hillsongs - the next installment
As the comments in two weeks have gone beyond 500 comments - here is the new thread..
Search
Author
Signposts is the personal website of Phil and Dan McCredden. We are involved in leadership at Northern Community.
You can also get Signposts via RSS
Pages
Categories
- admin (17)
- blogosphere (115)
- book of the month (4)
- books and dvd's (31)
- bumping uglies (12)
- campaign 2004 (23)
- challenges for the church (436)
- chat (28)
- chicks in church (7)
- Christmas (12)
- election 2007 (2)
- environment (1)
- events (1)
- Forge (52)
- geek talk (51)
- General (5)
- Geoff Bullock (21)
- glurge (3)
- god as santa (3)
- God politics (25)
- guest posters (6)
- Hillsong (12)
- iraq (70)
- kaleo (3)
- leadership (6)
- Liquid (7)
- Mark for Lent 2006 (43)
- mDNA (51)
- notes from northern (59)
- NT for Lent (21)
- oz politics and society (140)
- poetry and writings (17)
- polls (1)
- quotes (34)
- random musings (125)
- reciprocal links (31)
- religious vilification laws (5)
- songs (3)
- spirituality and prayers (46)
- the good book (19)
- the kitchen garden (1)
- the money jar (14)
- theologically speaking (33)
- those wacky christians (5)
- Unfreezing Moves (14)
- us (154)
- wise words (44)
- World Affairs (84)
Recent entries
March 5th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Spiritual Abuse - David Henke
“Spiritual abuse is the misuse of a position of power, leadership, or influence to further the selfish interests of someone other than the individual who needs help. Sometimes abuse arises out of a doctrinal position. At other times it occurs because of legitimate personal needs of a leader that are being met by illegitimate means. Spiritually abusive religious systems are sometimes described as legalistic, mind controlling, religiously addictive, and authoritarian”.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS
#1) Authoritarian
The most distinctive characteristic of a spiritually abusive religious system, or leader, is the over-emphasis on authority. Because a group claims to have been established by God Himself the leaders in this system claim the right to command their followers.
This authority supposedly comes from the position they occupy. In Matthew 23:1-2 Jesus said the Scribes and Pharisees “sit in Moses’ seat,” a position of spiritual authority. Many names are used but in the abusive system this is a position of power, not moral authority. The assumption is that God operates among His people through a hierarchy, or “chain of command.” In this abusive system unconditional submission is often called a “covering,” or “umbrella of protection” which will provide some spiritual blessing to those who fully submit. Followers may be told that God will bless their submission even if the leadership is wrong. It is not their place to judge or correct the leadership - God will see to that.
#2) Image Conscious
The abusive religious system is scrupulous to maintain an image of righteousness. The organization’s history is often misrepresented in the effort to demonstrate the organization’s special relationship to God. The mistaken judgements and character flaws of its leaders are denied or covered up in order to validate their authority. Impossibly high legalistic standards of thought and behaviours may be imposed on the members.
Their failure to live up to these standards is a constant reminder of the follower’s inferiority to his leaders, and the necessity of submission to them. Abusive religion is, at heart, legalism.
Abusive religion is also paranoid. Because the truth about the abusive religious system would be quickly rejected if recognized, outsiders are shown only a positive image of the group. This is rationalized by assuming that the religion would not be understood by “worldly” people; therefore they have no right to know. This attitude leads to members being secretive about some doctrines and the inner policies and procedures of the group. Leaders, especially, will keep secrets from their members. This secrecy is rooted in a basic distrust of others because the belief system is false and can not stand scrutiny.
#3) Suppresses Criticism
Because the religious system is not based on the truth it cannot allow questions, dissent, or open discussions about issues. The person who dissents becomes the problem rather than the issue he raised. The truth about any issue is settled and handed down from the top of the hierarchy. Questioning anything is considered a challenge to authority. Thinking for oneself is suppressed by pointing out that it leads to doubts. This is portrayed as unbelief in God and His anointed leaders. Thus the follower controls his own thoughts by fear of doubting God.
#4) Perfectionistic
A most natural assumption is that a person does not get something for nothing. Apart from the express declarations of salvation by grace through faith God has given in the scriptures, it would be natural to think that one must earn salvation, or at least work to keep it. Thus, in abusive religions all blessings come through performance of spiritual requirements. Failure is strongly condemned so there is only one alternative … perfection.
So long as he thinks he is succeeding in his observation of the rules, the follower typically exhibits pride, elitism, and arrogance. However, when reality and failure eventually set in, the result is the person experiences spiritual burnout, or even shipwreck of his faith. Those who fail in their efforts are labelled as apostates, weak, or some other such term so that they can be discarded by the system.
#5) Unbalanced
Abusive religions must distinguish themselves from all other religions so they can claim to be distinctive and therefore special to God. This is usually done by majoring on minor issues such as prophecy, carrying biblical law to extremes, or using strange methods of biblical interpretation. The imbalanced spiritual hobby-horse thus produced represents unique knowledge or practices which seem to validate the group’s claim to special status with God.
