Watchman Fellowship Identifies Ken Blanchard as New Age

by Lighthouse Trails Research Project

While Rick Warren and Dr. David Jeremiah defend their connections with Ken Blanchard and continue with their plans to share speaking platforms with him, it turns out that Lighthouse Trails Publishing isn’t the first ministry to identify Blanchard as a New Ager.


In their 1997 article, “Chicken Soup for the Soul Reviewed,” Watchman Fellowship, a long standing cult-evangelistic ministry, in an article by Craig Branch, listed Ken Blanchard as a New Ager:

In A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul can be found at least 38 New Age or Mormon contributors or attributions, including M. Scott Peck, … Sai Baba, Martin Buber, Gandhi, … Leo Buscaglia, Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, Benjamin Hoff, Ken Blanchard, Canfield, Hansen, and T.M. promoter Harold Bloomfield.

Now, in the midst of ineffective defenses by David Jeremiah and Rick Warren, Ken Blanchard has apparently sought assistance from Watchman Fellowship in areas Blanchard terms, not as sin, but as “problematic.” In a statement Ken Blanchard posted on July 22 on his Lead Like Jesus website, he said:

“Recently, it was brought to my attention that some of my endorsements and book forewords are for books written by authors who espouse concepts that are contrary to Christian teachings. I did not realize that this was the case when I wrote these endorsements and forewords. But now after further study and discussions with other followers of Jesus who I respect and admire, including the staff at Watchman Fellowship, I understand why these are problematic and I promise that I will exercise better discernment in the future” — Ken Blanchard, July 22, 2005

Over the last few months, we have brought to your attention a growing list of events that have led up to this public statement by Ken Blanchard. (See list below.) Because we stand firm on our belief that Christian leaders, Christian seminaries and evangelical pastors are being used to help escalate the infiltration of New Age beliefs into the church, thus leading to great apostasy and deception, we cannot relent on exposing what appears to be a cover up of the truth and a minimizing of New Age influences.

We are calling for these leaders, seminaries and pastors to renounce all promotion and connection with the New Age and protect those God has placed in their care. (Acts 20: 27-31). Below is a recap of events:

• November 2003: Rick Warren announced to his Saddleback congregation that Ken Blanchard had ?signed on? to help implement Warren?s global peace plan. In the meantime, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels of Willow Creek and Ken Blanchard shared and continue to share the speaking platform at various widely-attended conferences.
  
• April 2005: Lighthouse Trails issues a press release showing connections between Rick Warren and Ken Blanchard and showing Ken Blanchard?s New Age connections and sympathies.
  
• May 23, 2005: Rick Warren Speaks at the Pew & Religion Forum and belittles the Five Fundamentals of the Faith, shows his adherence to Catholicism and announces that Peter Drucker is his mentor.
  
• May 29, 2005: Lighthouse Trails Publishing issues press release showing connections between Ken Blanchard, Bill Clinton, Peter Drucker and Mikhail Gorbachev in their global peace plan efforts.
  
• May 30, 2005: Rick Warren writes letter to Lighthouse Trails Publishing in opposition to April press release. However, the letter is filled with statements that are misleading and untrue.
  
• May 31, 2005: Rick Warren makes the letter he wrote to LTP public.
  
• June 23, 2005: Lighthouse Trails receives email from Saddleback?s Frank Cate who accuses LTP of being misinformed.
  
• June 24, 2005: Lighthouse Trails receives phone call from Frank Cate, who says LTP is damaging the Kingdom of God. LTP tells Frank Cate that if they have some evidence to prove their stand they need to present it so it can be examined. Nothing was ever sent.
  
• July 5, 2005: Deborah Dombrowski of Lighthouse Trails Publishing is interviewed on Cross Talk with Ingrid Schlueter. During the interview, which focuses on Ken Blanchard and Rick Warren, it is disclosed to the listeners that Dr. David Jeremiah of Turning Point Ministries, is scheduled to speak with Ken Blanchard at the Lead Like Jesus conference later this year.
  
• July 14, 2005: David Jeremiah writes letter to Deborah Dombrowski and defends Ken Blanchard and his association with Ken Blanchard. David Jeremiah makes his letter to LTP public immediately.
  
• July 17, 2005: Lighthouse Trails Publishing writes public response to David Jeremiah.
  
• July 21, 2005: Ken Blanchard posts statement on his Lead Like Jesus website.
  
• July 22, 2005, AM: Several hours after Blanchard posted his statement, it is removed from the Lead Like Jesus website.
  
• July 22, 2005, PM: A revised statement by Ken Blanchard is posted on the Lead Like Jesus website.