Contact: Tyler Dorin, 515-250-6491, tdorin@ncfic.org

 

WAKE FOREST, NC,  Sept. 19, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Divided, a documentary film that raises probing questions about dangers associated with modern youth ministry, has been thrown out of a major conference. Having gone viral with over 100,000 online views, Divided has generated an enormous response in the bloggosphere since being released on www.Dividedthemovie.com.

 

The film's message -- that churches should follow the Bible's pattern of ministering to young people, not disregard it -- has been deemed as too controversial by organizers of the D6 Conference, prompting them to disinvite the film's co-producer -- the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches (NCFIC) -- from attending its annual family ministry event to be held in Dallas, TX on September 21-23.

 

Ron Hunter, executive director and CEO of Randall House, the sponsor of D6, overturned the NCFIC's initial acceptance to the conference, stating that the presence of the NCFIC would "cause tension." In an August 29 letter, Hunter wrote: "The New DVD Divided does not fit the D6 Conference venue, created for sharing conversations about various biblical methods. Bringing together different biblical models requires grace and acceptance, as we share the path of generational discipleship." Mr. Hunter also stated that the NCFIC is the first group D6 has ever disinvited, even as he admitted that he had not viewed the film Divided before coming to his decision.

 

Significantly, nearly every organization represented at this conference espouses their own ideas that are different from others, yet only the NCFIC was censored for affirming a specific standard. Peter Bradrick, the producer of Divided, pointed out this inconsistency, "Many of the exhibitors say they advocate a position. For some reason, only the NCFIC is not allowed to talk about their position. The stated purpose of the D6 conference is to explore biblical discipleship solutions that address the mass epidemic of today's youth leaving the church and abandoning the faith. This is precisely what our film Divided does."

 

Doug Phillips, founder of Vision Forum Ministries who briefly appears in Divided, commented on the backlash: "The film's detractors have sent a clear message to the Church: they will accept virtually anything from evangelicalism, except the position that says that the discipleship of youth should be directed in a family-integrated context, and that the youth-driven "Youth Ministry" is toxic; this position will not be tolerated."

 

Brown offered this: "While Divided has been well-received by thousands, the opposition it has garnered illustrates one of the film's core messages: the church today cannot relate to what was the established pattern of biblical church life. She has drifted away from Scripture and toward modern culture for her answers.

 

"The resistance is understandable when you consider how difficult it is to change youth ministry and how much money is involved in the whole age-segregated superstructure that undergirds modern church," remarked Brown.

 

Scott Brown likened the scorn toward Divided's perspective on youth ministry to the conflicts during the Protestant Reformation as the church was embracing "Sola Scriptura." "Our message is simple: 'Trust God's Word alone; it is sufficient.'" Sadly, this view is looked on with great suspicion today. Things have gotten bad when a leading Christian conference rejects even a discussion of what the Bible clearly teaches!"

 

 

To interview NCFIC Director Scott T. Brown and/or to receive a preview copy of the movie Divided, the book A Weed in the Church, and press materials, media should contact Tyler Dorin: 515-250-6491, tdorin@ncfic.org

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