BIBLICAL RESPONSE
As God in human flesh, Jesus had legitimate spiritual authority. But He did not exercise it to gain power for Himself, or to abuse and control others with rules and regulations. He said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). The Greek word for “heavy laden” is phortizo which means here “to overburden with ceremony (or spiritual anxiety)” (Strong’s Concordance #5412). Jesus gave a balanced perspective on positional authority when he said, “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren” (Matthew 23:8). He gave another key to discernment when He taught, “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory…” (John 7:18a).
Jesus was not “image conscious.” He was willing to associate with wine drinkers, cheating tax collectors and even prostitutes. He accused the legalistic Pharisees of “teaching for doctrine the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9) and likened their showy, hypocritical outward righteousness to “whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).
Neither was He paranoid. His ministry was conspicuously open to the public. When He was on trial (John 18) He was asked about His teachings and His reply was, “Why askest thou me?” Jesus pointed out that He always taught in public, and never in secret, so why not ask His disciples. He had nothing to hide.
Jesus did not fear to criticize the religious leaders or their faulty doctrines (e.g. Matthew 15:1-9; 23:1-39, etc.). And when confronted with criticism or with treacherous questions designed to discredit Him, His response was never to simply demand silence or only positive recognition from His accusers. Rather, He gave answers - scriptural and reasonable answers - to their objections (e.g. Luke 7:36-47; Matthew 19:3-9).
Jesus upheld the high standard of the Law, yet He clearly placed the legitimate needs of people before any rules or regulations (Matthew 12:1-13; Mark 2:23-3:5). The scriptures make it clear that NO ONE [emphasis mine] will cease to sin in this life (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). Jesus made it plain, however, that one can know in this life that one has eternal life (John 5:24; 6:37-40), a theme developed by Paul throughout his epistles, and by John (1 John 5:10-13).
The Pharisees, quintessential spiritually abusive leaders, were quite unbalanced in their perception of what mattered most to God. Jesus said they, “…pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, - judgment, mercy, and faith….” (Matthew 23:23).
EFFECTS OF SPIRITUAL ABUSE
Spiritual abuse has a devastating effect on people. A very high level of trust is often placed in spiritual leaders. It is, and ought to be, expected that the trust will be honoured and guarded. When such trust is violated the wound is very deep. Sometimes the wound is so deep that the wounded person cannot trust even a legitimate spiritual authority again.
An analogous situation exists with the victims of incest. The emotional and psychological symptoms exhibited by victims of incest parallel those of spiritual abuse to a remarkable degree. The main symptom is the inability to relate normally to people who represent the source of their emotional injury.
Besides an unhealthy fear of, and disillusionment with, spiritual authorities, the spiritually abused person may find it difficult to trust even God. “How could (or why did) He let this happen to me?” Anger is also deeply felt. Anger itself is not always wrong - God Himself expresses anger at such spiritual abuse (see Biblical Response, above). However, even legitimate anger, if not properly channelled and dealt with, can degenerate into bitterness and cynicism toward everything spiritual.
RECOVERY FROM SPIRITUAL ABUSE
Healthy recovery from spiritual abuse must begin with UNDERSTANDING [emphasis mine] what has happened and HOW [emphasis mine]. A victim usually thinks he is the ONLY ONE [emphasis mine] experiencing these problems. Just being able to give a name to the problem is important.
Afterward the abused person must learn the TRUE NATURE [emphasis mine] of God’s grace, love and forgiveness. This is the foundation for being able to EVENTUALLY [emphasis mine] forgive the abuser.
Being able TO SHARE [emphasis mine] the experience and what has been learned so as to minister to someone else’s need is also very important. This could be done in a support group made up of people with a SIMILAR EXPERIENCE [signposts] who can share the healing love of Christ. Finally, a lot of time must be allowed for full recovery.
Jack
March 5th, 2007 at 10:13 am
Can I ask your source Jack? I’d love to reproduce that in my blog…is the source suitable for me to do that?
March 5th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Spot on Jack ! , the recovery thing re understanding is good, also I reckon a ‘back to basics’ christianity is a good place to start.
March 5th, 2007 at 10:40 am
‘Can I ask your source Jack? I’d love to reproduce that in my blog…is the source suitable for me to do that”?
The source:
http://www.watchman.org/profile/abusepro.htm
As with most sites this particular one has its own (clearly defined) bias - ‘Watchman’ i.e. ‘cult watch’ … so eat the meat BUT throw away the bones.
Jack
March 5th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Mungo,
I agree with the ‘back to basics’ approach my friend, but as you know its not that simple.
I mean what are the basics? Who determines them? Who can you trust to assist in the determination? Can you / are you forced to … go it alone’?
And most importantly, have we discarded all the ‘filters’ (erroneous perceptions / teachings etc) that we assimilated in the IC to enable us to correctly discern the basics, in the first place.
So much unlearning is required before we can arrive at a place of authenticity and integrity etc, etc, to even begin the process of learning!
Here (at Signposts) I think we can begin the unlearning BUT as Zulu (rightly) said, I think the place of learning lies elsewhere since what is required IMHO is not only a sense of belonging and a forum to express freely and question (freely), but importantly compassion, understanding, great patience, mutual respect and a DEEP understanding and embracing of the amazing Godly attribute of GRACE!
Perhaps ‘Signposts’ can develope towards the latter … but it may well be at the expense of the former! Time will tell.
Jack
March 5th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
‘I agree with the ‘back to basics’ approach my friend, but as you know its not that simple.
I mean what are the basics? Who determines them? Who can you trust to assist in the determination? Can you / are you forced to … go it alone’?’
Hi Jack, yes I agree, it’s not simple and everyone is different. I should preface this by saying this is or was my own way forward and am not trying to preach anything.
What I mean by back to basics is a revisiting of your own personal salvation, the reasons why, the things that happened, your initial feelings and experiences with Jesus before all the complications set in, become a child. Like a cut back to the beginning and from there jetisioning indoctrination one thing at a time by reading the bible a lot and restudying for yourself. I don’t think we need assistance, its a personal thing, its good to talk about it but there is noone near me to talk to so for a while I didn’t. Where I am, if I say to people the way I feel about hs, they think I ‘m crazy because they look to hs for guidance in the 21st century church. They have absolutely no idea, one guy pities me and shakes his head with sadness at what I’ve become but we are never alone in this. Besides I like that scripture, ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’. It is our own responsibility to guard our own salvation, we have the helper, The Holy Spirit to assist in anything, he will lead us into all truth and for me, when I reached a place of rebuilding my belief system, he was there all the way. Forgiveness is the key. not just them but yourself, and it’s not a once off, just keep doing it whenever the memories taunt.
I was talking to some people last year about the hardness that comes in your heart in the ‘church’ and one of them said something that really rocked me, it was, ‘I wonder when we started to become like that.’ It made me sad to think that there was once a time when I was an innocent blank canvas and at the edge of the great ocean of possibilities for my life in Christ, unfortunately for me I chose the wrong path and the rest is history, but praise God, every day is a new start and on we go enjoying the present and the future. I am the eternal optimist and basically a happy person so nothing is going to keep me down for long anyway.
I think Signposts is good but it is only a step along the way, the trouble being that unless you are a true agent of change, or bent on revenge or infinite insults it can tend to be a place where the hurt is only perpetuated and never gotten over. I have a tendency toward sarcasm and cyncism but who cares, it’s not the end of the world and its part of my process. I personally don’t believe in revenge, God is the judge, and I certainly don’t think my former leaders would give two stuffs about Signposts other than it being more publicity, they certainly don’t give a rip about the people who come here. If it helps someone to go for the jugular well that’s their choice. I often think that there might be enough secrets held by people here to take it down overnight, but like avb says, what good would that do and who is going to stand before God and explain his or her reasons for destroying even only one life. We are all children of God and I do believe he has a plan for us, if we miss it well it’s ok, all things work for the good etc.etc.
March 5th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
there, now I’m late for work…bluddy signposts!!! Man I go on..what a turkey!
March 5th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Mungo … well said mate!
Like yourself, I confess to being an optimist, I would like to believe that we have endured for a greater purpose. What that purpose is etc, is in the Lord’s hands, for the moment, as are we.
As far as H/S is concerned … well I’m sure God is BIG enough…
Good talking to you!
Jack
March 5th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
You too, yeah God IS big, fly over hs at 30,000 ft and you don’t even know it’s there.
I know my purpose, provide for my family, work hard and enjoy my life, do all the things normal people do like buy a house, stay in one place, pay bills, become a part of the community talking and being near normal people, doing practical things to help others without labelling it anything or bragging about it, blah blah
cheers Jack
March 6th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
“I was listening to Pastor Bobbie Houston’s message which she preached at one of the Colour the World Conference Women Meeting. The title of the message is “Awesome Kingdom Partners in God’s Awesome Master Plan”. She talked about women (like duh…) being a integral (according to Dictionary.com, it means “complete; entire; whole” Take note of the meaning.) part in Daddy’s plan.
It was not just being important to His plan. But the one who completes His plan. Women are created to come along side, to help (to Adam, Eve was created to be a helper) and to be a blessing where-ever she is. She gave many examples of women leaders in Hillsong who were set in their ministry to complete it. One of whom is their worship pastor, Darlene Zscheh. She was called to lead the worship team to complete the picture that Daddy has of the team with her spirit, gifting and talent.
It takes a whole new meaning when you come to know that Daddy has a plan for you and you’re not just an important aspect of His plan. But you’re NEEDED, with your spirit, gifting and talent, in the plan to COMPLETE the whole picture. Everyone of us is created differently, uniquely, and with that uniqueness, we’re placed into position to complete the picture in our own very way. It helps me see being in a ministry (by ministry, I don’t just mean church ministry. Your family is also your ministry.) in a whole new light. I’m not just there so that I can be part of the picture. But, by the grace of Daddy and what He sees in me, I’m there to complete the picture. The beautiful picture that Daddy is painting.
How can we complete the picture then? In Genesis 3, when the fall of man occurred, Daddy God said to Eve and the devil,”And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3: 15 NIV) ever since the beginning, Daddy has put in women, a great seed which, in Eve’s case (or should I say Mary?) bore forth Christ Jesus. Similarly, in every women, is a seed of greatness that completes the instrument in His hands and to arise with His glory to bring about power, authority, blessings and wealth.
Women are called to be Warrior Princess for Daddy. I know it sounds corny. (because I felt that way when pastor Bobbie Houston said it and I kept thinking about Xena.) You see, you know you’re a princess in Daddy’s eyes. But you know how princesses are always portrayed in fairy tales and movies. Beautiful and elegant but always the damsel in distress. The one who always need to be rescued by Prince Charming. Well, who needs Prince Charming to come rescue us when He’s already inside us? With Jesus in us, we are called to be Warrior Princess. To be like a princess, all elegant and precious, and to be a warrior, to stand firm in circumstances, wielding the sword that is already in us, to annihilate the devil.
So women, go forth as a Warrior Princess and wield your sword against puny devil. Because there is power in you that’s only measureable by the power that your Daddy in Heaven posses.
Alrighty, to end, here’s a question. Did the devil attacked women because they’re weak or because he knows of her potential strength? Think about it, Warrior Princesses.”
From http://yunz.multiply.com/journal/item/88
March 6th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
oh my goodness……beam me up…..
March 6th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
“Pastor Neil Hetrick
General Secretary
Assemblies of God in New Zealand
Auckland
Dear Mr Hetrick
In April of this year my solicitor contacted your organisation to advise you of my allegation that Frank Houston sexually abused me in 1972, when I was a teenager and a member of the AoG church in Lower Hutt and Houston was your General Superintendent. Your response was to conduct an internal investigation, which appears to have been motivated by the desire to discredit my allegations, rather than to seek the truth. Despite several offers to assist you with your enquiries, you have refused to communicate with me directly and declined to discuss my version of what occurred.
I also conducted an investigation into the illicit actions of Houston while he was both a Pastor and General Superintendent of the NZ AoG and I’m sure that you will be well aware of what I uncovered. The action of both the Australian and NZ AoG to ban Houston from the ministry for “Serious moral failure” is evidence enough that other allegations have been made and that you had sufficiently established their authenticity to justify taking such action against him.
Several Pastors and prominent church members past and present, in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and the UK assisted me with my enquiries. This investigation confirmed both Houston’s history of sexual abuse and the consistent attempts to cover-up his behaviour. I understand that this sorry history has already contributed to at least one church in NZ ceasing their affiliation with the AoG and that others are contemplating taking similar action.
I am writing directly to you now to question your own role in what happened to me. At the time Houston abused me, you were also a Pastor of the Lower Hutt AoG and you had certainly met me on several occasions. At that time, did you not think it unusual that a teenage member of the church, who had been baptised in the church (by Pastor Uren), suddenly stopped attending and then wrote a formal letter of resignation? Did you not feel compelled in your pastoral duty to investigate why this occurred, or at least ensure that one of the other Pastors made such an enquiry? Perhaps there was no more desire back then to uncover the truth about Houston than there appears to be now, thirty years later.
You have already been advised of the specific nature of Houston’s sexual abuse and I will not go into the details again here. I admit that after thirty years, my initial recollection of the events may have been inaccurate in relation to the precise dates and peripheral circumstances. However, I can assure you that the abuse did occur as I have documented, when I was with Houston in Wanganui in 1972. Since my solicitor contacted your organization in April, you appear to have focused your responses on challenging the precise details of my allegations, presumably to dissuade me from pursuing effective legal action. However, in following such a course you may have overlooked the very significant and long-term impact that this experience has had on my life. The negative forces that were unleashed by the experience were extremely powerful and I can assure you that they endure to this day.
While the NZ Police have been sympathetic to me and my allegations, they have advised that due to Houston’s age, health and time away from New Zealand, it is unlikely that he could be extradited to face criminal charges. Based on your response to date, I sense that any compensation or even reconciliation and apology from your organization, appears highly unlikely. Ironically, had this abuse occurred in the Catholic Church, at least they would have put in place internal procedures to investigate the allegations and enable both parties to give their evidence before an independent arbitrator. However, it appears the Assemblies of God remain a closed and insular organisation seeking only to protect your image and finances. Genuine Christian compassion and a duty of care to your members appear to be absent from your mission.
Based on the information that I have received, I am convinced that Houston has left a trail of victims behind him over his long career of abuse. I suspect that many of these victims are in NZ and like myself, were probably associated with your Church at one time. I believe that it is important that other victims come forward and I am hoping that my actions will create a climate where it is easier for them to do so. If there are others who are willing to speak out, it may make a difference to the eventual outcome of this terrible breach of trust and respect in a Minister of God.
I would be grateful if you would at least talk with me about these events and work with me to uncover the truth. If not, I intend to continue my pursuit for justice in every way possible. Maybe there is someone else who will succeed with a prosecution either in NZ or Australia. Based on the history of your organisation’s response to my allegations and in the interests of ensuring full public disclosure, I have copied this letter to several interested parties and to those who have helped me in this matter.
Once again, I want to extend an offer to assist your organisation with your enquiries to uncover the truth about this evil man. While the AoG may have been involved in attempts to cover-up Houston’s behaviour in the past and this course of action may have allowed further abuse to occur, I accept that we can all be guilty of such errors of judgment. However, it is never too late for the truth. You are in a position to help me and perhaps many other victims seeking a sense of closure, justice and healing from these sad events.
Yours sincerely
Peter Fowler
27th November 2002″
From http://www.christian-witness.org/aog/pf_nh.html
March 6th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Brian Houston Senior Pastor
Hillsong
Norwest Business Park
Norwest Blv (cnr Solent Cct)
Baulk ham Hills 2153
Wednesday, April 03, 2002
Dear Pastor Brian,
I refer to the article that appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 27th march 2002 regarding the departure of your Youth pastor and friend Patrick Mesiti. In that article it referred to the departure of your father Frank Houston at the CLC church in Waterloo.
I went to your father’s church when it met in the hall next to the Koala motel in Riley Street for many years. I have always had a great love and respect for your father who has prayed with me and taught me for those years. I cannot believe the reports that are now filtering back regarding the crisis that your father is now involved in. As a former parishioner of the church I feel I have an obligation and a right to know the truth concerning the allegations raised.
Furthermore these questions are not meant to pry or commence gossip; they are put to you with the hope that you will reflect a clear conscience with the events that have taken place and that that you are above reproach in this matter.
I would appreciate it if you would be completely honest with me in the questions I want to ask.
Questions
Have you been completely honest and have you told the whole truth about the immoral conduct of your father and Pat Mesiti?
Why the church was told that Pastor Frank was stepping down and retiring from the ministry because he was getting on in age or was becoming forgetful?
Why are people told when they ring the CLC Waterloo office that Pastor Frank has retired and that he is taking it easy back in New Zealand when the newspaper article quoted above states that he was sacked by you and he was not even given the retirement option? What really took place was he fired or did he retire?
How long had you known of the alleged sexual misconduct of your father seeing it relates to 30 years ago and you were brought up in the Houston household as a member of the family?…..
…Darren Boehm”
From
http://www.christian-witness.org/aog/db_art.html
March 6th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
“The late Frank Houston formed a movement (Christian Life Centres) within a movement.
Over a 20 year period Andrew Evans, as General Superintendent supported Frank and his efforts, initially using his influence to promote Houston to the position of Superintendent of Assemblies of God for the state of New South Wales. The National Executive supported Andrew Evans.
Whether it was known or not by his supporters, Frank Houston was cleverly creaming off property that belonged to local Assemblies of God for his own ambitious ends.
I have a testimony in my files of a former AoG pastor who alleges that when his Assembly in Sydney was struggling Mr Houston approached him with an offer to become part of the growing Christian Life Centre at Waterloo, which he accepted on certain understandings which Houston failed to honour.
The deal involved the eventual transfer of a valuable property to the control of Frank Houston who had established himself in a key authority relating to property within AoG.
It is alleged that it was based on deals such as this that Hillsong, now directed by Brian Houston but actually founded by his late father, Frank Houston, achieved their initial break.
I am not suggesting there was anything intrinsically illegal in the transactions that took place. What I am questioning is the ethics and morality of what happened and what continues to happen.
Brian Houston and Hillsong have been in the news, on several occasions over the past two or three years, regarding questionable property deals, which, according to the media reports, have benefited the Houston family personally.
Now is the time for these things to be investigated thoroughly.
Sadly it is the media that is leading the way, whereas biblically the AoG should be investigating and judging these matters.”
From http://www.christian-witness.org/archives/cetf2006/reversion36.html
March 7th, 2007 at 9:23 am
Sometimes I think we are just throwing pearls to swine.
March 7th, 2007 at 10:15 am
A pox on all of them.. i feel like throwing up
March 7th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
The Changing Of The Guard
Except for a brief time toward the end, during the entire period of my attending the AOG church, the man at the helm was Andrew Evans. During the 1997 AOG National Conference, however, the job as General Superintendent of the AOG in Australia was passed over to the much younger, and more dynamic, Brian Houston, son of well known and very popular Sydney AOG pastor, Frank Houston.
However, Brian Houston, like his father, Frank, is a Word of Faith proponent who parrots the Kenneth Hagin/Kenneth Copeland health, wealth and prosperity doctrine. Additionally, he is well schooled in Church Growth strategies, having sat under the tutoring of the likes of “Christian Buddhist” Yonggi Cho, who is welcomed with opened arms in his father’s church, Christian Life Centre in Sydney. He is also indoctrinated with the heretical Kingdom Now/Latter Rain/Dominionist beliefs having come under the influences of teachers who have political and social ambitions for the whole of Christendom.
Submission To Spiritual Leaders
Brian is ambitious, vigorous, old enough to have respect from the “old guard” that the AOG desires to keep on-side and yet, still young enough to identify with the younger generation that the AOG is currently courting with outstanding success. Having grown up in his father’s church, he also fits very snugly into the ideals and standards held by the leadership of the AOG and other Pentecostal denominations, such as the spiritual authority of leaders and unquestioning submission from the members of the congregations to the men and women in positions of authority. For example, in the October ‘97 issue of the Australian Evangel, the official monthly magazine of the AOG in Australia, writing as General Superintendent of the movement he wrote,
“There is a need in the Church today for gifted followers. It involves taking risks and trusting leadership. Followers have to follow the lead. Further you have to be able to change direction, often quickly. As the leader turns a corner, you have to have the capacity to go with the flow, wherever it may take you. People are far too quick to turn away from those who have been their spiritual leaders. Followers shouldn’t! We should honour and respect them. People who don’t are insecure. Never think that it was a coincidence that God gave you the leader you have.”
No! I don’t think that the leader that my previous church gained was a coincidence. I do believe, however, that because of their desire to follow after false gods and false revivals, God gave the members of my former fellowship the leader they wanted, and most likely deserved - a leader who is leading them blissfully, further and further down the ever widening and accommodating path of apostasy.
This dangerous and self-serving version of “spiritual leadership” is rampant throughout Christendom, and has been since time immemorial, and Brian Houston has simply become one of its victims, a modern-day promoter who now believes himself to be “some great one” in the affairs of God’s Kingdom and what God is supposedly doing in the earth today. It’s called Heavy Shepherding, and a number of key men who were involved in, and had their fingers badly burned by just such an un-Scriptural leadership debacle just prior to my conversion in 1982 have been, over the years, welcomed and promoted by Brian’s father, Frank.
“… Whose Faith Follow”
While I do read in my Bible in Hebrews 13:17 that we are to “…obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief”, I also read in verse 7 of the same chapter that we are to “…remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”
Judging from what we read above, we are only to follow those who speak the Word of God and not some self-serving version that they have made up for their own benefit. Consequently we are not commanded by God to submit to, to trust and obey, and follow at every sudden change of direction, a leader in the church beyond the degree to which he is in submission to the Word of God himself. If they call themselves pastors and church leaders but are not in submission to the Word then we are instructed by God to expose their error (Ephesians 5:11), and if they continue in promoting their error, we are to depart from their presence (Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Timothy 6:5; 2 Timothy 3:5; 2 John 1:10).
Brian Houston might kid some into believing that we are “insecure” by our refusal to submit to leaders who are obviously in conflict with Scripture, but it is that same Word of God, which in Proverbs 14:15-16, encourages us to resist the psychological pressure of our companions by stating,
“The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.”
Judging by the size of Brian Houston’s congregation, there are a lot of “simple” people around who blindly believe everything he says. Perhaps he should try and convince Jim Jones’ followers that they did the wise thing by taking a few risks in trusting the leadership of Jim, who I might add, was a fellow pastor (Disciples of Christ) who held to the same beliefs about authority, submission and following the leader as Houston professes to.
“As the leader turns a corner, you have to have the capacity to go with the flow, wherever it may take you.”
So says Brian Houston. As we look at the state of Christendom today and what has resulted from the last ten or so years of unreservedly jumping into the various rivers of revival, it becomes apparent, to those with eyes to see, that a multitude of “gifted followers” are prepared to obey the teaching that is being promoted here by Houston. They are quite prepared to follow their leader and go with the flow to wherever it may take them. Any expression of concern coming from a “gifted follower” with regard to his destination is pronounced as insecurity.
But God’s Word is clear that we are not to blindly put our faith in someone just because he is proclaimed a spiritual leader. Always, we are commanded in 1 John 4:1,
“… believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
Also, we have the testimony of Acts 17:11 which demonstrates that the Jews in the Synagogue at Berea didn’t simply believe and follow Paul’s teaching based upon his recognized position as a spiritual leader. They checked thoroughly to see that what he was promoting aligned faithfully with the Scriptures. The devoted bestowing of honour and respect upon leaders who are promoting unbiblical beliefs and practices will not help on the day we have to stand before the Lord and give account of ourselves - on our own. There will be no spiritual leader holding our hand on that day.
“Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39)
Source: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~rseaborn/bandwagon.html
March 7th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Oink oink.
March 7th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
“You asked how you become a pastor in the AOG. Let me ask you, how did you become involved in the Church scene in WA?”
I was all of 23 years old and working at 3XY in Melbourne in 1989 when I was offered a job at the Sonshine FM newsroom in Perth.
At the time, Sonshine was a unique experiment in a new form of outreach Christian radio and I felt strongly connected to what it was aiming to do….so I made the move west.
