AoG (UK) in crisis!

By SIAM BHAYRO PhD

Recently in the UK, a major scandal hit the political world when it emerged that major political figures from both the Government and the Opposition had been mixing with some businessmen who are facing serious corruption charges in India (relating to bribery and arms deals). It didn't look good -- fancy associating with someone whose character is being questioned so severely...
Well it appears that the leadership of AOG in the United Kingdom have done precisely the same thing. Whilst two major church denominations in the USA were blacklisting Tommy Tenney, the UK AOG had him speak at their annual conference! We have received the following report, which we quote unedited -- please note that just prior to going to press we received a confirmatory statement from Thomas Trask, Gen Super AG, USA -- see Stop Press page 27.

SBC and AG denominational leadership say Tenney's doctrine is suspect, and blacklisted his books from their bookstores.

Revivalist's Best-Selling Book Chased Out by Two Denominations

Stores have blacklisted The God Chasers because of doctrinal objections by Ken Walker

Revivalist Tommy Tenney's best-selling book The God Chasers is poised to pass a million sales this month, but it has been blacklisted by two denominations. Both the Assemblies of God (AG) and the Southern Baptists have removed Tenney's materials from their stores over separate doctrinal disputes .
Although other AG stores reportedly still carry the Pineville, LA-based writer and speaker's books, the Radiant Book and Music Store in Springfield, Mo. -- the city in which the denomination is headquartered -- no longer stocks them. Public relations director Juleen Turnage said in a brief statement that the books were not in doctrinal harmony with the AG.
General Superintendent Thomas Trask declined to discuss a conversation he had with Tenney about his views. But Tenney said that the decision to remove the books stemmed from his unwillingness to turn his back on his roots in the United Pentecostal Church (UPC). The UPC split from the AG in 1916 over its "Oneness" theology, which promotes baptizing people only in Jesus' name.
Though his father is a UPC superintendent, 45-year-old Tenney left the denomination during the 1980s and said that he does not adhere to its views. Radiant still stocks a couple of books by T.D. Jakes *1, whose past ties with the Oneness camp have sparked controversy.
"What I wound up telling [Trask] is I can't turn my back on my heritage," Tenney said. "I don't deny the salvation experience of the people who birthed me. But neither do I deny the salvation of the Assemblies of God. Sometimes I get rocks thrown at me from both sides."
The God Chasers has been dropped by LifeWay Christian Resources, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) chain, which is not stocking Tenney's fast-selling follow-up, The God Catchers either. Director of merchandising Chris Rodgers said it was not normal practice to discuss the reasons for selecting products, but in a message to a customer who asked about the removal of The God Chasers one LifeWay manager said that the book promoted unbiblical theology.
Among the objections cited were the charges that The God Chasers implies that there is past truth, which is contained in the Bible, as well as present truth, and the idea that "presence evangelism," where God's glory is encountered, does away with the need for preaching, which is the New Testament model.
Tenney said that he was not promoting present-day revelation over the Bible's. He sometimes used literary devices to emphasise that the Bible directs people to a relationship with the living God, he said, but he still strongly believed in preaching about the passionate pursuit of Christ.
"On average, I speak six days a week," he said. "There are times in the middle of my preaching when I feel it's time for the altar call. There are times when worship is preferable. But that's in every church. I'm not trying to de-emphasise preaching." Despite the bans, Tenney said that he held no ill feeling. "I honour the pursuit of God in whatever tradition a person follows. If they call Christ Lord, I call them `brother.'" [Source: Charisma News Service, May 3, 2001. Compare statement from AG Gen-Sup USA, p27]
So it appears that, whilst the UK AOG executive completely ignored our warnings about Tenney, the US AOG and Southern Baptists banned him! But more than that, they banned him for the exact reasons we highlighted in our last issue of Vanguard! When will the AOG Executive start to listen?
When they suddenly wake up and find they have invited the devil himself? *1

More on Tenney (and an appeal to Mike Jarvis)

