Pentecostalism
.
"For such are false 'Apostles', deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into 'Apostles' of CHRISTOS,
and no wonder, for even satan transforms
himself into an 'Angel of Light'."
2Cor 11:13-15
1. Introduction
Pentecostalism was founded in 1832 AD as 'Universal Church' and was colloquially known as 'Irvingism'. This mother church of (Proto-) Pentecostalism was renamed and defined in 1849 AD with 'Catholic Apostolic Church', and the religion's name 'Pentecostalism' as known today was coined during the early 20th century. It overlaps with the Latter Rain Movement, Jesus Only Movement (Oneness Pentecostalism), and with the New Apostolic Reformation bearing the name of the New Apostolic Church, a schism from the original movement.
Pentecostalism is generally only traced back to the 20th century, while an uncertainty about its origin is usually articulated. This special discernment fills therefore an important gap and is possibly first of its kind, by actually proving the religion's origin in the Catholic Apostolic Church and most importantly by connecting the individual stages conclusively. As usual for this ministry, all information is given in a condensed form and each particular information can be read in greater detail in the documentation and original sources [linked] at the end of each paragraph or section. The author of this work strives for transparency and honesty when it comes to interpretation and discernment, and you will therefore often find weighting words such as 'certainly', 'most probably', 'probably', 'possibly' or 'eventually', which express the scale of confidence of a certain finding. You will further notice that small portions of the discernment are repeated for example in the timeline and once again related to a specific topic or problem. You will also encounter, especially in the first section, many different characters and dates which might appear overwhelming at first. Try to focus on the context and the spiritual aspects.
In the second section, the 'Timeline of Pentecostalism', we will see 7 principal stages,
1) the founding of the 'Catholic Apostolic Church' in England (~1832),
2) the schism of the 'Catholic Christian Apostolic Mission' / 'New Apostolic Church' in Germany (1863),
3) the founding of the 'Christian Catholic Apostolic Church' in the US (~1895),
4) the name 'Pentecostalism' itself (after 1901),
5) the revivals (1906 Los Angeles, 1994 Toronto) which spread this denomination far and wide,
6) their outreach arm called the 'Charismatic Movement' (1946),
7) the creation of the '7-Mountain-Mandate' (1975) and of the 'New Apostolic Reformation' (1995).
In the third section, 'Specific Problems of Pentecostalism', we will see that it
1) is a Protestant denomination which in its origin was heavily intertwined with Calvinism (Presbyterian church), the Anglican and Roman Catholic church and explicitly with Freemasonry, which has adapted several tenets from Mormonism, and which was also shaped by the Methodist church.
2) it creates and overemphasizes a post-salvation experience known as 'the baptism in the holy spirit'. This baptism in turn is supposedly evidenced by the reception of 'the charismata' or supernatural gifts that are indeed given by the HOLY SPIRIT to whomever He pleases, in whatever degree He pleases (see study).
3) overemphasizes and often abuses the gifts of Healing, Prophecy and Speaking in Tongues, and was infamous pioneer in reinstating after more than 1700 years the formal office of an 'Apostle'. This new office is based on a highly questionable extension of the legitimate apostolic gift, which, unlike the office of an apostle, includes certain qualities such as preaching the Evangelium, missionary activity, and the founding of new churches at home and abroad, but is not synonymous with the office of an apostle, who, according to the Bible, was a direct eyewitness of IESOUS. In 1835, 12 apostles were formally ordained, and since then, there have been thousands of 'apostles', as is increasingly the case today e.g. in Africa. Other gifts which are less impressive are usually not desired, and gifts such as discernment, exhortation or wisdom are virtually not found there and often despised.
In the fourth and last section, 'Problematic Teachers', we will see a list with the most relevant and highly problematic teachers of the movement, each spiritually discerned through very brief points.
2. Timeline of Pentecostalism and Related Events
[1830 AD] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church, introduced the 'Baptism of Fire and of the holy ghost', which they call 'Confirmation', a practise which would later be adopted in a very similar form by Pentecostalism (also by the laying on of hands; also often wrongly considered a sort of sacrament of initiation). Mormon scriptures badly confuse the punitive meaning of 'baptism of fire' (more details below), see Doctrine and Covenants 20:41; 33:11 and 39:6. [1] [2]
[1832 AD] The 'Universal Church' (founded in Albury & London; colloquially called the 'Irvingites'; adoption of the name 'Catholic Apostolic Church (CAC)' in Jan 1849) was financed and presided by Henry Drummond (1786-1860; England) and spiritually and theologically founded by Edward Irving (1792-1834; Scottish). [see also the separate discernment of Henry Drummond]
A closed group called the 'Albury Circle' met since 1826 at the Albury estate of Drummond (near London; the breeding ground and so-to-say 'Mother Church of the CAC and of Pentecostalism'), where also all their 12 Apostles are buried. The main theological input at those meetings came from Edward Irving (thus the name Irvingism) and their members likened him proudly as their forerunner to John the Baptist. Interesting to note is that this initial pride has turned today in a rejection of the predicate 'Irvingism' and rather into a concealment of their origins. We will soon learn why this dramatic shift in the acceptance of their spiritual founder occurred.
This circle from Albury soon extended to 7 churches and 45 members in 1832, to 200 members in 1834, to 60 locations in the UK in 1836, and to 938 worldwide locations in 1901 (349x UK, 348x Germany where many ministers and theological writings came from, 59x Denmark, 29x US et al.).
Irving had possibly an affinity to the black arts, and his mentor Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his friend Thomas Carlyle's influences led him into metaphysical speculations, to (Catholic / German) Mysticism and Transcendental Poetry, specifically to ideas of Meister Eckhardt (RCC priest). The triangle of Irving, Coleridge, and Carlyle is also described in great detail and with great insight in Trevor Tucker's dissertation, 'The Preacher and the Poets: The Relationships of Edward Irving with Carlyle and Coleridge', where we learn much about their friendships and mutual dependencies as mentors and mentees. It is also interesting to note that Coleridge later showed signs of remorse when he realized the harmful effects of his influence on Irving, after Coleridge had meanwhile turned away from Unitarianism and Universalism, and now seemed to be walking a more biblical path.
While Irving was initially highly regarded, he began in 1825 to take on the role as a self-assumed apocalyptic prophet, after he was heavily influenced by the Calvinist lawyer Hatley Frere and the Jesuit priest Manuel Lacunza (1731-1801; Drummond introduced Irving to this work), and after he learned from them about conjectural prophecy / Zionism / the Roman Catholic doctrine of the 'Imminent Return of Christ' (which is consequently still prevalent in Pentecostalism today; see below).
He even translated Lacunza's heretical works while adding 138 own pages of a 'Preliminary Discourse' (in summer 1826 - Jan 1827; possibly with helpers from Drummond and eventually from Rome, because he hardly learned Spanish and translated ~500 pages in half a year).
But his main problem and the possible reason why THEOS so-to-say 'handed him over to satan', was Irving's Calvinism (Presbyterian), his strong reliance on imagination in his sermons and his consideration of the Bible as one of many sources for sanctification, while turning himself into a mystical philosopher.
In the year 1830, two women in West Scotland (~Port Glasgow) would change the history of the church for the bad. Mary Campbell (in her 20s) would speak and prophecy on her death bed for 1 hour in 'tongues' (March 1830), before she was 'miraculously' healed. Mary was the daughter of the military officer and clergyman Donald Campbell, and her sister Isabel, who had died 2 years earlier of tuberculosis, was already being venerated as a saint and people made pilgrimages to her because of her special gifts of prophecy, visions and apparitions. Her public memorial site is still shown on Google Maps today and even the famous William Wilberforce deeply admired her. Mary then continued her sister's 'legacy' and their house was constantly filled with religious fanatics of various degrees of intensity, which caused the pastor Robert Story to rebuke Mary in a letter, but she rejected the exhortation in her answer. After her brother died soon after, she and those fanatics would even go through a horrible ceremony for the purpose of supposedly restoring him to life again.
Mary's friend Margaret MacDonald (age 15) had also on her sick bed a 2-3 hour 'baptism in the spirit' and a probably demonic vision of a 'Pre-Tribulational Rapture'.
Those two women came from an area and related to a church, where Irving's close friends John Macloeod Campbell and Robert Story were ministers (Story's parish was at the corner of the Fernicarry House where Isabel and Mary Campbell lived; Isabel was his Sunday school scholar and he wrote after her death a memoir about her which was sold in the UK and US), and where in the preceding 3 years there had been an active exchange of ministers being trained at Albury, and Irving and those ministers had preached in turn up north. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
The famous John Nelson Darby, who attended the Albury Circle and was mentored by Edward Irving since 1827 (!), then travelled with a small team to Scotland and lived 2-3 weeks at the home of John Macleod Campbell (Pastor of Isabel and Mary Campbell) so as to verify the happenings. Second in the team was the later CAC apostle Francis Sitwell, who participated in gatherings at the MacDonald's family home and was charged by Irving to lead this group of ~awakening~. The later CAC apostle John Bate Cardale also travelled there in the same year together with 2 doctors, and his wife was then in 1831 the very first person in England to receive 'the gift'. Another traveller was William Rennie Caird, who actually married Mary Campbell in 1831 and brought her to London, who spoke the first prophecy in 1831 at Albury and who was ordained there in 1832 (evangelist for Germany) and in 1865 as 'Coadjutor apostle'. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
John Thomas Perceval (a Roman Catholic and military officer; brother of the later CAC 'Apostle' Spencer Perceval and son of the British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval assasinated in 1812) became also involved in the 'miracles' in Scotland, which in his own words were the origin of an acute psychotic illness developed in the very same year in 1830. He was then kept until 1834 in 2 madhouses, where he was held in a strait-waistcoat and suffered a "barbarous" treatment. His visions, command hallucinations and catatonic postures are described in this summary, he further wrote two books about his psychosis (anonymously in 1838; under his real name in 1840) and became through the 'Alleged Lunatics Friend Society' (ALFS, founded by him and also strongly supported by Drummond) a self-referred 'attorney of all her majesty's madmen'. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
'Apostle' Thomas Carlyle later remarked: "In Scotland, the gifts became barren, like water poured onto the earth and running away. Most withdrew the gifts or died." This remark suggests that there were some premature deaths associated with the revival. [1]
Back home, those events in Port Glasgow nevertheless caused great enthusiasm amongst Irving's followers (called 'Irvingians or Irvingites') and they adopted also the unprecedented 'Pre-Tribulational Rapture' doctrine (already developed since 1828 by Drummond, in a tract he called 'The Lord is at Hand'), which has since infiltrated the worldwide church tremendously.
John Nelson Darby then played (another) decisive role in the formulation and propagation of this dispensational doctrine, which had its origin not only in Margaret MacDonald, but in parts also in the same Manuel Lacunza whose works Edward Irving had not only translated 4 years earlier, but now even used those at Albury as a guide to outline the conference sessions. In simple words for the layman - the false doctrine that followers of CHRISTOS will be raptured / whisked away -before- the Great Tribulation, did originate in between 1828-30 - primarily facilitated through the Albury Circle and Edward Irving and further developed by Darby thereafter. Both Irving and Darby also popularized the idea of a Third Temple including the restoration of animal sacrifices, which stands in stark contrast to the entire New Testament! [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
Created by Thomas Lorenz. For other lists of participants, please see here, here (p. 63) and here.
In the year 1831 following the events in Port Glasgow, both Irving's home and his Presbyterian congregation became the scene of extraordinary psychic / eccentric manifestations and the Irvingites were 'seized' with the gift of speaking in 'tongues' (which some admitted to have faked so as to encourage Irving), effected cures and prophesied (as e.g. the prophet Baxter who later retracted in his writings his previous prophecies and attributed everything to self-desception). Their main prophet Edward Oliver Taplin was not only the first male in London to speak in tongues but also falsely prophesied later in 1834 that Irving should travel to Scotland where he would convert large crowds. But he died there shortly after having followed Taplin's deception . . . ).
Irving used phrases such as 'when I work miracles ...', and was even criticized by close friends who considered his manifestations as 'gibberish / symptoms of madness / of demonic activity / of the devil's work'.
Even his mentee John Nelson Darby would distance himself from the fanciful prophecies of Irving and his Irvingites, and the famous C. I. Scofield, who further developed Dispensationalism after Darby, denied later that Irving was the source of this doctrine after the same had been excommunicated . . .
He was not only excommunicated and locked out of his church (Apr 1832), but formed with about half of the former congregation (approx. 800 Calvinists) his Catholic Apostolic Church close to his former church, while continue meeting with the inner circle at Albury, where also shrieks and shaking were reported next to strange tongues.
This new church, including other nearly simultaneously created locations, was mainly made up of Anglicans, Calvinists (Presbyterians), Methodists and also Roman Catholics, taught the real presence of CHRISTOS in the Eucharist (Consubstantiation), and endorsed the Apocrypha through Irving and Henry Drummond (main financier; leader until Irving was formally reordained as its chief pastor and 'Angel' in 1834 but would die that same year; apostle; active as lieutenant-colonel long before, during and after the church plant!!!; member of parliament; well known for his scathing attacks on political economists; author), and taught "the restoration of the prophetic gifts to the universal church".
They set up 7 churches in London corresponding to Revelation and appointed 12 'Apostles' with worldwide jurisdictions (in Nov 1832; together with their angels, evangelists and prophets a total of originally 135 official ministers of the CAC).
In 1847, those 12 apostles introduced a practise, which is probably except for Mormonism without comparison, the 'Holy Sealing' of the living (later extended to include also the dead, as practised in the New Apostolic Church and also in Mormonism where it is called 'Baptism for the Dead'). Now the apostles sealed the first 1000 living believers in England to be supposedly part of the 144.000 in Revelation. This happened precisely 3 years after the Mormons first sealed in 1844!
Those apostles were in their opinion also divinely ordained to prepare an Imminent Second Coming, which Irving falsely prophesied for 1864 (while the CAC produced a great number of false prophecies, proclaiming the Second Coming for 14th of July 1835, Christmas 1838, 14th of July 1842, 1845, 1847, 1866 and 14th of July 1877 . . . ). All these seven prophecies, of course, turned out to be false, but despite this evidence of incapacity and of severe transgression of biblical commands, and despite some migration within their rows, this movement would have a significant future and build impressive churches, even if later on it would spread primarily in Germany and, via the US, throughout the world.
Another significant false prophecy was based upon the apostles themselves and most definitely proclaimed that those would not die before the Lord came, but would be taken up to meet Him in the air in their living bodies. When one apostle after another died a normal death (Carlyle and MacKenzie within 3 days in 1855, Dow also in 1855, Perceval 1859, Drummond 1860, Tudor 1861, Sitwell 1864, King 1865, Dalton 1869, Cardale 1877, Armstrong 1879, Woodhouse as last in 1901), their 'believers' were consoled with the explanation that the apostles, although dead, would nevertheless live on and seal the elect in paradise until their number was complete, and would also be resurrected with the other righteous before the Second Coming and thus be raptured alive.
The CAC further believed that while the original 12 apostles were foundational, a 13th apostle was necessary for the fullness of the church. This role was filled by various individuals in different locations, including the US (soft pointer to John Alexander Dowie; see below).
The New Apostolic Church would later emerge from the CAC and dissolve their restriction of 12 Apostles, which was at that point obsolete because the first 5 prophesies regarding the Second Imminent Coming had not materialized while in the same time half of the apostles had already died (see 1863 schism below; 3 years after the death of Drummond).
Key Places of the Catholic Apostolic Church / the Proto-Pentecostal church
>> Connector to John Alexander Dowie (Pentecostalism in the US):
Edinburgh was a key place in the development of (Proto-) Pentecostalism. Alexander John Scott (Mentee to Edward Irving; he prepared the breeding ground for the 'miracles' in Port Glasgow), John Macleod Campbell (Pastor of Mary Campbell) and William Cunningham (participant at Albury) studied there (Cunningham became later even Professor of Theology there), and many others involved in the CAC established connections. William Rennie Caird, the husband of Mary Campbell and coadjutor apostle of the CAC, died in Edinburgh in 1894 (he could have well met John Alexander Dowie in ~1869 after Caird wrote already in 1843 that he has to go to Edinburgh).
Irving himself spent actually at least 10 years at Edinburgh (University; Master of Arts since 1805; Divinity degree in 1815), which had a secular beginning and was less ecclesiastical than other universities, and where the ideas of the Age of Enlightenment were well received.
Irving was once again sent to Edinburgh to preach there in the year 1834, when the Catholic Apostolic Church set up not coincidentally its first branch outside of London in Edinburgh (1834 at Magdalene Chapel - 1836 at Bristo Place - 1872 at Mansfield Place; click on links for locations in Google Maps).
This precise assembly would after the death of Irving and Drummond strongly influence John Alexander Dowie (also Scottish, a native of Edinburgh) during his studies at the Free Church College in Edinburgh in 1869 (see map, 500m distance to the CAC; on the corner of the Edinburgh University where he mainly studied), to become a faith healer in Australia, and later 'tour' with great success through the US and create a new CAC church near Chicago.
This '(Christian) Catholic Apostolic Church' (see 1893 AD below) would not only
- A) use a name nearly eponymous to the 'Catholic Apostolic Church' in London (while the addition 'Christian' is also not new, because the 'Allgemeine Christliche Apostolische Mission' founded during the 1863 schism in Hamburg, used already the addition 'Christian' in their name; the full name was translated from the English 'Catholic Christian Apostolic' Mission into German), but Dowie would even
- B) name its location and the new city 'Zion City' in continuation of Irving's vision of Zionism (Irving's church was closely associated with the 'London Jew's Society; Dowie also admired Mormonism which is strong in Zionism while Irving endorsed Mormonism with some critical observations), the CAC even having employed a so-called 'Council of Zion' (a kind of church parliament that met monthly; presided by the ministers of the 7 churches in London) and the NAC branch in Germany having published the bi-monthly magazine 'Watchman's Voice from Zion', and
- C) call himself also an 'Apostle', although not the 13th Apostle, but the 'First Apostle' (in 1904 - precisely 3 years after the last of the 12 Apostles in the UK had died.
- D) Both ministries acted in the 'spirit of Elijah', so as to fulfil a prophetic role preparing the way for CHRISTOS' return and as precursor to the restoration of the apostolate. Dowie even called himself 'Elijah the Restorer'.
Removing any remaining doubt about this unfortunately very rarely recognized yet very significant connection - Dowie called Edward Irving his "predecessor" and stated that "a greater and mightier man of G-d never stood upon the earth". [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]
[1835 AD] The Irvingians introduced Old Covenant tithing (initiated in 1833, formalized in 1835) so as to finance their huge apparatus of 135 ministers. This implied explicitly 10% of the gross income and it had to be brought each week. Before this time, the words tithe and tithing as used in the church referred to any voluntary offering, regardless of the amount. [1] [2] [see also the study 'NT Giving vs. OT Tithing']
[1838 AD] Mormons officially adopted the principle of tithing in the US. This was formalized after a previous revelation received by Joseph Smith, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 119. [1]
[1863 AD] The New Apostolic Church (founded in Hamburg) was a schism from the Catholic Apostolic Church which opposed under the leadership of Friedrich Wilhelm Schwartz (Chief apostle; originally ordained by the CAC apostle Francis Valentine Woodhouse) and Heinrich Geyer (Prophet, ordained by Thomas Carlyle) the restriction of 12 Apostles and currently counts 334 Apostles and 9 million members. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
This New Apostolic Church was most certainly name giver for the New Apostolic Reformation (a fact usually denied while claiming that the NAR is a very loose movement), indirectly affirmed by C. Peter Wagner himself in his 1998 book 'The New Apostolic Churches', where he over and over relates the NAR to specifically the term 'New Apostolic Church' (this precise designation appears more than 20 times in this book with the same title!). [1] [2] [3] [4]
This first major denomination of the CAC showed the evil fruit of Irvingianism.
- A) They practice purgatory (prayers for the dead). Divine services for the 'faithful' departed take place thrice a year and they pray that souls who have died in an unredeemed state may find salvation in Christ. [1]
- B) They also practise the 'Holy Sealing' of the dead. This "true sacrament" not 'only' intercedes for the dead (which would be 'Purgatory' which in itself is evil enough), but actually goes even one step further and declares them saved upon the request, and in the presence of a respective relative. Their apostle Gustav Ruff sealed on one journey alone 161 living and 360 dead, while the apostle Friedrich Krebs sealed at least 1263 living and 1603 dead people, meaning that they sealed disproportionately more dead! "Through prayer, G‑d is supposedly asked whether this or that long-dead person should be sealed; if a "yes" is received, then it is considered, under all sorts of pious deception, to be 'apostolic' and pleasing to G‑d, despite the Lord's strict prohibition against contacting the dead (Deu 18:11). During the sealing, the church leader unlocks the realm of the dead, someone prophesies and usually sees figures ascending. After the sealing, the relatives of the deceased step forward and receive Holy Communion for the deceased."
- C) They practise Infant Baptism, seal children of any age once they are baptized and include them in the communion.
- D) One prophecy was documented as following: "When the dear Apostle Krebs began to pray, I saw the sun and the moon radiating a great light. I also saw a snake with a wreath, but it quickly disappeared. During the sealing, the sun returned, and much heavenly fire and light descended upon the apostles". Visions involving a snake must make any Bible scholar shudder; after all, the Roman Catholic Church began with Constantine's vision of the sun, and books could be filled with the association of the moon with problematic beliefs.
- E) Their Lord's Prayer is typically concluded with "Deliver us from evil", whereupon the 'priest' grants absolution with the words: "In the name and deed of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the ministry of grace sent, to which the power to bind and to loose is given, I proclaim to you full grace and forgiveness, and I absolve you from all your sins. Peace be with you!" Their catechism clearly grants the right to bind and to lose, and to forgive sins, in imitation to the RCC. [1] [2]
- F) Their 'Chief Apostle' Niehaus, had the audacity to mock the Word. He called the Bible moldy bread and stale water: "I also had a Bible and placed it on the cupboard, and after a while I found that the mice had eaten Jesus and the apostles. That is your Jesus, those are your apostles, whom not even a mouse respects." [1]
- G) They communicate that each of their apostles is a personified Christ. In the 'Apostolic Hymnal' (published by W. Sebastian in Wolfenbuttel), hymn no. 281 addresses their 'apostle': "He bears the key of hell and death, in the flesh, G-d stands before us". The apostle Niehaus said about the apostle Krebs: "Today it is clear before my eyes – his [Fritz Krebs's] word has been fulfilled. He paid for the guilt [of humanity] with his life. Weeping and pleading, Father Krebs stood before his G‑d for us humans. A hot stream of Christ's blood flowed from Father Krebs's mouth. Krebs was transfigured in the workings of the Spirit, full of divinity. This was no longer a human being; it could only be Christ, as Father Krebs also proclaimed at the Lord's Supper: This is my flesh, although I am still alive." Numerous other examples are documented, where either the apostle himself, often apostles each other, or others glorified the office and person of their apostles. [1] [2] [3] [4]
[1873 AD] The doctrine 'G‑d requires man to give Him a tenth of all money earned', appeared in the United States. It implied monetary tithes to the poor outside of the institutional church. [1]
[1888 AD] John Alexander Dowie copied the principle of Tithing upon his arrival to the US from the Mormons, whereof he would intend to become a member soon after. He initially demanded 10% from every member of his 'International Divine Healing Association' and continued this obligation through his 'Catholic Apostolic Church' in Zion. Furthermore, every inhabitant of Zion City had to tithe to Dowie. This practise made him not only incredibly rich, but would become indispensable for the rise of the Pentecostal church, which would bring forth the pioneers of the Prosperity G‑spel and in turn generate a 'successful' Pentecostal church which would spread far and wide. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
[1895] Wesley Chapel Methodist / Episcopal Church in Cincinnati now also adopted tithing - the first denomination outside the Mormon and Pentecostal church. [1]
[1893-96 AD] Creation of the direct forerunner of Pentecostalism, of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion City (US, Chicago).
Both this strictly ecumenical church (hence 'Catholic' - founded in 1896) erected as a Tabernacle opposite of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show so as to draw their crowds, and its extension as religious utopian community Zion City (built mainly from 1900-1906) were founded by the faith healer Dowie, who did not only enshrine the Flat Earth doctrine in Zion's religious code, but more villainously stated the church's goal as following:
"Let me put it simply and plainly. The purpose of the Christian Catholic Church in Zion is to smash every other church in existence." Visiting preachers from other denominations were harassed and hounded out of Zion City by their 'city police'.
He founded this church after learning in early 1890 that he could not join the Mormons in Salt Lake City (which he considered the "most clearly scripturally organized of all churches") in his desired function as Apostle (he later became bitter against them and wanted to convert them with an 'army' of 3000 disciples and introduce the plural marriage to them).
He later claimed to be the reincarnation of Elijah (1901) and even wore a special 'Elijah the Restorer' dress, while staging fake healings with carefully screened individuals / audience plants and using other dubious methods. Dowie did not only demand 10% tithes from all the residents of Zion City, but also defrauded several of his members financially through his own bank and a carefully-devised large scale securities fraud, and was sued successfully. Still, he lived as one of the richest men in North America in total luxury (mansion with 25 rooms) and even used a private train - analogous to the private jets today. His wife and children left him because of his advanced plans for a harem of 7 new wives, and after he turned to physical violence when his wife refused a divorce. His daughter died of burns after Dowie refused medical help. All drugs were "poison" and doctors "inspired by the devil".
Dowie did not only install cells all over the US, but also sent missionaries into all the world to plant Zionist churches, especially in South Africa (>15M members) where Pentecostalism is consequently very strong today.
His Zion City brought forth problematic teachers such as Gordon Lindsay (Christ for the Nations), Jerry B. Jenkins ('Left Behind' series), John G. Lake (faith healer; African 'missionary' for Pentecostalism) . . .
>> Connector to Charles Parham:
Charles Parham, who is today instead of Dowie the proclaimed founder of Pentecostalism [see 1901 AD], first visited Dowie's healing home in 1898, was at an unknown point prophesied by Dowie to be the upcoming 7th messenger of Revelation and later also preached at his church.
After Dowie's death in 1906, Parham staged a tent revival there (1907) in an attempt to take it over for his newly formed 'Apostolic Faith Movement'. He lost the bid of leadership to Wilbur Glenn Voliva (already in 09/1905), but won the hearts of much of Dowie's vast following.
After Parham's departure a group of several hundred 'Parhamites' remained in Zion, led by Thomas Hezmalhalch, a recent arrival from the Azusa Street Revival. But those followers were forced to flee within that same year, after it became known that Parham had been arrested for sodomy and pedophilia and chaos involving brutal exorcisms with at least two deaths had erupted. Many of those then raised money and 'fled' on a mission trip to South Africa, where they conveniently spread Pentecostalism, after the Calvinist Petrus LeRoux had laid the first Pentecostal seeds there in 1903 in collaboration with Dowie's church.
In the bigger picture, a splinter group of Dowie's former church consisting of well over 100 people would become influential leaders in Pentecostalism - in particular in the Assemblies of G‑d; and much of his following in the US, Australia, Europe, GB, New Zealand and South Africa affirmed the designation 'Pentecostal'. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
[1895/96 AD] The 'Fire-Baptized Holiness Church' (Methodist; leader Benjamin Hardin Irwin) now also adopted the 'Baptism of Fire'.
Irwin actually taught that there were additional 'baptisms of fire' he called baptisms of dynamite, lyddite, oxidite and selenite ... . While preaching the strictest code, he lived a double life for many years, with habits of drinking, smoking and womanizing. He "would go from the pulpit to wallow with prostitutes for the rest of the night" using embezzled church planting funds, and remarried twice after repeated adultery. Still, he would influence Parham, and show up at the Azusa Street Revival and speak in tongues. Irwin later returned to his very first denomination (Baptist) and joined the Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists, a Hyper-Calvinist sect which opposed Christian missions and taught Double Predestination (to Hell & Heaven). [1] [2] [3] [4]
[1901 AD] Birth of Pentecostalism through its (co-) founder Charles Parham.
A woman began at his Topeka 'revival' to speak in tongues and others including Parham followed suit. This woman, Agnes Ozman (later Agnes Nevada Ozman LaBerge), was also conducting Automatic Writing, the written and demonic form of speaking in tongues. The local press from Topeka called the writings "quaint and indistinguishable hieroglyphics". Ozman had previously also gone to Zion City, where Dowie had prayed for "her healing of chills and night sweats". [1] [2] [3] [4]
Parham was an ordained Methodist, left after a falling out with his elders, learned from Benjamin Irwin about the 'baptism of fire' and many other doctrines, denied the Trinity, denied eternal hell, taught that all humans before the flood had no souls, taught guaranteed physical healing although his son died two months after Topeka and his attendees were generally not healed, taught that the Bible forbids medicine and doctors, taught that special anointing was transferred by cloth radiation, taught that tongue-speakers would have a pre-rapture designated for them, had demonic visitations which scared him, called himself the angel of Rev 3:14 and the Elijah of Mal 4:5, associated often with the Ku Klux Klan, was arrested on a charge of sodomy, believed Anglo-Saxons to be Israelites and denied that black people could enter into Heaven.
He was also influenced by the cult leader Frank Sandford, whose religious community (Shiloh) he visited for 6 weeks, intending to copy it for his Topeka Bible school. Sandford was convicted of manslaughter of at least one of his disciples.
[1906 AD - First Wave] The Methodist-sponsored 'Azusa Street Revival' (California) can be described as the springboard for Pentecostalism.
Virtually all Pentecostal denominations trace their origins to this three-year-long revival. It was conducted with close to zero pastoral oversight and reported "miraculous healings, dancing, jumping, falling, trances, spirit slaying, gibberish 'tongues', jerking, hysteria, strange animal noises, laughter and spiritual muteness". The seekers would be seized "with a strange spell and commence a gibberish of sounds." Even the mentor of the revival's leader (William J. Seymour; born into a Roman Catholic family; he became blind in one eye 6 years after his 'conversion') later rejected the manifestations as being in the flesh and parted ways. This mentor was the (co-) founder of Pentecostalism himself - Parham. [1] [2]
[1946 AD - Second Wave] Beginning of the Charismatic Movement, wherein individuals or groups within various denominations adopted Pentecostal practices and beliefs.
The Lutheran and Dutch Reformed minister Harald Bredesen was the first mainline minister who received the 'Baptism in the holy spirit', while still remaining within the Lutheran denomination (his resignation was refused to be accepted). He is often called the father of the charismatic movement. He was friends with Pat Robertson and founded with him the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), after having introduced him to the 'Baptism in the holy spirit'.
[1960 AD] Adoption of Pentecostalism through the Anglican church (St. Mark's Episcopal church in Van Nuys, US). [1]
[1975 AD] Creation of the Seven-Mountain-Mandate.
The movement is thus strongly connected to Pentecostalism, which had from its very inception a heavy leaning onto similar concepts. As seen above, the Catholic Apostolic Church in Albury / London (so-to-say the mother of all Pentecostal churches) installed 12 'apostles' which had dominion over different areas of the world. Their late branch near Chicago was built in the centre of a theocratic community named Zion City. Here we saw a total control over society, with every inhabitant of the city being obligated to follow the strict hand of its Pentecostal founder.
[1980s - Third Wave] Neo / Hyper-Charismatic movement.
Strong emphasis on signs, wonders and miracles, with the addition of spiritual warfare and the creation of deliverance ministries, and specifically of Word of Faith (aka Positive Confessions, Law of Incubation, 'Name It and Claim It', or 'Say it, Do it, Receive it, and Tell it').
[1994 AD] Toronto Blessing (a Pentecostal 'revival' of utmost evil nature).
Reported were: Holy Laughter; strange manifestations such as shaking, jerking, writhing on the floor, barking like dogs and roaring like lions; New Age practice of Kundalini . . . ). During Randy Clark's (see separate discernment) first revival service and while sharing his testimony, ~90 out of the 120 people in attendance fell on the floor "laughing, rolling and carrying on". Some lay on the floor for hours. The following year, a reporter described the participants roaring like wounded lions, people striking their own faces and collapsing chairs while falling, howling like wolves, braying like donkeys, clucking like feral chickens, weeping hysterically, unnaturally jerking bodies, contorting their faces, with horrifying screams.
[1995 AD] The infamous New Apostolic Reformation (NAR; also known as the 'New Apostolic Movement' NAM or 'Kingdom Now') was founded by C. Peter Wagner.
3. Specific Problems of Pentecostalism
1 The main essence of Pentecostalism is not only their origin based on 'revivals', but their constant search for new, local revivals (e.g. Topeka 1901, Azusa 1906, Healing Revival 1946, North Battleford 1948, Toronto 1994, Pensacola 1995, Kansas City 1996, Lakeland 2008 . . . ) and generally a great end-time revival with a total spiritual renewal and world evangelisation under the manifestation of the Spirit's power.
But anyone who has read the Bible and in particular the book of Revelation only once, knows that the end times will bring about a great apostasy, not a great revival ... . See Mat 24:10-12 and 2Thes 2:3.
2 Pentecostals claim that the 'Baptism of spirit and fire' is an experience distinct from conversion and water baptism. Even worse, most believe a person need not have been baptized in water to receive spirit baptism. But there is no agreement within Pentecostal circles how and at what stage this baptism ought to occur. In the time of the early CAC the 'Baptism of spirit and Fire' was identical with the Holy Sealing (of the 144.000 = 'guaranteed' salvation), which logically disappeared when the last Apostle died and no one was 'authorized' anymore to do so. Since then there is a vast confusion and today Pentecostals teach that it could be expected or unexpected, during public or private prayer, with or without the laying on of hands.
Decisive for understanding this extra-biblical concept is the fact (which is often overlooked) that their version of the 'Baptism of the spirit' is based on an evil twist / gross misunderstanding of the 'Baptism of Fire', which is usually understood by Pentecostals as synonymous with the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT!
The word 'fire' is used 83 times in the NT, and in the vast majority refers to judgment by fire in hell. The 'Baptism in Fire' is equally for perdition and only occurs in our future! It will burn up the chaff (wicked) and will purify those vessels of honor (of gold and silver) for His holy purposes (see Mat 3:11-12, Luk 12:49-50, Mal 3:1-4).
A movement which converts a future punishment into a spiritual achievement and makes the same their core doctrine, can only be described as evil from its inception. [1] [2] [3] [4] [see also the study 'Baptism' including an analysis of the 'Baptism of Fire']
3 A tenet is the unbiblical requirement of speaking in tongues as evidence of salvation, especially among Oneness Pentecostals. While new converts sometimes share an honest desire to experience biblical gifts, the system in itself usually generates pride and group pressure, to appear to oneself and to others as annointed and more 'alive' in the SPIRIT than ordinary believers. This underlying group pressure (also) leads regularly to a fabrication of gifts, especially those of tongues (as obvious e.g. through the Pentecostal teacher Paula White) and healings.
Early Pentecostals had to modify their doctrine of tongues, after they had initially sent out many soon disappointed missionaries who had been taught that the foreigners would understand their gibberish and now hastily and painfully learned the foreign language, in one case even journeyed on from Japan to Hong Kong thinking they must have 'caught' Chinese instead, or most often simply returned in utter frustration.
We also know that this confusion was not particular to the beginning of the 20th century, but was there right from the very beginning. Mary Campbell, the very first to speak in 'Pentecostal' tongues, "expressed her conviction that the tongue given to her was that of the Pelew Islands, which, indeed, was a safe statement, and little likely to be authoritatively disputed; while some other conjectures pointed to the Turkish and Chinese languages." [see 5]
The more surprising it is -and adding to the confusion- that many modern scholars still consider tongues only as natural languages and categorically exclude supernatural languages. This unhealthy and false dichotomy, particularly prevalent in Calvinist circles where as we have seen Pentecostalism originated, probably contributed significantly to its creation through some Presbyterians who were fed up with the total abolition of any tongues and of most other spiritual gifts, and then got into the other extreme by seeking it in the wrong places and actually fabricating it. The gift of tongues can encompass both ordinary languages and the heavenly language(s), but is much, much rarer than we commonly assume and must never be fabricated!
It is also important to note that Pentecostals regularly neglect or refuse to interpret tongues. If they interpret, there is often little semblance between tongues and interpretation (e.g. short tongues vs. long interpretations; 'heart-felt translations' which are based more on human and specifically female creativity as we have seen through the initial speakers at the Port Glasgow 'Revival'; some go as far as to 'allow' several possible interpretations). This deception of self, and deliberate trickery of others clearly reveals the prevalent fabrication of tongues within Pentecostal circles. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
4 Their ministrations such as the 'baptism of the spirit', speaking in 'tongues', slaying, drunkenness in the spirit, holy laughter et al. do occur, when the person does not prove all things / think / rationalize / is not spiritually sober.
Pentecostal teachers explicitly tell people to stop analyzing, to let go of one's mind and mouth, 'just receive'.
This manipulation is similar to Contemplative Prayer, where the person is instructed similarly to New Age / Eastern meditation to empty oneself (which is called Kenosis) and repeat certain words or phrases. Kenosis is a misapplication based on the description of IESOUS, who, as a human being, however only temporarily and only partially emptied himself of His divine power. This was clearly descriptive, and not a prescriptive thing to do. We do not have divine power to be emptied from. To the contrary, we want the true HOLY SPIRIT to fill us to prevent demons from filling an unoccupied house (Mat 12:44). Pentecostalism is a gate wide open to demons, as seen in the vast majority, if not all their revivals.
5 While many of their ministrations are simply fabricated, there are many who do actually have a spiritual source. Kurt Koch, a Christian authority on occultism and spiritual deception, gave the following warning about William Branham: "Years ago Branham told his interpreter Pastor Ruff: 'If my angel does not give the sign, I cannot heal.' Ruff noticed several features of spiritism in the work of Branham, and therefore stopped working with him. These 'angels' of whom Branham spoke are evil spirits masquerading as angels of light. As in many areas of the occult, we are here reminded again that the devil appears as an angel of light (2Cor 11:14).
Another evidence is the fact that Branham was not able to perform cures when faced with born-again Christians who had committed themselves to the protection of Christ. In the case of Branham, I have experienced this myself. When he spoke in Karlsruhe and Lausanne, there were several believers among the audience -including myself- who prayed along these lines: 'Lord, if this man's powers are from you, then bless and use him, but if the healing gifts are not from you, then hinder him.' The result? On both occasions Branham said from the platform: 'There are disturbing powers here. I can do nothing." [1]
6 Strong focus on divine healing, sometimes in exchange for (certain amounts of) donations. Dozens of highly problematic Pentecostal teachers (see list below) have proven a widespread and systematic abuse, and quite often a plain fabrication of the gift of healing.
7 Early Pentecostals taught that it was sinful to take medicine or receive care from doctors. While this view has been moderated in later doctrines, it still displays strong elements of a cult and is paralleled by the nearly identical position of Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day-Adventists . . . [1]
9 Many Pentecostals are part of the 'Jesus-Only'crowd (Jesus-Only Pentecostalism) and reject the uncomfortable facets of the character of THEOS. All religious activities ought to be performed in the name of 'Jesus' only and Oneness Pentecostals even enforce a re-baptism in the name of 'Jesus only' (Modalism) on those formerly baptized in the name of the FATHER, the SON and HOLY SPIRIT.
10 Prophecy and visions are often taken very lightly, are rarely being tested and sometimes, if not regularly false. Many Pentecostals tragically believe that any believer can prophesy (based on the original doctrine of the CAC that every member of the church can prophesy), which clearly contradicts Scripture: 1Cor 12:4-6, 7-12, 29-30, 7:7; Rom 12:3-6 and Heb 2:4. [1]
A short teaching regarding Spiritual Gifts (excerpt from the study; see also the study 'Cessationism vs. Continuationism):
The Bible teaches that THEOS' gifts differ in nature, power and effectiveness according to His wisdom and graciousness, not necessarily according to our faith. The HOLY SPIRIT is absolutely sovereign and gives the gifts to whomever He pleases, in whatever degree He pleases. Every believer has one or some of the gifts, but nobody has all the gifts. It is often debated if THEOS would take a Spiritual Gift away, once assigned to a person. But Numbers 11:25 clearly affirms the possibility of one-time occurrences. This example occurred in the Old Covenant, but the type of prophecy in this situation had been exactly the same as the one available for New Covenant believers.
Spiritual gifts given to a person are special abilities that are to be used to minister to the needs of the body of believers. Never covet Spiritual Gifts, but be thankful for people whose gifts are completely different from yours. Let your strengths balance their weaknesses, and be grateful that their abilities given by THEOS make up for your 'deficiencies'. Together we build the church. And do not forget that a special calling does not negate the ordinary mandate. Just because some are gifted with a special portion of discernment, mercy, wisdom or give very generously, this does not mean that our mandate for the same diminishes. Tasks such as evangelism need always to be done, no matter how much more others may be gifted in a certain area. 'Up-front' gifts like speaking or teaching should not be regarded as more significant than 'behind-the-scenes' gifts like helping or serving. Spiritual gifts should not become symbols of spiritual power, being means of manipulating others or serving our own self-interests. Each gift becomes useless when used without love.
11 The Prosperity G‑spel is not only rooted in the doctrine of tithing (which as we saw was decisively spread through Pentecostalism), but also over-proportionally spread through Pentecostals today. Many, if not most 'pioneers' were Pentecostals (!!!), such as A.A. Allen, Benny Hinn, Brian Houston, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth E. Hagin and Oral Roberts.
Other Pentecostals such as Bill Johnson, Christine Caine, David Olaniyi Oyedepo, Enoch Adejare Adeboye, Guillermo Maldonado, Jesse Duplantis, Joel Osteen, John Bevere, Joyce Meyer, Michael Todd, Myles Munroe, Paula White-Cain, Reinhard Hirtler, Sam Adeyemi, T.B. Joshua, T.D. Jakes and Todd Bentley further spread this evil doctrine, which typically involves the Old Covenant doctrine of Tithing and Seed-Faith (sowing of financial seeds). [1] [2]
Some churches hold special pre-sermons of 15-20 minutes of duration (e.g. by the International Charismatic Mission Church in Bogota) which have the sole aim to manipulate the attendee into tithing; many use special tithing breaks and motivational and manipulative videos; some use various baskets and envelopes to stimulate tithing while using peer-pressure and generating a prideful giving; while a few even threaten non-tithers with curses, attacks from satan and poverty. [1]
12 Pentecostalism directly emerged from-, and would certainly not exist without Calvinism (and thus we understand why specifically Calvinists are utmost outspoken against Pentecostalism - actively or unconsciously distracting from their implicit role as instigators of Pentecostalism).
- A) Edward Irving was a Calvinist (Presbyterian).
- B) Two of his three mentors were Calvinists, that is Thomas Chalmers (who was also a Freemason), and the other being James Hatley Frere, who significantly influenced Irving and the doctrines of Albury, where he would also attend as a leader. Frere was acquainted with Henry Drummond already in 1824 and taught Irving and their disciples to take an ultra-historical approach of the book of Revelation, by methodically searching the book and trying to connect it to concrete and significant events of the past centuries (e.g. to Napoleon by bringing up a supposed 1260-year period from Justinian I to the French Revolution), which as we know today has resulted in a widespread wild-west-eschatology and even more adventurous calculation models, and thus directly resulted in the above seen false prophecies regarding the Second Coming, which had been based on Frere's (and Lacunza's) unbiblical methods.
- C) Not only Irving's mentors, but actually all of his known mentees were Calvinists, namely the famous John Nelson Darby (who was a High Calvinist) and Alexander John Scott, whose preaching of the charismata on the west coast of Scotland in 1829 gave rise to the first appearance of Pentecostalism and who thus prepared together with John Macleod Campbell (who was also a Calvinist) the breeding ground for the 1830 visions and tongues of Mary Campbell and Margaret MacDonald.
- D) Not only was Mary Campbell brought up in a Calvinist church, but she actually married the Calvinist and later CAC apostle William Rennie Caird. The pastor who rebuked Mary and wrote the memoir of her sister Isabel, namely Robert Story, was a Calvinist. All this shows most clearly that the entire early movement of Pentecostalism was deeply trenched in Calvinism. Usually the CAC is being described as coming out of the Anglican Church which applies to a large extent to the participants of Albury and naturally for England the congregations of many of their early churches, but the real breeding ground was definitely Calvinism, and specifically the Church of Scotland and the Presbyterian Church of England. See also the above master list of participants, in order to gain a better understanding of the involved denominations and dynamics within the early movement.
- E) The Catholic Apostolic Church consisted at its very beginning of at least of 800 Calvinists, whom Irving led away from his Calvinist (Presbyterian) church into his new church. Those Calvinists would then modify their beliefs according to the modified teachings of Irving and slowly become (Proto-) Pentecostals. [1]
- F) After Drummond followed the invitation of the Calvinist François Gaussen to come to Geneva, he arrived there in 1817 with some of the most prominent Adventists of the day (suggesting that Drummond was also a forerunner of Adventism and was part of the same 'Adventist' revival of ~biblical~ studies that influenced the Millerites in North America; this is also supported by Drummond's frequent appearances in SDA writings and Ellen G. White, the founder of the Seventh-Day-Adventist church, having frequently endorsed Joseph Wolff [4]!). After Drummond met with Gaussen, he then, on his recommendation, joined forces with the Calvinist Robert Haldane and founded the Continental Society with him in 1819. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
- G) The 7-Mountain-Mandate was drafted at L'Abri in Switzerland by the Calvinist Francis Schaeffer (Presbyterian). [1]
13 Profound and fundamental involvement of at least 2 of its very founders in Freemasonry.
- A) Henry Drummond became in Feb 1811 a Freemason and formally joined the Lodge of Friendship #3. In 1827, we read about his visit to the Freemasons' Tavern, which included office space for Masons and was mainly used for Masonic purposes. In 1839, he became a FRS (Fellow, Royal Society). In 1847 he helped his colleague Henri Dunant (also a Freemason, the founder of the International Red Cross) with Masonic rescue efforts during the Swiss Sonderbund War. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] His cousin (the brother of his wife Henrietta) was Thomas Robert Hay-Drummond, 11th Earl of Kinnoull, who was from 1826-27 'Grand master' of the 'Grand Lodge of Scotland'. [1]
- B) Edward Irving (possibly a Freemason) called the Jesuit priest Manuel Lacunza (pseudonym 'Ben Ezra') his 'Worthy Master' (a Free Masonic term) in the preface of his book he translated: "Perceiving well that my worthy master Ben-Ezra had in his own right nothing to expect but the most vehement abuse and ridicule of his opinions, and, in my company, still more, I weighted well how I might obtain for him a fair hearing from the church which has become review-ridden to a most alarming degree ...". Irving's church at Regent Square, was built by the registered Freemason William Tite. The mentor of Edward Irving, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, had in his residency in Somerset a Masonic lodge named 'Coleridge' in honor of his works. But most 'remarkably', Irving's other mentor, the famous Thomas Chalmers for whom he worked as his assistant, was a Master Mason at the St. Vigean lodge #101 in Abroath since 1798. [1] [2] [3] [4]
- D) John Nelson Darby (mentee of Irving) spoke in mysterious ways about Freemasonry. "Supposing we were a body of Freemasons, and a person were excluded from one lodge by the rules of the order ... the unity of the Freemason system is gone ... the proposed remedy is the mere pretension of the superiority of the recusant lodge, and a dissolution of Freemasonry." [1]
- E) Lewis Way, a leader at Albury and a pioneering member and key financial supporter of the 'London Society for Promotion of Christianity Among Jews' (LJS / LSPCJ / CMJ), was 3x speaker at the Freemasons' Hall for the LJS. The Freemasons' Hall in London can be considered the headquarters / home of (English) Freemasonry, specifically as the administrative center and meeting place for the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and other Masonic bodies. It includes a Grand Temple, lodge rooms, offices, library, and the Museum of Freemasonry with history and archives of Freemasonry. Several participants of the Albury Circle were active speakers at the Freemason's Hall, namely Daniel Wilson (2x), James Gambier (3x), James Haldane Stewart, Lewis Way (3x) and William Marsh (2x). It is more, actually the first five (!) meetings of the LJS all took place at the Freemasons' Hall. [1] [2] [3]
- F) This Society for Promotion of Christianity among Jews, where actually most of the Albury leaders (Henry Drummond, Joseph Wolff and Lewis Way) and the Albury participants Charles Sleech Hawtrey and James Haldane Stewart were involved in, was founded in 1809, and was thus another breeding ground for the CAC. In 1813 they chose as its patron the Duke of Kent (aka Prince Edward), who became in the very same year the Grand Master of the Ancient Grand Lodge of England (aka 'The Ancients'). This prestigious person of spiritual darkness became not only the patron, but actually laid the foundation stone for their main building project, the 'Palestine Place'. The LJS and their philosemitism (love for the Jews) can generally be considered a sham. Neither genuine love for the Jews, nor conversion (which were very few and included infant baptisms), but financial gain had been the moving cause of this society. While the annual income of the LJS was substantial and exceeded that of most of the other missionary societies, it almost went bankrupt and had to be saved. Lewis Way supported for the translation of the NT into the Yiddish language Benjamin Nehemiah Solomon, whom he helped simultaneously to divorce from his wife and family, and to be ordained as Anglican priest, before the same later embezzled funds of the LJS. The principal founder of the LJS, the Lutheran Joseph Frey (1771-1850), was not only considered by an insider as a gambler, but actually committed adultery with the wife of a Jewish convert, and this woman (originally a Jewish prostitute who claimed she had been truly converted), then stole together with her husband substantial amounts of money from Lewis Way, discovered by the local police in a hollowed-out Bible and through a stolen cheque, which resulted in the couple's deportation. This LJS and specifically their community called 'Benei Abraham' was the forerunner of the Messianic Jews movement / religion. [1] [2] [3] [4]
14 Very close connection with the Roman Catholic church (RCC), with at least 2 founding members of the CAC having had papal audiences in Rome (Joseph Wolff in ~1815 and Lewis Way in 1823)!
- A) Edward Irving's favourite author was Richard Hooker - the originator of the Anglican 'via media' (Middle way) between Protestantism and Catholicism. This stands also for much of the CAC's general approach, also outgoing from Anglicanism which is definitely a middle way, and including many more elements. [1] [2]
- B) Irving did learn, translate and propagate the works of the Jesuit priest Manuel Lacunza (Jesuits are working for the RCC Pope; Drummond introduced him to Lacunza's work). Both Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his mentee Edward Irving were initially drawn to the 'Society of jesus', and both later distanced themselves from their doctrines. This could be a diversionary tactic which is very typical for actual Jesuits.
- C) Tim Grass wrote about Henry Drummond that "there was a group of seceders from the Church of England, the 'Western Schism' [which was a schism within the Roman Catholic Church, but not in England . . . ], under whose auspices he was baptised by immersion at Tauton about 1816." [1]
- D) Before we come to the story of Joseph Wolff, let us briefly look at his background: He was a Jew converted to Roman Catholicism; he wanted to become like Francis Xavier - the co-founder of the Jesuits; he personally met the Pope; he traveled widely propagating Zionism well before the first Albury conference - where he was the 'Jewish expert' beside Irving; he was a very close friend to both Drummond and Irving; he falsely prophesied the Second Coming in 1847 et al . . . Through his story we also learn that Wolff first attended a Jesuit college (Roman College), and soon after (in 1815; one year before Drummond's baptism(!), and 1 year after the Jesuits were restored by Pius VII) met Drummond at the College of Missionary Propaganda (= Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide, a Catholic seminary established in Rome in 1627 by Pope Urban VIII. and directed after 1836 by Jesuits). He would then be fully sponsored by Drummond to come to England. But it is unclear at this point how Drummond came into the position to overhear a long conversation of Wolff with the rector of the Propaganda (which was steps away from the Vatican) - if he was allowed to visit it, actively attended this college and / or freely walked in those circles. [1] [2] [3] [4]
- E) It is also striking that Drummond founded, or was active in various societies (Continental Society; London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews), a designation which is often a pointer to Jesuits ('Society of Jesus'). The LJS in turn included an Episcopalian (very close to the RCC) chapel.
- F) And the signs of Drummond having been a Jesuit, increased when he financed the prophecy conferences at Albury where the Jesuit's system of eschatology by Manuel Lacunza was introduced by Irving (no matter how often Drummond mocked the RCC - Jesuits are well known for playing those double games and to distract through excessive pseudo-attacks). An obituary described him splendidly as "the champion of essentially Roman Catholic doctrine, and yet ... the fierce antagonist of Papal supremacy". In 1840, Drummond wrote: "I feel persuaded that the regeneration of the church can never come out of Protestantism, and that it can only come out of Popery" (meaning that a successful reform of the church could only come through the Roman Catholic church which in his opinion is closer to the truth). [1]
- G) Lewis Way, who hosted together with Drummond the Albury Conferences and who preached in 1821 already about the 'Latter Rain', met Pope Pius VII (Gregorio Chiaramonti) in 1823 in Rome. The Pope then offered the old Jesuit College premises on Mt. Lebanon at Antoura to be suitable for their London Jews Society. Even before Way left Rome, he had already received the papal paperwork for the building. Way received on this papal visit also a letter of introduction to Lady Hester Stanhope (who adopted a unique syncretic faith blending Christian, Islamic, and local Syrian elements, which she believed gave her prophetic powers and a connection to the supernatural, including magic and spirits; deeply ingrained superstitions; belief that she would ride into Jerusalem with the Messiah). [1]
- H) The forerunner of Pentecostalism, the above seen Christian Catholic Apostolic Churches in London and Zion City were explicitly named 'Catholic' (although not being Roman Catholic per se and opposed by the leadership of the CAC Albury & Zion), to suggest an ecumenical church transcending denominational differences, the identical premise of the Roman Catholic church. Its founder, Irving, was heavily influenced by a Jesuit (= very close to Catholicism). Their liturgy included RC elements, and also lights, incense, vestments, holy water, chrism et al. [1] [2]
- I) The Roman Catholic 'Nicene Creed' from 381 AD stated: "We believe in one, holy Catholic, and Apostolic church." A common introduction to Roman Catholic ceremonies (of the Inquisition) was as following: "Do all you children of the church of Rome here present swear to defend the holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic faith, to denounce heresy and to aid the inquisition in all things?" [see video of 'Flame in the Wind,min. 90]. Their 'Pledge to the Cross' is a modern pledge of allegiance to the cross and to the "one church, holy Catholic and Apostolic'. The 'Oath of Fidelity' includes the phrase "I believe in the one holy Catholic and Apostolic church". The 'First Vatican Council includes repeatedly the phrase "one holy, Catholic and Apostolic church" and speeks also frequently of the apostolic authority, office, primacy, see and succession. It should therefore be a very great surprise that, although the Catholic Apostolic Church chose the exact name over and over pronounced in Roman Catholic history and used so-to-say as their motto, anyone should believe the assertions of the CAC leadership not being part of that body. [1] [2] [3] [4]
- J) While Irving stated in 1832: "I hereby solemnly declare as my belief that the Protestant churches are as certainly in the state of Babylon as the Roman church", the Irvingians considered the Protestant church as -more- fallen than the Roman Catholic church.
- K) Independent Catholicism and the CAC do not only share common ground (Restoration of the universal / original church including its 'apostolic' structure), but we also find a factual overlap. The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church is e.g. both 'Independent Catholic' and Episcopalian. The Independent Catholic 'Mar Georgius I' (Hugh George de Willmott Newman) was baptized in the CAC, his family served at the CAC as deacons and he served as acolyte in the CAC. After he could not become a priest in the CAC, he simply applied to become the head of the Catholicate of the West. [1] [2]
- L) CCEL.org writes: "The apostles who had been traveling on the Continent had come there into contact with Roman Catholicism, and the result was a definite assimilation to its ways of the 'Catholic Apostolic Church', as it was now officially called. All traces of Scotch Presbyterian or English non-conformist traditions were gradually eradicated. Altars were now erected separated from the body of the church by a rail at which the communicants knelt. The people were taught to regard the Eucharist as [...] the body and blood of Christ [...] The same tendency appeared in the liturgy introduced in 1842 [...] The eucharistic vestments were adopted practically as in the RCC; extreme unction was introduced in 1847; from 1850 the consecrated elements were reserved in a tabernacle and every morning and evening exposed, not as objects of adoration but to assure the people of the Lord's presence and abiding intercession. In 1852 the use of candles on the altar and incense was added, and in 1868 holy water." [1]
- M) Johann Georg Lutz (Germany) played a decisive role in the emergence of the apostolic movement in general and the CAC congregations in Germany. He was a Roman Catholic and continued from 1842-1857 in that role while working with the CAC, in particular with William Rennie Caird, the husband of Mary Campbell. Immediately after he was excommunicated in 1857, he was sealed in England by Drummond and with him 10 other Roman Catholics were received into the CAC. [1] [2]
- N) Irving was the 'Chief Apostle' of 12 subordinate Apostles, just as the Roman Catholic Church considers Peter (or the respective pope) its Chief Apostle.
- O) The Charismatic movement penetrated the RCC in the 1960s. Students at the Roman Catholic Duquesne University in Pittsburgh (US), began having Pentecostal-type experiences, speaking in 'tongues, falling, weeping and prophesying'.
- P) The leader of Azusa grew up in a Roman Catholic family. The majority of the below mentioned leaders of Pentecostalism are Ecumenicals.
- Q) David DuPlessis was invited by the Pope to the Vatican and attended the RC Second Vatican Council, Kathryn Kuhlman felt a "oneness with the Pope", Joel Osteen met the Pope and attended mass, John Wimber heavily endorsed RC saints and remarried his Catholic wife in a Catholic church, and most remarkably, Kenneth Copeland (one of the figureheads of Pentecostalism) has currently an own office at the Vatican and private meetings of 3 hours with a Pope have been reported. Lou Engle went as far as to specifically invite Roman Catholics to the Azusa Now 2016 event in 2016, where he kissed on stage the feet of the Roman Catholic leader Matteo Calisi.
- R) Many Catholic Charismatics have reported how much more meaningful the Mass or the Eucharist has become to them upon 'Spirit Baptism' and literally no Catholic leaves his church. While Pentecostals do not motivate them to do so, RC leaders in the Charismatic Movement often speak plainly of their goal to proselytize everyone into the RCC.
- S) The movement had from the very beginning a strange connection and fascination with the Roman Catholic season of 'Christmas' and New Year's Eve (the psychosis of John Thomas Perceval started on Christmas 1830; ordination of Drummond and first Holy Communion on Dec 26 1932; ordination of Mary Campbell's husband on Christmas 1832; calling of the 11(12) Apostles on Christmas Day 1838 while instituting Vigil Mass, Midnight Mass and Daytime Mass; last Catholic Apostolic eucharist on Dec 25 1970, Topeka revival on Jan 1 1901). [1] [2] [3]
- T) Many of the CAC's former and still existing church buildings became property -not of the Anglican or Presbyterian church as one might expect- but precisely of the Roman Catholic church. Examples are Bristol church (1839-1843) [1] [2], their church at Dundee (-1944) [1] [2] [3] and their church at Bradford [1]. Even the altar of the CAC church in Edinburgh had been acquired by the Roman Catholic Church [1].
- V) Mary Campbell rests on the cemetery by the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Strasbourg (Alsace). [1]
15 Strong overlap and close connections with the Latter-Day-Saints (Mormonism).
- A) Both place a heavy emphasis on the Latter-Days / Latter-Rain (Movement) as their names already indicate.
- B) The doctrine of the 'Baptism of Fire and of the holy ghost' probably originated with the Mormons.
- C) Both place a strong emphasis on the 'holy spirit' and the continuation of prophecy, healing and tongues.
- D) Both practise(d) the 'Holy Sealing' / 'Baptism for the Dead'.
- E) Both heavily rely on personal / special revelation while lowering the importance of Scripture.
- F) Both have a hierarchical structure including apostles and prophets as official offices.
- G) The mother church of Pentecostalism, the Catholic Apostolic Church in Albury / London, and the LDS Church have both a Chief Apostle / General Overseer / President and precisely 12 Apostles at the top of their hierarchy.
- H) Both Mormonism and Pentecostalism believe in a literal building of a third temple before the Second Coming of CHRISTOS, and go as far as to picture a restoration of the animal sacrifices.
- I) Edward Irving saw Mormonism as part of the Restorationist Movement (later with some critical observations).
- J) John Alexander Dowie wanted to become a Mormon right before setting up Pentecostalism in Zion. The only reason why he would not be allowed to do so, was their refusal of installing the office of an 'apostle' for him. If Dowie would have been allowed to join the Mormons, Pentecostalism would probably not exist today (anymore).
- K) Dowie (also) copied the doctrine of Old Covenant tithing directly from the Mormons and then spread it through Pentecostalism over the US, the Americas, Africa and other countries around the world. In 1899, newspapers in Los Angeles were made aware that he had implemented the scheme in his church. One reporter noted that Dowie "had copied the Mormon tithing fund". Under the headline "Dowie the Faith Healer: How He Makes Thousands of Dollars from His Dupes", reporters exposed the scheme as the work of a con artist. [1] [2] [3]
- L) Some Pentecostals borrowed British Israelism and also Zionism from the Mormons.
- M) Joel Osteen considers Mormons legitimate Christians.
- N) Both religions are part of Restorationism (based on the perspective that early beliefs and practises were either lost or adulterated and required a restoration). [1]
- O) Both cults started in the very same decade.
- P) Both started a religious theocracy (Utah vs. Zion City).
16 The Albury Circle and specifically Henry Drummond were foundational for the creation and the rise of Restorationism and Adventism, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and Seventh-Day Adventists. It can be confidently said that without Albury and its megaphone 'Morning Watch', likely neither of the following would exist:
- A) 1830 AD As seen above, Dispensationalism including the Pre-Tribulational Rapture originated at the Albury Circle and John Nelson Darby formulated and propagated that doctrine.
- B) The same Darby and the same doctrine would then be a substantial part of the Plymouth Brethren (see also G‑spel Halls with similar doctrines, coming out of the Brethren movement). Not coincidentally, their first congregation was established in 1831 AD, after Lady Powerscourt (acted as patroness and 'gave her name' to the follow-up meeting after Albury, the Powerscourt Conferences from 1831-33) and Darby (founding figure and influential leader) attended the Albury Circle and closely adopted the ideas of Irving. [1]
- C) The (Proto-) Pentecostal church was officially born in 1832 AD, a typical Restorationist movement built on the exact same foundation as Adventism.
- D) After Drummond followed the invitation of the Calvinist François Gaussen to come to Geneva, he arrived there in 1817 with "some of the most prominent Adventists of the day". This episode and the generally close emphasis suggest that Drummond was also a forerunner of Adventism and was part of the same Adventist revival of ~biblical~ studies that influenced the Millerites in North America. He and Joseph Wolff also frequently appear as mentioned earlier in historical accounts of the Seventh-Day-Adventist church. [1] [2]
- E) Jehovah's Witnesses (Watch Tower; founded in the 1870s) are also a Restorationist movement, outgrown of the wider Adventist movement (Millerites; while the Witnesses are technically an offshoot of the SDA). Their founder Charles Taze Russell came also as Calvinist and also prophesied falsely about the Second Coming. They -equally to early Pentecostalism- believed in 144.000 people going to Heaven only (remember that Drummond's church already began the Holy Sealing of the first 1000 of those). Russell heavily borrowed many Adventist doctrines and he accepted with only minor changes the doctrines from the Albury Circle (Pre-Trib; an Invisible Second Coming which originated with the Jesuit Lacunza; that Israel would be fully restored; 1260 years from Justinian to the French Revolution; that the bowls of wrath were already poured out in the 19th c.; judgment mainly for Christendom . . . [see 4]). [1] [2] [3] [4]
17 One of their core doctrines is the imminent Second Coming of IESOUS CHRISTOS. But the Bible declares those as 'deceivers' who teach such thing: 2The 2:1-4 "And we ask you, brethren, in regard to the presence of our KYRIOS IESOUS CHRISTOS, and of our gathering together unto him, that ye be not quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled [...] let not any one deceive you in any manner, because if the falling away may not come first, and the man of sin be revealed [...] he in the sanctuary of THEOS as 'G‑d' hath sat down, shewing himself off that he is THEOS - the day does not come." [1] [2]
18 As we have seen above, the CAC did not only teach the imminent Second Coming while limiting the number of their apostles and issuing numerous false prophecies, but also invented the Pre-Tribulational Rapture doctrine.
That not being enough, they popularized the idea of a Third Temple which ought to be built before our end times. While there had been some isolated attempts to re-build the temple by non-Christian people, the CAC was possibly first in popularizing this idea in the body of CHRISTOS and provoking Christians to actually believe in this idea.
Irving specifically taught the re-building of the Third Temple tied to our end times, while Darby explicitly included the reinstitution of animal sacrifices and of Aaronic priests. He erroneously considered a Third Temple as a requirement for the fulfilment of OT prophecies and as the center of THEOS' interaction with the nation of Israel during the future tribulation period.
> But the Bible is very clear that IESOUS became the ultimate sacrifice, that He tore the temple curtain, that He abolished the Old Covenant Law and that anyone who tries to go back to it has to keep the whole law and is fallen from grace (Gal 5:3-4, Heb 8:13, Heb 10:11-12). The ultimate sacrifice of IESOUS was offered for all time and anyone who wants to overwrite this with-, or add animal sacrifices has not understood the basic principle of the Evangelium and treats THEOS with contempt.
See also the Key Findings (#12.6) with a brief refutation of the most commonly cited Bible verses which are supposed to support the idea of a Third Temple. If another temple should be built, then it is strictly against the will of THEOS and will rather be a tool of the (spirit of) anti-Christ to gain credibility and thus more effectively deceive people. [1] [2] [3]
19 Pentecostalism treats the biblical prohibition of female presbyters / overseers / pastors / elders with contempt. Women have been very prominent in leadership from the very beginning and many of the founders of Pentecostal denominations and ministries were women, such as Aimee Semple McPherson. In major churches, there are approx. 25-40% of the ordained ministers found to be women. At least 14 women had been leading / ordained at the Azusa Street Mission. [1] [2] [3]
> The Bible teaches in stark contrast to this abuse, that women are not allowed to serve as presbyters, but are absolutely essential to serve as deacons / patrons / assistants (1Tim 3:1-15, Mat 27:55, Luk 8:3, Rom 16:1-16) who naturally don't teach or exercise authority, but are highly regarded in their specific roles as patrons. See also the respective study.
20 While Pentecostals had been initially legalistic and added many extra-biblical laws (no dancing, no alcohol, no tobacco ... ), they slowly converted into the extreme opposite. The cessation of the wearing of head coverings was first executed by Pentecostals in Europe, after head coverings had been worn since Old Testament times.
Pentecostals preceded in this historical and far-reaching abomination even the 1968 AD campaign by the National Organization for Women (American feminist organization founded by an Episcopalian priest) to abolish head coverings, and also the Roman Catholic Church which ceased the wearing of head coverings in 1983 AD. [1]
> Head coverings are a controversial topic, but an unbiased study reveals that 1Cor 11 applies today, not because some scholars assume that this might have had cultural implications, but because Paul proactively overwrote those assumptions, by giving specific reasons (1Cor 11:10) and applying it specifically to the churches of THEOS (1Cor 11:16). What is often wrongly assumed to have been a custom related to prostitutes after the Methodist Adam Clarke created this now modern legend through his Bible commentary, is clearly a principle rooted even in creation. Paul does not appeal to culture, but to nature. In the end it boils down to a few minutes of prayer, when the man should have nothing on his head, but the woman should have something on her head (handkerchief, hat, scarf ...). To call it legalistic or a burden to honor THEOS in those few minutes of prayer by quickly covering the head, is simply showing that we do not honor Him sufficiently. [see study 'Head Coverings']
21 Pentecostals such as John Alexander Dowie and his spiritual successor Charles Fox Parham embraced the pseudohistorical doctrine of British Israelism, which claims that the Anglo-Saxon race descended from Israel (Isaac's sons) and that the UK & US form one great Israel (Parham extended this to Scandinavia where the Germanic race originates).
Probably Dowie, who as we have seen strongly embraced Mormonism, borrowed this doctrine from the Mormons who had embraced it at that point already for more than 40 years. [1]
4. Problematic Teachers of Pentecostalism
1 Popular Pentecostal churches are the Assemblies of G‑d (since 1914; currently 57M members; they gave ministry credentials to Benny Hinn, Morris Cerullo, Jim Bakker, and Jimmy Swaggart), Church of G‑d, Church of G‑d in Christ, Foursquare G‑spel Church, Pentecostal Holiness Church (they ordained Oral Roberts) and Hillsong church.
There are immense divisions within Pentecostalism - with more than 740 recognized (sub-) denominations, which clearly reflects their enormous confusion and unbiblical principles. They preach unity in the form of unbiblical ecumenism, and have by both biblical and unbiblical principles achieved the exact opposite by even splitting over and over within their denomination or cult. [1]
2 (Highly) problematic Pentecostal teachers include the following people, who display the evil fruits of Pentecostalism, which are False Prophecies, False Healings, the Prosperity G‑spel, Word of Faith (Name It and Claim It), the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders (ACPE), Dominionism (7-Mountain-Mandate), Ecumenism, Egalitarianism and a promotion of the Message Bible (MSG) and The Passion Translation (TPT):
A.A. Allen (Prosperity G‑spel; 'raise the dead' campaign; Faith healing and deliverance evangelist; arrested for drunk driving during a revival; died of liver failure), Aimee Semple McPherson (founder of Foursquare G‑spel Church; twice divorced; she faked a 4-week kidnapping to hide an adultery; terrific fights with her mother; Aimee died of a drug overdose), Benny Hinn (Prosperity G‑spel; Seed-Faith manipulation; false healer; called biblical doctrine 'sick stuff'; false prophecies; adultery), Bill Johnson (Bethel church; New Age; Prosperity G‑spel; NAR; TPT), Brian Houston (Scandal-ridden Hillsong churches; The father of Pentecostalism in Sydney; Prosperity G‑spel; concealed child abuse), Che Ahn (NAR; 7-Mountain-Mandate; he commissioned Todd Bentley; TPT), Christine Caine (Prosperity G‑spel; Egalitarian; Impartations), Charles Fox Parham (expulsed from former church; denied the Trinity; British Israelism; denied eternal hell; cloth radiation; guaranteed physical healing; pre-rapture; preached at Ku Klux Klan; association with Frank Sandford), Chuck Pierce (NAR; ACPE; false prophet; TPT), Cindy Jacobs (NAR; false prophet; claimed to raise dead children via TV), C. Peter Wagner (Founder of the NAR; he coined the term 'Third Wave' (of Pentecostalism); heavy promotion of 7-Mountain-Mandate; spiritual warfare & territorial mapping; Ecumenism), David Olaniyi Oyedepo (Prosperity G‑spel; resurrection claims; ordained by Kenneth Copeland; declared Kenneth Hagin his mentor), David Yonggi Cho (Pastor of the world's largest Pentecostal church; Word of Faith; borrowed some teachings from Buddhist sects; 3 years in prison for financial fraud), Doug Addison (NAR; false prophet; tattoo interpretation; stand-up comedy insulting Jesus; writer for Brian Simmons; TPT), Edward Irving (False prophet; false tongues; tithing; taught the real presence of CHRISTOS in the Eucharist; endorsed (initially) Mormonism), Enoch Adejare Adeboye (Prosperity G‑spel; spokesman of Boko Haram (Islam); prayers of his followers in his name; false prophet; resurrection of dead man claimed through cloth radiation; invitation of Kenneth Copeland), Eugene Peterson (Pentecostal roots - spoke sometimes in tongues; The Message 'bible'; strong Ecumenism; Mysticism), Faytene Grasseschi (NAR; Dominionism; fake performance), Gordon Lindsey (lived at Zion City; everyone should speak in tongues; promoted William Branham), Guillermo Maldonado (Prosperity & Healing G‑spel; NAR; gold dust in ventilation), Heidi Baker (False prophet; NAR; TPT), Henry Drummond (as descibed above), Israel Houghton (Adultery; Remarriage; support of Mother Moon church), Jack Hayford (Renovaré board; Aimee McPherson church; female elders; teaches 'baby tongues and adult tongues'; 'Spirit-slaying'; Ecumenism; Kingdom Now; MSG Bible), James W. Goll (False prophet; Mysticism; NAR; claimed to have met 'Jesus'; TPT), Jamie Buckingham (Radical Ecumenist; ghostwriter for Kathryn Kuhlman (10 books including her biography), Billy Graham and Pat Robertson), Jean-Luc Trachsel (Cold reading; part of Bethel; studied at Oral Roberts), Jentezen Franklin (Egalitarian; support of Paula White; Ecumenism; Word of Faith), Jesse Duplantis (Regular 'heavenly tourist'; blasphemies; false healer), Jim Bakker (Defrauded his followers out of $158M; adultery with church secretary; false prophet), Jimmy Swaggart (Caught several times with prostitutes; exorcism through Oral Roberts), Joel Osteen (Prosperity G‑spel; little gods doctrine; 'Your Best Life Now'; Word of Faith; studied one semester at Oral Roberts; in 2014 part of an ecumenical contingent which met the Pope at the Vatican and attended the mass), John Alexander Dowie (strong embrace of Mormonism; Universalism; Flat-Earth-proponent; British Israelism; claimed to be the reincarnation of Elijah; fake healings; prophesied the Second Coming for the year 2000; defrauded followers; introduction of tithings; alcoholism; adultery; separation from family; plans for a harem of 7 wives; physical abuse'; doctors are from the devil), John Bevere (Prosperity G‑spel; Dominionism; former board member of Joyce Meyer Min.; served under Benny Hinn; TPT), John Wimber (founding leader of the Vineyard Movement; strange manifestations in his services; female elders; very strong Ecumenism; he remarried his Catholic wife in a Catholic church), Joyce Meyer (Prosperity G‑spel; little gods; plastic surgeries; studied at Oral Roberts), Kathryn Kuhlman ("Oneness with Pope Paul"; Adultery with another evangelist; false healings; principal inspiration for Benny Hinn), Kenneth Copeland (Pentecostal televangelist; Prosperity G‑spel; he has a physical office in the Vatican; NAR; little gods "pray to yourself, because I'm in your self and you're in Myself. We are one spirit, saith the lord"), Kenneth E. Hagin (Prosperity G‑spel; 'Holy Laughter/Drunk in the Spirit; levitations occurred in his meetings! ; ordination of women; false visions; false prophet; heavily plagiarized from E.W. Kenyon), Kris Vallotton, Lance Wallnau (NAR mouthpiece; 7-Mountain-Mandate; false prophet), Lou Engle (NAR; false prophecies; kissed the feet of the Roman Catholic leader Matteo Calisi at 'Azusa Now 2016'; TPT), Mary B. Woodworth-Etter, Michael L. Brown, Michael Todd (Prosperity G‑spel; Scandal-ridden Transformation church founded by the Pentecostal 'bishop' Carlton Pearson who was a mentee of Oral Roberts; female pastors; Modalism; Ransom-theory), Mike Bickle (IHOP; NAR; 'apostle'; Ecumenism; Mysticism; se*ual abuse; heavenly tourist; studied at Oral Roberts), Myles Munroe (Prosperity G‑spel; Word of Faith; studied at Oral Roberts; died in private plane crash), Oral Roberts (Prosperity G‑spel / Seed-faith; false visions; false healings; strong Ecumenism; Imminent Return; claimed to have raised a dead baby; cloth radiation through anointed handkerchiefs; many people died at his crusades and 50 injured during a storm above his tent meeting; he returned to the Methodist church; 3 of his 4 children divorced / 2 homo*ex*als / 1 suicide), Paula White-Cain (Strong promotion of Mother Moon and Han; spiritual "advisor" to Trump; spiritual mentee of T.D. Jakes; Prosperity G‑spel; blatant abuse of tongues; adultery with Benny Hinn; remarriage; her husband encouraged their congregation to watch p**ography; Ecumenism), Paul Cain (Alcoholism; Homo*e*ual relationship), Paul Crouch, Randy Clark (Primary speaker at the Toronto Blessing and direct instigator for strange manifestations; trained by John Wimber; NAR), Reinhard Bonnke (Father of the Toronto Blessing; Latter-Day-Movement; re-married Benny Hinn; false healings and miracles; 'slain in the spirit'; New Apostolic Reformation / Third Wave Movement; transferable anointings / impartations to others), Reinhard Hirtler (Teleportation claims; visited Heaven; everyone can prophesy; Prosperity G‑spel; Once-Saved-Always-Saved), Rick Joyner (NAR; watered down se*ual abuse through Mike Bickle), Rodney Howard-Browne (who calls himself 'the Holy Ghost Bartender'; a very evil man), Sam Adeyemi (Prosperity G‑spel; abandonded his church; Law of Attraction; female pastors), Shawn Bolz (Cold Reading; false prophet), Smith Wigglesworth, Stacey Campbell (Catholic Miracle Rally; false prophecies; shaking performance; TPT), T.B. Joshua (self-proclaimed 'second messiah'; confinement of church staff; he raped 4-5 disciples per week and forced abortions; phsyical abuse of disciples and his own daughter; fake healings and exorcisms; false prophecies; his church building collapsed with 116 dead people), T.D. Jakes (Prosperity G‑spel; mentor of Paula White; affirms gay rights), Todd Bentley (Se*ual misconduct; heavenly tourist; false healings), Todd White (Prosperity G‑spel; Cold Reading; Leg-lengthening), William M. Branham (self-proclaimed angel of Revelation and Elijah; denied the Trinity and eternal hell; false healer; end of the world in 1977) . . .
All of the individuals mentioned above are Pentecostals or part of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement, even if this is not always obvious to the layperson and had to be researched individually in each case. Dozens or hundreds of well-known teachers could be added to this list, but this should suffice the sad impression. We have learned enough in this concise study to more accurately identify other problematic teachers and warn others affected.
3 Pentecostalism was rightly judged - even from within the rows of Methodists and the Holiness Movement:
[1910] Alma White called in her book Demons and Tongues' the Pentecostal tongues "satanic gibberish" and their services "the climax of demon worship".
[20th c.] W. B. Godbey characterized those at Azusa Street as "Satan's preachers, jugglers, necromancers, enchanters, magicians, and all sorts of mendicants".
[20th c.] Dr. G. Campbell Morgan called Pentecostalism "the last vomit of Satan".
A personal note:
The author of this ministry grew up in a Pentecostal family in Germany and has attended or visited at least 9 Pentecostal / Charismatic churches in Germany, Colombia and Canada. This discernment was written 4 years after the last attendance of a Pentecostal church. Previously I would have considered only extreme forms of Pentecostalism to be problematic, but this discernment opened my eyes to see that the entire denomination is clearly a cult, although there are certainly some saved souls within it - people who maintain a pure faith even within and don't look for signs and wonders.
I have experienced firsthand pastors who taught about the Azusa Street revival, who held special healing services, one pastor who died within days after refusing medical advice, churches who taught a plain Prosperity G‑spel with explicit tithing before taxes and regular 15min-pre-sermons designated to tithing, who taught the book 'Prayer of Jabez' which is not surprisingly popular within Pentecostalism, who exchanged employees with Kenneth Copeland Ministries and were deeply ecumenical, who saw angels in the church building and 'divine' drops of blood on the floor; I have been taught by several female pastors (a practise which I would not tolerate anymore; see the respective study), was tried to be slain in the spirit and refused even to follow a soft push on my chest so as to fall into the hands of a waiting catcher, reluctantly participated in Jericho-style-marches, never spoke one syllable in tongues even after being specifically prayed for, received several clearly false prophecies, spoke with a person who participated in the Toronto Blessing and repented of having done so, I currently live in the city where not only the above mentioned founder Parham once conducted a crusade, where also the infamous Hinn family settled and entertains part of their ministry until today and where Benny Hinn held once again a public meeting in 2025, know of a complicated hip fracture of a person throw down to the floor by an evil spirit, and saw and actively rebuked an ongoing and extreme form of holy laughter.
In short, I have seen much of what I discerned in this article, but at the same time wrote this discernment many years after the events. Years of discernment of individual teachers of the above list of problematic teachers which I rarely related to Pentecostalism, have now consolidated through this discernment an overall picture I would never have thought possible in its evil extent. Pentecostalism is a main contributor to the end times and related apostasy described in the Bible, although we commonly neither consider it as a cult nor see it as overly problematic. But as said initially (2Cor 11:13-15), satan transforms himself into an 'Angel of Light', meaning his true work does not (only) occur through readily identifiable cults.
> We should only trust in the name of
ΘΕΟC (pronounced 'THEOS', instead of the man-made term G‑d),
ΚΥΡΙΟC (pronounced 'KYRIOS', adapted to the term Lord) and
ΙΗCΟΥC ΧΡΙCΤΟC (pronounced 'IESOUS CHRISTOS').
We must not call ourselves disciples or followers of any other name! <
