Vision Forum

Vision Forum was an evangelical Christian organization based in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1998,^[1] and its president was Doug Phillips, son of U.S. Constitution Party leader Howard Phillips. Vision Forum Ministries was a 501(c) non-profit organization which closed in November 2013 due to founder Doug Phillips' marital infidelity.^[2][3] The associated commercial operation was called Vision Forum, Inc. and continued to operate until January 2014, when it was announced that it too was shutting down operations. Vision Forum advocated Biblical patriarchy, creationism, homeschooling, Family Integrated Churches and Quiverfull beliefs.

Distinctive beliefs

Vision Forum was an advocate of "biblical patriarchy". The "Tenets of Biblical Patriarchy" article on its website advocated such beliefs as:^[4]

• God reveals Himself as masculine, not feminine.
• God ordained distinct gender roles for man and woman as part of the created order.
• A husband and father is the head of his household, a family leader, provider, and protector.
• Male leadership in the home carries over into the church: only men are permitted to hold the ruling office in the church. A God-honoring society will likewise prefer male leadership in civil and other spheres.
• Since the woman was created as a helper to her husband, as the bearer of children, and as a "keeper at home," the God-ordained and proper sphere of dominion for a wife is the household and that which is connected with the home.
• God's command to "be fruitful and multiply" still applies to married couples.
• Christian parents must provide their children with a thoroughly Christian education, one that teaches the Bible and a biblical view of God and the world.
• Both sons and daughters are under the command of their fathers as long as they are under his roof or otherwise the recipients of his provision and protection.
• The age-integrated communities of family and church are the God-ordained institutions for training and socialization and as such provide the preferred pattern for social life and educational endeavors.

Criticism

Vision Forum was criticized for allegedly holding views that demean women and view them as property. Don and Joy Veinot of Midwest Christian Outreach interpreted the Vision Forum statement to imply that "women really cannot be trusted as decision makers" and "unless a daughter marries, she functionally remains pretty much the property of the father until he dies."^[5] They also argued that Vision Forum promoted a "pagan top-down view of authority".^[6]

On April 15, 2014, Lourdes Torres-Manteufel filed a lawsuit alleging she had suffered years of sexual abuse at the hands of Doug Phillips, a strong proponent of "Biblical patriarchy" and founder of Vision Forum.^[7]

Events

The organization sponsored the Christian Filmmakers Academy and the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.^[8][9]

In 2007, the group organized an alternative celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, saying that the official celebration did not give enough emphasis to the Christian perspective of the settlers.^[10]

Jonathan Park

Jonathan Park is a radio drama series created by Pat and Sandy Roy at the Institute for Creation Research in the late 1990s that was later produced by Vision Forum Ministries. The storyline revolves around the lives and families of fictional characters Dr. Kendall Park and Jim Brenan as they build a creation museum.^[11]

Albums

• Volume 1: Jonathan Park: The Adventure Begins ISBN 1-929241-85-2
• Volume 2: Jonathan Park: No Looking Back ISBN 1-929241-87-9
• Volume 3: Jonathan Park: The Winds of Change ISBN 0-9755263-6-7
• Volume 4: Jonathan Park: The Hunt for Beowulf ISBN 0-9787559-1-X
• Volume 5: Jonathan Park: The Explorer's Society ISBN 0-9787559-6-0
• Volume 6: Jonathan Park: The Journey Never Taken ISBN 1-933431-84-9
• Volume 7: Jonathan Park: The Voyage Beyond ISBN 1-933431-86-5
• Volume 8: Jonathan Park: The Copper Scroll ISBN 1-937460-15-0
• Volume 9: Jonathan Park: The Whispering Sphinx ISBN 1-937460-62-2
• Volume 10: Jonathan Park: The Journey Home ISBN 9-781941510-28-5
• Jonathan Park Goes to the Zoo ISBN 1-934554-28-6
• Jonathan Park Goes to the Aquarium ISBN 1-934554-29-4
• Jonathan Park Goes to the Galapagos ISBN 978-1-933431-74-1
• Jonathan Park Goes to the Amazon ISBN 0-982945-26-4

References

Notes

1. "Creative Media". Vision Forum.
2. "The Closing of Vision Forum Ministries". Vision Forum.
3. "An Infidelity Scandal Just Shuttered a Major 'Biblical Patriarchy' Organization". The Wire.
4. "The Tenets of Biblical Patriarchy". Vision Forum.
5. Veinot & Veinot 2007, p. 4 – emphasis original.
6. Veinot & Veinot 2007, p. 7
7. Schilling, Chelsea (April 15, 2014). "Christian Giant Sued for 'Using Nanny as Sex Object'".
8. "Christian filmmakers to discuss replacement industry for Hollywood". Catholic News Agency. July 23, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
9. Kimball, Josh (January 4, 2009). "Over 700 Students to Converge Ahead of Top Christian Film Fest". The Christian Post. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
10. Geroux, Bill (April 11, 2007). "An alternative Jamestown fete: Christian group says it wants to shine more light on role of God". Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia). Retrieved 24 January 2010.
11. 'About Jonathan Park' from official Web site

Bibliography

• Veinot, L. L. (Don); Veinot, Joy (Spring 2007). Midwest Christian Outreach Journal (PDF).

External links

• Vision Forum Ministries – non-profit organization
• Vision Forum, Inc. – commercial arm
• Jonathan Park
• San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival