends that affect the faith in the public square. Truth and transparency are of utmost importance to us." (L)

I became aware of Wartburg Watch when Dee Parsons wrote a post that linked to an article I'd written. Her post exposed the abuse suffered by a woman and her child at the hands of a pastor who I would describe as being a disciple of John Macarthur. I had been researching Macarthur for quite some time and was familiar with his doctrines and with the general mind control that exists in his satellite churches. With that knowledge, I commented on that post to the effect that there was evidence Macarthur was a Mason and a Druid. My comments were mocked and my subsequent comments were deleted. The abused woman was allowed to tell her story, the abusive pastor was "exposed," but any discussion of Macarthur's influence or what I believed to be the true cause for this abuse wasn't allowed. I then became curious and decided to take a look into Wartburg Watch.

According to Deb Martin, the inspiration for The Wartburg Watch was Wade Burleson who is The Wartburg Watch's E-Church pastor. (L) Since Wartburg Watch is a purported Christian watch blog, one would think that its pastor would be biblically sound. To the contrary, I found that Wade Burleson teaches more heretical doctrines than any of the abusive pastors exposed by Wartburg Watch! For example, Wade Burleson teaches, among many other heresies, that Jesus Christ is Michael, the Archangel.

Dee Parsons and Deb Martin are close friends with Wade Burleson and have been guests at his home. They say that they read his blog religiously and sometimes they copy his articles and post them at Wartburg Watch. I wonder how they can claim to have a goal to expose heresy and to tell truth while they expose their many blog visitors to Wade Burleson's teachings at least weekly and without warning? Do Dee Parsons and Deb Martin also believe Jesus Christ is Michael, the Archangel? Do they believe that God is father and mother and is feminine as their pastor, Wade Burleson, also teaches?

Of greater concern, I found that Dee Parsons, Deb Martin, and Wade Burleson share a strong feminist agenda to place women as elders and pastors in the church. And they are not just advocating for women elders and pastors, but for the inclusion of homosexual leaders in the church as well.

On the surface, Wartburg Watch appears to be on a mission to expose church leaders who have abused their authority and to help the victims of this abuse. However, the facts show that their real and hidden agenda is undermining God's ordained authority structure in the church in favor of a authority structure which includes both women and homosexuals.

Dee Parsons

Dee Parsons, Wartburg Watch's administrator, is the granddaughter of a Russian immigrant and the daughter of a Russian Orthodox father who was a 32nd degree Freemason. (comment section). She was also a member of the International Order of Rainbows, a Masonic organization for girls. -comment section) She claims to have become a Christian at 17 years of age while watching an episode of Star Trek. (L)

Dee Parsons' pastor was Pete Briscoe

The following was taken from Dee Parsons' recent article (4/27/16), My Former Pastor, Pete Briscoe, Smashes Stereotypes With Women Pastors and Elders:

"I have been wanting to write this post for a long while but I have waited until Bent Tree Bible Fellowship (BTBF) and Pete Briscoe made the decision to go forward with publicly declaring that they would have women as elders. What was even more quiet was the fact that BTBF has long had a female pastor, and from what I can tell, we can now say female pastors. None of this takes me by surprise and I am incredibly proud to say that I spent many years at this wonderful church. Better yet, I can say that my husband and I felt quite close to Pete."

Dee Parsons taught a class while at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship and upon leaving the church, Pete Briscoe told her: "Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't teach." (L)

Has Pete Briscoe smashed "stereotypes" in allowing female pastors and elders as Dee Parsons wrote? Or has he smashed God's word in allowing these female pastors and elders? 

