Many leaders of Mainline or Traditional Christian Churches have failed to recognize that two established carriers of Zionism are entrenched in their midst.

It appears almost certain that supporters of the Israel State have quietly bankrolled two international Bible study groups. These teach a subtle Zionism in thousands of churches, many of which are Traditional or Mainline, in contrast to Evangelical or Dispensationally oriented. Each class teaches that Israel is the global hero, having been granted the land though biblical Abraham; This, in part, explains the unwillingness of many Mainline churches to speak out against Zionism from the pulpit.

A Google search of “Kay Arthur, Precepts Ministries, Israel,” produces 126,000 responses. Many of these are about Precepts’ annual Israel junket for 2021. How many of those attending are from mainline churches is not disclosed, but the Arthur family ties to Netanyahu’s Israel are made manifest. Why would any pastor expect Precepts Ministries to teach Traditional Christ-following inside his church?

Even more powerful is mysterious and secretive BSF International (Bible Study Fellowship). It was founded in 1969 and boasts a budget of over $13 million per year.  A Google search for “BSF International, Denver, CO,” returns a map with 32 churches listed with BSF classes. The majority are widely recognized as Christian Zionist’s carriers, but six are Mainline, from Episcopal to Lutheran and Methodist.

But the map of churches is the tip of the iceberg! I have learned there are several BSF courses taught in mainline churches for each one disclosed on the Google search list. For instance, two Mainline churches in my neighborhood (both of which I have visited) support BSF Classes but do not appear on the BSF Web map.

Thousands of BSF classes taught in Mainline churches are not listed, an indication of BSF’s tactical discretion. Both groups are also wise and well enough funded to keep the profile low, and fees modest, mostly workbooks sales. The small cost is one apparent reason why both remain welcome and relatively unnoticed in adopted church homes. Is their generosity made possible by endowments from Israel?

Bottom line: Precept Ministries and BSF are teaching Zionism’s un-Christlike beliefs inside Mainline denominations without acute exposure and resistance! Mainline Zionism (MZ) becomes so well-established that some pastors and leaders dare not root it out without severe membership loss.

Most soft-sell-Zionist doctrine exposes itself, not inside the church, but in thousands of weakly home meetings, unobserved by church leadership. These home meetings are also social events, especially popular among women of the church.

Most dangerous, Precepts and BSF often receive free use of church facilities for organization meetings. Thus, they have access to the membership. Smaller teaching meetings with volunteer “facilitator” leaders is where Zionism thinking takes roots. I and others have learned about Christian Zionism from inside Evangelical Dispensational church classes.

Our prayer is that this will become your project because Christ-loving Mainline leaders are both the victims and the promise.

Chuck Carlson and members of We Hold These Truths discuss this article: