My dear readers,

Answering Remaining Questions asked during Calvary Pandan Bible Camp 2026 (7)

Question One:

A fundamental BP church that holds an annual church camp has recently adopted a policy allowing members from other BP or external churches to attend and listen to the messages, but not to participate in fellowship activities. This is due to concerns that close interaction might negatively influence their members. Would this approach be considered a way of protecting the faith? At what point does safeguarding one’s beliefs become excessive or overly restrictive?

Answer One:

Based on the question asked, it is not a matter of space or any physical limitations that defines “no close interaction”.

Sadly, this approach of “protecting the faith” is one of isolation, not biblical separation. The church leaders probably feel that their members are spiritual infants, lacking the spiritual maturity and discernment to distinguish between truth and error and between godly and sinful influence. This approach to shielding is like parents trying to shield their children from the world as they are babies and toddlers with no ability to distinguish good from bad. They want to shut the world out from their lives so that they might not experience the evils of the world. However, this will put them in grave danger of their faith and of their witness for Christ. Every believer lives in two worlds: the virtual world of the internet and the real world. Both worlds have their evil tentacles in every fabric of society. Isolation only delays the inevitable. Biblical education is the only way to protect God's children from the seductive powers and deceptions of this evil world.

On the other hand, there may be another reason commonly found in cults or cultic churches, where leaders deceive their congregations into believing they are hearing God's truth and obeying God's Word in their lives, when in reality they are obeying the leaders' forceful opinions. The reason these cultic leaders cut their members off from contact with the “outside” world is that they fear their lies and deception may be exposed. They fear that their ignorant followers may have their “eyes opened” and know the truth of their leaders’ cultic behaviour and unbiblical teaching. Churches are breeding grounds for cults, or at least cultic behaviours, if leaders and members are not careful.

Paul warned of two basic types of enemies that churches will encounter. The first is enemies from outside wanting to enter in and destroy the flock of Christ. Some of their methods include false doctrines, sending in slanderers and gossipers, and false teachers and pastors. The second type is from within the church, where these could be friends or relatives whom members are familiar with. Pastors are the best candidates for controlling their members through falsehoods that pass as God’s biblical truth. Through intimidation, fear and threats, the members will comply and are made into the image of these cultic leaders. Without their permission, no one dares to act or make any decisions. If they ever do, they will be scolded, humiliated publicly so that others may be frightened into submission. Paul’s warning is in Acts 20:29-30: “²⁹For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

These cultic leaders use fear and humiliating tactics. They control their followers with threats. These threats are usually made publicly from the pulpit so that the rest may fear. The message is that if anyone were to follow in the same “rebellious” footsteps of these “ungrateful disciples”, then they must be prepared for the same humiliation and embarrassment. Fear of man has always been the tactic of the devil in controlling sinful man. When the fear of the leader in a church becomes the attitude that grips members' hearts when they attend church for worship, fellowship, service and the study of God's Word, cultism has already set in. Below is a short write-up explaining some of the marks of a cult.

“According to the Cult Education Institute, there are specific warning signs to look out for when considering whether a group might be a cult. Cults are characterized by:

1. Absolute authoritarianism without accountability
2. Zero tolerance for criticism or questions
3. Lack of meaningful financial disclosure regarding the budget
4. Unreasonable fears about the outside world that often involve evil conspiracies and persecutions
5. A belief that former followers are always wrong for leaving, and there is never a legitimate reason for anyone else to leave
6. Abuse of members
7. Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group
8. Followers feel that they are never able to be ‘good enough’
9. A belief that the leader is right at all times
10. A belief that the leader is the exclusive means of knowing ‘truth’ or giving validation.

Cults are dangerous because they typically rely on deceptive and authoritarian practices to make members dependent on and obedient to the group. Cults often cut members off from other forms of social and financial support and pose both physical and psychological risks to members of the group.” [Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-cult-5078234]

Church life is like Christian home life. There ought not to be fear and trepidation of a charismatic and dictatorial leader when worshippers go to church for worship. Threats and humiliation cannot be a God-honouring motivation for church attendance. Church attendance is like home where Christ is Head, and God’s Word is faithfully preached and taught and joyfully obeyed by God's children. Church camps and all worship and fellowship meetings must be places where God's children can mingle and share their lives freely. The teaching from God's Word on such interaction is clear. Hebrews 10:23-25: “²³Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) ²⁴And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: ²⁵Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:23-25 cannot be obeyed without interaction. Hurts and heartaches are inevitable in Christian interactions. The arena where every Christian discovers the reality of their salvation in Christ is when they get hurt and hurt one another, and learn to forgive and reconcile. In this manner, they transform theory into experiential reality. We live in a world of hurts and pains, and in the midst of evil and wicked people, we must trust God to protect His children according to all His biblical promises. For example, He has promised us that all believers will be tempted only according to the measure of their faith. 1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

Leaders must always protect God’s flock under their care. But they must not protect them by isolation, but by teaching them God’s Truth and living out God’s Truth in their lives. Can you imagine attending a church camp where outsiders and church members are afraid to speak to one another because the members fear sinning against their leaders? Suspicion, spying and reporting on one another will become the norm. The church camp will no longer be a place to experience a foretaste of heaven, and where Christians love and care for one another in the Lord. It will be very much like the outside world, with mistrust, suspicion, and the fear of man. Church camp will no longer be church camp, but people living in fear under house arrest.