The Briscoes

Stuart and Jill Briscoe are the parents of Pete Briscoe. The following was taken from Dee Parsons' "Smashing Stereotypes" article:

"Jill and Stuart came to the States from England. You can read about them at their website Teaching the Truth. Pete grew up in a home with intelligent and committed parents: both dad and mom. They were both powerhouses. I will never forget the time that Pete, during a service, told a story about his mother, Jill, coming to speak at the chapel…

"As she rose to speak, a number of young men turned their backs on her, showing their disdain for a women teacher. Pete broke down in tears as he reviewed all the wonderful things his mother had done in her life. He could not fathom how aspiring pastors could be both so cruel to her. Through my years there, I heard story after story of the enormous influence his mother, as well as his father, had on his life.

"In 2010, Jill and Stuart participated in a book called How I Changed My Mind about Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent Evangelicals. This book is helpful in understanding how some Christian leaders (and yes-Jill is a leader) came to an understanding that women in leadership can occur within faithful churches." (L)

Stuart Briscoe: Globalist, Ecumenist, Feminist 

The Briscoes were major figures in the global ecumenical Lausanne/National Association of Evangelicals movement. Stuart Briscoe was on the Advisory Committee of the Lausanne Movement's Mission America Coalition. (L) Billy Graham (33rd degree Mason) convened the first Lausanne Congress in 1974. (L) The purpose of The Lausanne Movement and Mission America Coalition is to transform and to unify Christians, churches, and denominations into social service within Satan's world government. Stuart Briscoe was also a leader of TOPIC (Trainers of Pastors International Consultation) which is a member of the World Evangelical Alliance (an NGO of the United Nations). (L)

"In 1951, the National Association of Evangelicals revived the World Evangelical Fellowship from the 'dying embers' of the former World Evangelical Alliance (Evangelical Alliance of 1846) which became the NAE's international umbrella. The Evangelical Alliance, now called the World Evangelical Alliance, was formed in 1846 in a conference held at Freemason's Hall, United Grand Lodge of England, the mother of all Masonic lodges. (L)

"The World Evangelical Alliance is the shadow government to the Lausanne Movement which is the umbrella over the global ecumenical movement." (L)

Biblical Discernment Ministry's (BDM) expose of the Briscoes is also revealing. According to BDM, Stuart Briscoe was a speaker at the 50th Convention of the National Association of Evangelicals. He was Vice Chairman of the 1979 Milwaukee Billy Graham Crusade "where the Roman Catholics held a city-wide mass for the new 'converts' gained from the Graham crusade!" Stuart Briscoe also promoted Promise Keeper's in his church and wrote daily devotionals for its publication.

"Its [PK's] roots are Catholic and charismatic to the core. PK's contradictory stand on homosexuality; its promotion of secular psychology; its unscriptural feminizing of men; its depiction of Jesus as a "phallic messiah" tempted to perform homosexual acts; and its ecumenical and unbiblical teachings should dissuade any true Christian from participating. Promise Keepers is proving to be one of the most ungodly and misleading movements in the annals of Christian history. Nevertheless, Stuart Briscoe is a promoter of this ecumenical, charismatic, psychologized men's movement…" (L)

Stuart Briscoe was formerly senior pastor of the 10,000-member Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin which "ordains women … and has several women among its 20 full-time pastors." (L)

"Stuart Briscoe defines an 'evangelical' as someone who has had 'some type of conversion experience — although that can be defined differently by different people, from a major turning point in life to a simple baptism' (March 1995, Exclusively Yours, 'Elmbrook Church: The Secret of Its Success,' pp. 10-15). That's easy-believism at best and baptismal regeneration at worst!!" (L)

Stuart Briscoe is a globalist and an ecumenist with a feminist agenda.

Jill Briscoe: Globalist, Ecumenist, Feminist

Jill Briscoe is also a globalist and an ecumenist with a feminist agenda.  According to the BDM expose, she has served on the Board of Christianity Today.

"Christianity Today, Inc., which was founded in 1955 by Dr. L. Nelson Bell and his son-in-law, William Franklin "Billy" Graham, represents a nexus for the ecumenical leaders of the Lausanne movement." 

According to BDM, she also served as the women's prayer chairman for the 1979 Milwaukee Billy Graham Crusade and was a speaker at the 50th NAE Convention. She has also been a speaker at Women of Faith Conferences, the women's counterpart to the men's Promise Keepers.

"Women of Faith is part of the global apparatus designed to draw Christian women into the worldwide ecumenical movement." 

According to the BDM expose:

"Jill Briscoe serves on the board of Christianity Today, neo-evangelicalism's most prominent magazine, and on the board of the theologically-liberal and politically-leftist, World Relief…The Briscoe's church in Wisconsin also has a liberal position on the role of women in ministry, e.g., 'Elmbrook Church ordains women … and has several women among its 20 full-time pastors.' Jill Briscoe has stated that she 'would like to see women become willing to serve the church at any level …' Currently, women also serve as deacons at Elmbrook Church, and in the past have been considered for positions as elders. Elmbrook's associate pastor of women's ministries, Laurie Katz, states that, 'At Elmbrook women are highly regarded and are given positions of responsibility in the church … This church is stronger because of all the women who have been empowered here. … The Council of Elders does not function in an authoritarian way, they just oversee things. We don't have to have our decisions approved by them' (March 1995, Exclusively Yours, 'Elmbrook Church: The Secret of Its Success,' pp. 10-15).

"The 4/8/96 Christianity Today quotes Jill Briscoe thusly:

"'And for eight years I preached and taught and saw people come to Christ on the streets. The hierarchy of the mission was thrilled and affirmed that gift in me… The people who have set me free to minister to men as well as to women have been men, not women. In my own church, through my husband and the elders, women have gained huge freedoms — we have 'come a long way.' We have women pastors on staff. We have women in every echelon of leadership, apart from the council of elders.' (Emphasis added.)

"Jill Briscoe has also taught at Word of Life, Moody Bible Institute, and brought the Sunday evening message at the 3/96 National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) convention. Obviously, Jill Briscoe either has no idea of what the Bible teaches about women in ministry, or simply doesn't care.

"One of the busy spots at the 55th Annual NAE Convention (1997) was the Christians for Biblical Equality exhibit. This group made available the books Women Elders Called By God and What Paul Really Said About Women. This radical group is calling for women's ordination and rejecting the Scripture texts that forbid women serving as pastors and elders. Their statement said 'We believe that Scripture is to be interpreted holistically and thematically. The Bible teaches that in the New Testament economy women as well as men exercise the prophetic, priestly and royal functions. Women are to be used in pastoral care, teaching, preaching and worship.' Among those who signed this declaration are Myron S. Augsburger, Stuart Briscoe, Tony Campolo, Vernon Grounds, David Hubbard, Bill Hybels, Richard Mouw, and Ronald Sider."

Dee Parsons Defends Freemasonry

Dee Parsons stated the following on her Wartburg Watch blog regarding Freemasonry:

"All 'good' Christians believe that Masons are a cult and some go so far as to say that Masons are involved in a secret culture that is plotting to take over the country. Whereas, most Masons today are a bunch of good old boys who mutter some secret words (mostly Bible verses) and have secret handshakes then repair to the local bar for beer and pizza." (L)

"All 'good' Christians believe that Masons are a cult." This statement is mocking Christians and according to Dee Parsons, these "good" Christians even "go so far as to say that Masons are involved in a secret culture."

Freemasonry is a Gnostic religion based on the Jewish Kabbalah. Its occult secrets are revealed to men as they are initiated up the ladder and into the higher degrees. These men have taken oaths/obligations to not reveal these secrets under penalty of death. The following is an oath taken during the initiation of a new "Entered Apprentice" Mason which has been taken from Duncan's Ritual and Monitor of Freemasonry: Entered Apprentice, or First Degree, Obligation:

"I do hereby and hereon most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I will always hail, ever conceal, and never reveal, any of the arts, parts, or points of the hidden mysteries of Ancient Free Masonry…under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low-water mark…should I ever knowingly violate this my Entered Apprentice obligation."

That Freemasonry is an occult secret society is indisputable. Why would Dee Parsons have us believe otherwise?

Dee Parsons then scorns these "good" Christians for going so far as to believe Masons are "plotting to take over the country." It's no secret among many Christians that Freemasons founded this country. Read The Masonic Foundations of the United States to learn more. Of greater concern, Freemasonry also controls Christianity in this country through Masonic controlled colleges, seminaries, denominations, and media (TV, radio, publishing).

Dee Parsons then goes on to dismiss these concerns and warnings from Christians with the tired old lie that Masons are just "a bunch of good old boys" who mutter mostly Bible verses!

Dee Parsons: "Freemasonry is a Christian Conspiracy"

"I was a member of the Rainbow Girls and my father was a 32nd degree Mason. You don't get more experienced than that. And I am saying that Free Masonry is another one of those Christian conspiracies. The guys in this group do it to hang together and have a few…My dad, never one of [sic] secrets, showed me his ring and explained some of the 'secret' stuff. Good night! It was nothing. (L)

So according to Dee Parsons, the belief that Freemasonry conspires to infiltrate and subvert Christianity isn't grounded at all in reality or in verifiable facts. It's really just the product of the delusional and "conspiratorial" Christian imagination.

Dee Parsons continues on: "I have to admit, my conspiracy theory radar goes up with things like Free masonry, yoga, Harry Potter, anti-Halloween, Christian Zionism, and ardent YEC, moon landing conspiracies, etc. (L)

What does Dee Parsons mean by saying that things like yoga, Harry Potter, and anti-Halloween make her "conspiracy theory radar" go up? It might be helpful to look up the meaning of "conspiracy theorist." The following definition has been taken from Urban Dictionary:

"A word used by shills when they are losing an argument. The shill calls their opponent a 'conspiracy theorist' in an attempt to discredit them by implying that they are paranoid and delusional. In point of fact, it is the shill using the term 'conspiracy theorist' that is engaging in an ad hominem attack that can be considered delusional, brainwashed and willfully ignorant of the FACTS."

It's Christians who have strongly warned about the spiritual dangers involved in practicing yoga (Hinduism), celebrating Halloween, and in the mainstreaming of witchcraft through Harry Potter books, movies, camps. Why would Dee Parsons seek to discredit Christians for warning of these dangers by calling them conspiracy theorists?

Commenting on a Wartburg Watch post, Bob J gave a link that provided evidence John Macarthur is a Freemason. In response to that comment, Dee Parsons stated the following:

Dee on Sun Feb 21, 2016 at 06:08 PM said:
@ Bob J:
"That is a bizarre link. It is just another screed on freemasonry and allegations that certain leaders are Masons. It's baloney and Christians should be careful not to fall for such conspiracy hogwash." (L)

Finally, Dee Parsons stated: "OK Time for true confession. I was a Rainbow Girl and received my majority degree. That means I was a teen female version of the Masons and graduated in good standing. All we ever talked about was the rainbow being a sign that God would never again destroy the earth with water. Our secret sign and secret handshake were iterations on the rainbow. Real satan stuff, you know." (L)

"Now, I [Dee Parsons] became a Christian when I was 17 and still keeping the outer door. If there was anything going on, I would have known about it." (L)

One could legitimately question Dee Parsons' conversion experience at 17 if she was still keeping up her Masonic duties at 20, the Age of Majority for Rainbows.

The following comment was made by a frequent Wartburg Watch commenter, Dr. Fundystan, on Sun Feb 28, 2016 at 11:02 AM:

"For what it's worth, I am of Scottish descent (on my dad's side). I'm also a Freemason – ironically enough, I am York right, not Scottish rite! And anyone who thinks Masonry is anything more than a social club or has any tie with Druidism is just ignorant. 

