Andy Stanley, the Unconditional Conference, and why his “version” of Christianity is a cautionary tale for all of us

In 2002, I joined hundreds of other attendees at the Beyond All Limits Conference in Orlando, FL. Evangelical luminaries spoke in succession, providing biblical insight and counsel as the Christian church transitioned into the 21^st century. Speakers included Jerry Falwell, Bill Bright, Tony Evans, and David Jeremiah.

And Andy Stanley.

At that time North Point Community Church was an infant congregation, and Andy Stanley was a humble pastor whose message was biblical and sound.

But in the twenty-one years since Orlando, Andy Stanley has followed a slow but predictable path into the kind of progressivism that is haunting evangelical Christianity. In ways that would be odd if not so tragic, he has managed to convince himself that his “version” of Christianity is more biblical than that historic “version” that has been passed down through generations of the faithful.

And that’s how he defends the Unconditional Conference held in late September at North Point Community Church.

The Unconditional Conference

When North Point announced the Unconditional Conference, it received immediate attention.

Organized by Embracing the Journey, a pro-LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, and hosted by North Point, the conference was promoted as a place “for parents of LGBTQ+ children and for ministry leaders looking to discover ways to support parents and LGBTQ+ children in their churches.”

The LGBTQ community applauded the conference and Stanley’s apparent willingness to affirm families struggling with LGBTQ issues.

But Christian leaders, journalists, and pastors criticized the conference and Stanley’s part in hosting it. And few were more direct than Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Al Mohler’s criticism

Mohler’s response, published ten days before the conference, focused on the simple truth that Stanley’s affirmation of an LGBTQ+ lifestyle, whether explicit or implicit, demonstrated a clear “departure from historic normative Biblical Christianity.”

He catalogued Stanley’s slide in the direction of cultural accommodation by noting his past statements leading to a progressive conclusion.

Stanley could not ignore Mohler’s indictment. He suffered repercussions and knew that ignoring Mohler was unwise. So, on Sunday, October 1, Andy Stanley responded from the platform of NPCC.

Andy’s explanation

Mohler’s criticism and Stanley’s response illustrate the widening cultural divide in evangelical Christianity, as some pastors and congregations are departing from the historic faith in favor of cultural progressivism.

Stanley’s 49-minute explanation of the Unconditional Conference and the church’s stance is informative and, in some places, insightful. So, on that, let’s be honest. He’s onto something. The evangelical church needs to do a better job loving and leading people impacted by the sin of same-sex attraction. Our churches loudly condemn sin, but rarely help the sinner or families broken by sinful behavior. Parents, in particular, need help in this area. So, I give him credit for the idea.

But his approach, evidenced by his explanation, lacks biblical grounding. In fact, he equivocates more than he explains.

I watched the full video, and when he said his final “Amen” I was disappointed to see how far Andy Stanley has drifted from the man I heard speak in Orlando. 

His departure from biblical Christianity is revealed in three striking ways.

• He thinks there are two versions of Christianity.

Stanley begins his response to Mohler (whom he does not address by name) by defining where they differ. He claims that he and Mohler subscribe to two different “versions of biblical Christianity.”

And he distinguishes his version from Mohler’s by offering that where Mohler’s version “draws lines” his version “draws circles.”

That is to say, like so many Christians that fall into progressivism, Stanley understands unconditional love to equate to unconditional approval.

But let’s be clear. There is only one version of “biblical Christianity.” It’s the version Jesus embodied, and Paul taught. It’s the version that says, yes, God loves you unconditionally but loves you too much to unconditionally approve of your actions and behaviors.

See, biblical Christianity is both circles and lines, grace and truth, mercy and judgment.

The only version of Christianity that is biblical is the version that has been handed down through the ages. It is neither modern nor postmodern. It is simply biblical. And it’s the version in which God calls the guilty to repent of their sin so that He can forgive that sin (Luke 24:46-48, Rom. 2:4).

• He thinks his opinion matters more than the truth.

Throughout his explanation, Stanley never interacts with Scripture. Not until the end of the 49-minute message does he invoke the words of Jesus, and that’s only to cherry-pick a passage to affirm his own “circles” view of Jesus’ ministry (Matt.11:28-30).

But the purpose of a “Christian” conference of any kind, as with any Christian teaching, is to apply the Bible to our situation. We yield to God’s truth, not the other way around. And our opinions are judged by what the Bible says. Again, not the other way around.

Stanley has tumbled far enough that he no longer sees the place where he started. The Bible is not in his frame of reference. He basically dispensed with it when he renounced the Old Testament in 2016, perhaps not realizing that it is impossible to correctly interpret most of the New Testament without a healthy grasp of the Old Testament.

In biblical Christianity—the version taught in the Bible itself—the Bible informs our beliefs, and our actions result from those beliefs. So, the Unconditional Conference is a cautionary tale of what happens when pastors and churches replace biblical truth with personal opinion, preferences, and feelings.

• He thinks the church should yield to the culture.

Andy Stanley is so accustomed to taking his cues from culture he may not even realize there is a problem with it.

In his message, Stanley provides insights into the faith struggles of gay people and of families impacted by these struggles. He offers statistics (although without support) and leans on personal experience and intimate conversations. All of this is quite compelling. But it’s what he does with these insights that results in an unbiblical approach to the problem.

He exhorts—no, requires—the church to listen to, affirm, and adopt the directives of the LGBTQ+ community. That, he asserts, is the best way to minister to that demographic in culture.

Progressivism cultivates the belief that only victims have a moral voice—and “victims” are defined by intersectionality and perceived social suffering. Stanley adopts that position. He has become the Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Director of his church, requiring his congregation to listen to the LGBTQ+ community and to yield to that community rather than the universal moral voice of Scripture.

One more thing

In his remarks, Stanley admits that he might sound arrogant. Well, he got that right. As far as he is concerned, he is the only one who knows how churches can help parents of children struggling with same-sex attraction. 

The Andy Stanley of 2002 is gone, along with any humility seasoned by serious Bible study and ministry ethics. The Andy Stanley of 2023 embraces the arrogance of postmodern progressivism.

And this is a cautionary tale for all of us. Beware if you find yourself substituting your “version” of Christianity for biblical truth. There is only one version of biblical Christianity.

And that’s the only version that changes lives.

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.

1 Cor. 1:18