I started out at an Anglican church in Perth, St. Matthews, which ended up splitting over leadership differences..and for a while I was attending the breakaway group..meeting at St. Barnabas in West Leederville.
I felt I was in the right place, because they started up a support group (effectively an ex-gay group) for gay people in the church…which went OK for a while..until one-by-one each member dropped out until I was the only one left and they discontinued the group.
That created a mini-crisis in my Christian journey..and looked around to see whether there might be other support to deal with the gay thing. I started attending Churchlands Christian Fellowship..which was in the process of leaving the Uniting Church and joining with the new Vineyard movement. Vineyard churches in California were at the time leading the way in ministering to gay people, and I was hoping some of that might rub-off on Churchlands (it didn’t)..which was the main Australian Vineyard church at the time. (Eventually Vineyard kicked Churchlands out of the movement…and Churchlands now runs its own denomination ..Southern Cross)
“You bought into something that you believed in at the time. What happened to cause you to become disillusioned along the way? At what point did you realise something was terribly wrong?”
I think I knew something was wrong..when ..in desperation…I started going from church to church (Subiaco Church of Christ, South Perth Church of Christ, Whitford Church of Christ, Warwick Church of Christ, Lakeside Baptist, and later ..an independent ‘emerging’-style home meeting)..and nobody on leadership or in the congregation could give me any answers…and frankly….no-one seemed to give a shit.
I couldn’t get out of my mind this teaching.
(Matt 22:37-39)
” 36″Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
To me..that indicates it’s a package deal and you can’t separate the two commandments..There IS no love of God if you’re not giving a shit about the people around you.
And I was watching churches buying up drum kits and sound desks and Bose speakers like crazy to ‘get the worship right’…to the point of being obsessional about the worship sound and the worship ‘experience’…but I was becoming amazed..and still am amazed..about how little a shit the pastors gave about the concerns and difficulties of the people under their care.
Now of course ..I understand that it goes much further than that…that not only do pastors not give a shit about the people under their care..but see the people under their care as people to be used and abused and exploited to build their own empire or ‘obey the Word’…… that it all..in hindsight..makes sense.
I watched week after week, pastors clearly not wanting to hang around with their own church people..and wanting to get out the door and get home…(presumably so they could be up early on Monday to do the ‘important’ office chores)….then that’s when I realised that they weren’t fair dinkum about ministry and they were just going through the motions.
I should add that this seems to be a peculiarly Perth thing in all aspects of life. People do just what they’re supposed to be seen to be doing…..they act all busy and determined when their big bosses come over from the east to see how things are running..and then when they fly back east…everyone relaxes..and returns to going through the motions again.
That’s just the way things work in the west..so it shouldn’t be any surprise that it’s the way things happen in churches in Perth as well. You drive down the Mitchell Freeway, into your air-conditioned office….get through all your daily tasks..drive home up the freeeway…so you can take the kids to Trigg Beach and buy Chicken Treat on the way home. Anything that falls outside that lifestyle is an unwelcome intrusion.
“Did you doubt yourself at first and try to fix things or did you just bail? All good questions and I suspect highly individual, but in general, I suspect that we are not all that different really.”
Spoke to pastors, spoke to church members…and encountered uniform ‘passive resistance’.
What is ‘passive resistance’?
I identified this phenomenon when I was running the Sonshine newsroom.
You explain to someone what they should be doing ..and why they should be doing it..and they nod and agree..and go ‘yep…yep..yep…no problems…got it.’
And they go on and don’t take any notice of what you said.
You go back to them ..and say…’oh just a reminder…we need to do such and such from now on…because of blah blah blah…’
And they go ‘yeah…yeah….that makes sense…no worries..’
And they go on their way..and completely ignore what you’ve told them..
Christians are experts at ‘passive resistance’. They won’t disagree with you directly..but engage in this two-faced agreeing with you to your face..and doing their own thing once you’ve gone.
Pastors are masters at it. I met with several pastors from different churches .. all making grand promises and in full agreement with what I was saying..and then disappeared off into their next appointment..to do noddies with the next church member and tell them whatever they wanted to hear.
So anyway, I bailed from the church….for the reason that it’s not what it claims to be…but also that I’m not what I claim to be.
I mean..church people have issues..but I seem to have extra issues that means I’m not even good enough to fit-in as a dodgy church person.
So I just find that life works better if I avoid the church and the church avoids me because I can’t fix the church and the church can’t fix me……and I’m surprised how much more relaxed and not-as-depressed I am …being out of the church (although it’s very tough when you first make the break from it).
‘Backsliding’ (as the churchies love to call it) definitely has its advantages.
March 7th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Oh, I’m also a ‘backslider’..because I now believe in the concept that grace is for those who don’t deserve it..not for those who think they do deserve it because they ‘worship right’ (we won’t be doing ‘contemporary’ Jesus Jingle 1980’s worship in 2080 folks) or on the basis of other cultural activities that are the fad of the day.
(Can you imagine if ‘contemporary’ Christian worship was the ‘in’ thing in the 1920’s? We’d all still be doing the Charleston for Jesus in church)
March 7th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
You aren’t a backslider, you’re just another bloody easterner come over here to W ait A while with your high falutin’ ways, bloody easterners!!
March 7th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Lance,
Wow … thanks for your honesty and your candour. To be honest … I am pretty much lost for words, after that.
In attempting to answer your (previous) question [how you become a pastor in the AOG] I made the point that many have suffered from abusive church structures and their leaders … and all have their story.
But obviously some have suffered more than others. Some find healing and restoration within authentic, relational body-life with like-minded Christ-followers. Others for various reasons shun such relationships and tend to go it alone.
It’s this latter group, which I feel drawn to personally. I find now, in Sydney, that I’m in contact with many ‘modern day lepers’ as I once heard them described. That is, people who wouldn’t/couldn’t fit in ANY church.
At the moment, we just do life together and try to wrestle with some of the deeper issues which many Christians and churches seem to ignore! The issues facing gay christians, features strongly among the many issues we are attempting to come to terms with.
The God I love and serve would NOT leave his own without an answer!
I don’t have the answers to many of the questions we face together but I’m willing to walk through the maze with these guys until an answer comes.
I think honest sharing without ‘cheapening’ a relationship with superficial and easy, ‘quick fix’ answers is a good start. I know it was for me some years ago!
We are experimenting with various ways to reach the ‘outcasts’ around us, but feel very much as though we are pushing the proverbial uphill!
Perhaps one of the most amazing aspects of all this for me is the fact that God has given me a genuine love for gays! Particularly since I was stalked, preyed upon, seduced and repeatedly molested by a paedophile over a period of several months as a young teen and shunned male friendships for many years.
March 7th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Lance, you may not deserve grace, (none of us do) but I think you’re a rich and wonderful and deeply graced human being. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself in cyber-world.
March 7th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
I think there are two sorts of people in life and in the church..the broken and the unbroken…and neither really understands the other.
What’s really distinctive about the pentecostal churches..is that they have policies and practices in place that drive the broken and the unbroken further apart…whereas other churches tend to go some way towards bridging that gap…even if just in appearance..if not reality.
In a church like Hill$ong..the broken tend to be the canary in the goldmine..and are the first to chirp when gas is seeping from the unbroken’s bumholes.
March 7th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
“‘Backsliding’ (as the churchies love to call it) definitely has its advantages”.
Yes, beginning with a ten-percent pay rise!
March 7th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Thanks for taking the time to write that Lance.
I think there are a lot of “lepers” in churches of every denomination. Even in the non mega churches. All it takes is to have a continuing disagreement with someone in charge and sooner or later one or both of you is going to find it hard work to keep it up and then the drift happens. I don’t think it is limited to just the bigger churches though, but I can see how it would become taxing on your time when you have a dozen other things other than pastoring that require your attention. Sooner or later you’re going to start giving people the slip. Not great if your supposed to be a shepherd.
March 7th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
“Perhaps one of the most amazing aspects of all this for me is the fact that God has given me a genuine love for gays! Particularly since I was stalked, preyed upon, seduced and repeatedly molested by a paedophile over a period of several months as a young teen and shunned male friendships for many years.”
I probably left out of my own story..that it was an assault by a worship leader that pushed me over the edge and away from the church…and unable to trust men in particular…but I was pretty much on the outer of church life by the time that happened 10 years ago anyway.
I don’t want to paint myself as the victim here though…because I have pretty strong predatorial instincts when I’m around young men….so that’s another reason why I don’t go to church because I get ‘distracted’ pretty easily…(like the hetero boys and their Magnum-licking Hill$ong women.)
March 7th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
I don’t see myself as a victim either (anymore) but I have been struggling with a renewed call to ministry for some time. A large part of me would prefer to simply walk away.
To be honest I’ve had a gutful of the whinging and whining, the bleating and the bullshit, the me-centredness and moaning, that far too often oozes out of so many so-called Christians. I’ve pretty much had it with ALL forms of Church!
‘Damn you’ (TIC) for mentioning:
“whereas other churches tend to go some way towards bridging that gap…”
I had a powerful prophetic word (yeah I believe in that stuff) some years ago about a ‘Bridge Building Ministry’ assisting those whom the church was unable or unwilling to assist, to find Christ and each other in a sense of real (genuine) Christian community.
Until now I have not understood this. I have a long history of involvement in the D&A area as well as Mental Health but I never stopped to consider a whole new demographic, such as HIT me, when I read your story!
Right now, I feel a bit like Paul when he declared his intention to turn his back on the Jews … finally recognising that his ministry calling was among the (heathen, unclean, irreligious) gentiles!
Stuff it … Lance does that mean I have to like you now?
March 7th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
“Stuff it … Lance does that mean I have to like you now?”
No. I am here to be an irritant and should have been banned long ago.
March 7th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Banned? Like lionfish?