I would like to invite Dr. Fundystan to read and to study the following:

"Masons are our present Druids." (L) "…our mode of teaching the principles of our profession [Masonry] is derived from the Druids …" (L) "Masons .. admire the Druids and some of them even claim that Masonry came from Druidism." (L)

THE WARTBURG WATCH'S FEMINIST/ HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA

Like her former pastor, Pete Briscoe, and her E-Church pastor, Wade Burleson, Dee Parsons and Deb Martin and The Wartburg Watch have a blatant feminist agenda. To verify this, one only has to read their two recent articles:

My Former Pastor, Pete Briscoe, Smashes Stereotypes With Women Pastors and Elders by Dee Parsons and Women Are Free to Serve Without Any Restrictions at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship by Deb Martin.

The Wartburg Watch lists a blogroll of others who share its feminist agenda. For example, after reading the article about Pete Briscoe smashing God's word with women pastors and elders, Julie Anne Smith, who runs Spiritual Sounding Board blog, commented at Wartburg Watch:

"I found tears flowing down my cheeks as I listened to these men speak so positively, encouragingly, and excited about women in leadership. Thank you, Dee. Wow!" (L)

Rachel Held Evans is listed on Wartburg Watch's blogroll. As a keynote speaker at Justin Lee's Gay Christian Network, Evans advocates for women and homosexual church leaders. (L) She also opposes the defunding of Planned Parenthood. (L)

The Wartburg Watch also lists Sarah Pulliam Bailey's Her.meneutics on its blogroll. Sarah Pulliam Bailey is a religion reporter for the Washington Post and was formerly online editor for Christianity Today. Until recently, she was the national correspondent for the very pro-homosexual Religion News Service. (Religion News Service, along with its homosexual editor-in-chief and its wealthy LGBTQ advocacy funder, Arcus Foundation, will be discussed later in this report). Pulliam-Bailey also advocates for the inclusion of homosexuals in the church. One can read two of her articles here and here.

According to Deb Martin's review of Pulliam Bailey's Christianity Today's 50 Women to Watch:

"Thank you Sarah Pulliam Bailey and the CT staff for encouraging Christian women to use their God-given gifts like those featured in your wonderful article 50 Women You Should Know. I know one of them personally, and she is a tremendous inspiration to me. May Christian women, who have been held back by the gender gurus, seek to please an audience of one, Jesus Christ."

This remark is deceitful. Deb Martin wants to please Jesus Christ with her "God-given gifts" and it's the "gender gurus" who are holding her back? It's Jesus Christ who forbids women to teach or to usurp authority over men in the church. It's God's word which restrains women in the church. Yet Deb Martin won't acknowledge God's word or His restraints and instead resorts to mocking and blaming Christian men who wish to be faithful to God's word by referring to them as "gender gurus."

Dee Parsons advocates for homosexual church leaders

Christians are concerned, and justifiably so, that if women are allowed to be church elders and pastors, then that will inevitably open the door for homosexual pastors and church elders. Dee Parsons and Wartburg Watch have a feminist agenda. Do they also have an agenda to allow unrepentant homosexuals in the churches? The following quotes from Dee Parsons are alarming:

"I strongly believe that the Church needs to be sensitive and understanding toward those born with gender ambiguities…" (L) So Dee Parsons believes people are born gay which she calls "gender ambiguities."

"I feel it is important for me to let you all know that I do not believe that being gay is a sin. Saying that one is gay is no different than saying one is hetereosexual. It is what we do with those feelings that matter…I believe the church, as a whole, has not done a good job in this area, starting with me! This series is my way of attemtping [sic], in some small way, to up the level of conversation within the church." (L)

It is what we do with these feelings that matter. A heterosexual can do something with his or her feelings: He/she can get married before God.

"I view the union between two atheists, two Buddhists and two Wiccans, the same way I view a civil union between two women. None of them should impact the way the church perceives marriage. Instead, the church should develop a clear, well-thought out and earnest perspective of the Biblical view of marriage. And then actually try to live it. Instead, we spend an inordinate amount of time defining why women should not pray out loud in church and joining in protests and then wonder why our culture does not understand and/or ignores our thoughts on this vital topic." (L)

What is Dee Parsons saying here? The church isn't "living it," and therefore, should have no voice? By the way, it's not sinful for two atheists, Buddhists, or Wiccans to marry; it is a sin for two lesbians to marry in a civil union.

"Churches do not provide clear role models for gays. Think about your church. It has programs for families, Sunday school programs for kids, women's Bible studies, marriage seminars, divorce recovery, etc. The church is set up to be a great role model for families. The pastor is usually married and role models his family.

"Where is the admired celibate gay person leading a Bible study, worship service, or serving as a deacon? Sometimes I wonder if single people are really welcome in the church. Many churches would not hire a senior pastor who is single. Yet Paul himself was a single for his entire ministry.

"There are most likely gay kids in your church. Justin [Lee] quotes a study (p.9) by Christian Community that virtually all congregations, even the ones who were outspoken against homosexuality, had kids who self-identified as gay but they would not tell others in the church about this.

"If the church does not have gay role models, who will these kids turn to for advice? Unless the church gets serious about this issue, our children may turn to the larger gay community, which exists outside of the church.

"If a gay person must be celibate for his life, how does the church support them?" (L)

Dee Parsons wants Christians to accept the delusion of an unchanging since birth homosexual "orientation." Once this notion is accepted, then the door will be open for the acceptance of the "celibate homosexual" in the churches. The notion of a "celebate homosexual" isn't built on God's word or on the transforming power of the gospel, but on the commitment not to act on the self identified perverse lust in one's heart. Does the person tempted by another man's wife self identify as a "celibate adulterer" because he doesn't act on his lusts? The Bible does not just condemn homosexual actions, but the perverseness of homosexual attraction IN the heart, the seed bed of all sin. Is it possible that some angry feminists in the church are "lesbian oriented" without acting on it?

"When it comes to gay Christians, there's one question that causes more debate than any other:

Does God bless gay relationships? Or are gay Christians called to lifelong celibacy? (L)

Dee Parsons expects Christians to accept the myth of the "gay Christian." And once the gay Christian has been accepted, the question is then posed: Can the gay Christian commit sodomy or homosexual acts with God's blessing, or must he/she remain celibate for life? It seems here that Dee Parsons is not only opening the door of the church to "gay celibate Christians," but also to the possibility of even gay relationships and gay marriage in the churches. Of course, God's word condemns "gay relationships" in the strongest possible terms and no true Christian would ever question or debate if "God blesses gay relationships."

Dee Parsons isn't alone in advocating for homosexual church leaders, for example, the Pacific School of Religion is advancing the homosexual agenda to transform churches and Wheaton College now provides a support group for its "Christian" homosexual students.

Dee Parsons' Hypocrisy in Exposing Pedophiles While Promoting Homosexuals

Dee Parsons is friends with Justin Lee of the Gay Christian Network and has published his articles on Wartburg Watch (L) It's noteworthy that Justin Lee does NOT espouse celibacy, but homosexual Christianity.

"Justin founded The Gay Christian Network in 2001 as a place for Christ-centered support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and those who care about them." (L)

In light of her advocacy for homosexuals in church leadership, it seems the height of hypocrisy that Dee Parsons devotes so much of her blog to exposing pedophiles in "patriarchal" churches. Does she think that homosexual church leaders will expel pedophiles? In fact, many homosexuals prey on minors, and they seek out places where they have access to young people–such as churches. Furthermore, the homosexual community actively promotes sex with children. Dee Parsons is outraged that Covenant Life Church did not excommunicate a pedophile, but she would open the church doors to homosexual men and lesbians, many of whom have a preference for children.