It appears that some readers have taken offence to our last Unmasked article on Tommy Tenney. You may recall that the last Vanguard featured an analysis of Tenney's teachings, written by Michael Taylor, a theologian currently studying for his PhD at King's College London. Despite the fact that Michael is studying at the highest level and gives an insightful and well-researched analysis of some of the problems with Tenney's teachings, some of our readers reject Michael's article without answering any of the points raised.
A case in point comes from Mike Jarvis, AOG regional superintendent for the Eastern Region, and a member of the Executive, which invited Tenney to speak at this year's conference. Writing in his region's April newsletter, Jarvis states:
"It is regrettable that some critics, because of a disagreement with a fellow-minister, comb through his books, nit-picking for supposed errors. This is biased. This is childish faultfinding. If these critics used the same critique on their bibles they would be branded as heretics!"
Okay -- let's take this one step at a time -- for Mike's benefit.
Firstly, the Bible is the rule by which we measure every thing. Would anybody measure a ruler? Of course not! The ruler does not need measuring -- it measures everything else. The same goes for the Bible. We dare not criticise it -- it is the measuring rod by which we criticise everything else! Let me emphasise this one more time: The Bible stands alone as the one authoritative rule by which all others are measured. So why would we critique the Bible?
Jarvis' last sentence makes no sense whatsoever, unless he equates Tenney's books with the Bible and treats them the same. Yes -- if we sought to critique the scriptures, we would be called heretics. But is Jarvis seriously equating criticising the Bible with critiquing Tenney? Come on Jarvis -- write in and let us know: Are we heretics for esteeming the scriptures higher than Tenney?
Secondly, we in no way recognise Tenney as being a "fellow-minister". No man who dishonours scripture as Tenney does is in fellowship with us. He may be a fellow minister to Jarvis, but not to us.
Thirdly, yes we do "comb through his books". But why is that a problem? What are we meant to do? Just buy them and leave them on the shelf? Surely it is understood that the moment a writer publishes anything, it is in the public domain and the author is accountable for what he or she has written?
And finally, Jarvis refers to "supposed errors", as if we have invented them or are gravely mistaken (which is possible). Of course Jarvis is welcome to his opinion. But why doesn't he write and tell us where we have gone wrong? We shall quite happily correct any mistake Jarvis points out to us.
Unfortunately, our opponents don't do that. They just say we are wrong, but don't say why. Then they blame us for "nit-picking" when we actually state why our opponents are wrong. Talk about having your cake...
Discussions concerning the orthodoxy of Tenney belong in the public domain. If Jarvis wants to contribute to this discussion, then let him do so. Michael Taylor, a gifted scholar who devotes his life to the study of these matters, is quite prepared to defend his analysis. If Jarvis thinks he can correct Taylor, let him try. Otherwise let him cease his ill-considered interventions. Personally, given the choice between the measured arguments of a scholar who is devoting his life to the study of this particular subject, and the illogical rantings of a career minister who has shown no analytical skills in his approach to the issue, I go with the scholar.
It is sad that the sole defence of Tenney that Jarvis offers in his newsletter is that "I read this book sometime ago and I must say I derived real spiritual benefit." Well that's fine then.
As a post-script, I can see how Jarvis has derived "spiritual benefit" from Tenney. One of the things, which really characterises Tenney, is his complete lack of piety. At a recent Eastern Region meeting, held at St Ives, Cambridgeshire, Jarvis stated, "there is no such thing as Pentecostal piety". I was there and was quite shocked by this statement. It bothered me because I think piety is essential for the Christian walk, but here was Jarvis condemning piety, as if it was to be despised as a sign of weakness. But, the more I think of it, I think Jarvis is right. There is no such thing as Pentecostal piety, and they are all the poorer for it.
*More on Tenney in the letters and more again

We're All Friends Now!

[Or "how Gerald Coates and Paul Weaver demonstrated just how much Pentecostals and Charismatics have missed each other and are now best of friends"]

Strange news from the Hundred Acre Wood into which AOG conferences have de- generated, involving two of its most eccentric characters: Gerald Coates (Pioneer big-cheese and subject of a past Unmasked in Vanguard) and Paul Weaver (AOG big-cheese). It appears that Gerald Coates actually apologised for the past arrogance of Charismatics towards Pentecostals, and said that he wished the Charismatics had actually listened to the Pentecostals!
Allow me to tell you another story -- just for a moment...
One day, Pooh Bear decided to hunt a hefalump, even though they don't actually exist. Piglet protested and told Pooh to stop being such a silly little bear, but Pooh was so strong and persuasive that Piglet eventually set off and joined Pooh on his vain quest. After forty years of wandering around in circles, Pooh finally admitted to Piglet that if he had listened to him all those years ago, they wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake. So Piglet, who had wasted his life and potential on Pooh's ridiculous ideas, said, "Never mind, Pooh, at least we're friends now." Maybe Piglet should have said, "Apologising once your experience-based, doctrinally void, new age ideas have contaminated me is rather insulting".
But then again, I imagine that Piglet deep down really wanted to speak at Pooh's conferences and rallies -- so he didn't rock the boat.

From Pooh Bear to the Magic Roundabout

[Or "When Gerald Coates took Paul Weaver on a trip he'll never forget"]

Can anyone please put us out of our misery here? We've heard the strangest thing, and simply cannot believe it.
Did Gerald Coates really get a group of men to lift Paul Weaver up on some couch-like object, proclaiming that they were lifting him up towards God? Did Gerald Coates really sprinkle water on Paul Weaver proclaiming that this was the dew of heaven? Did Gerald Coates really present Paul Weaver to those young men, and tell them that they should honour him, as he is their spiritual father?
Is Paul Weaver aware of the fact that this is how the Pope is treated? He too is carried in this manner, and called "Father" — contrary to Jesus' specific instructions.
What were they thinking of, introducing such abhorrent practices? Or were they on the mushrooms again?
*More on Paul Weaver

Gerald Coateson Bible Translations

More from the AOG UK conference -- it is reported that Gerald Coates, whilst "preaching" from the Message version, told his young listeners that if they have a King James Version of the Bible, they should bin it!
[We have covered the issue of Bible translations before, so we shall not repeat our previous discussions here as past editions are available on request.]
We would like to thank Gerald for his well-thought-out and intelligent contribution to the complex discussion of biblical versions ... but alas he is yet to make one. Maybe he would like to explain to us on what grounds he feels able to make such statements (For how long has he been studying Hebrew?)
The problem is that the damage is already done. The negligence of the AOG executive in releasing this theological illiterate on our young people is almost criminal. The Lord will bring them to account.

The Church in the Media

I usually squirm with embarrassment whenever the media get their teeth into the church. The trouble is that, most of the time; the observations and comments of the secular press, radio and television are spot on. We know things have reached a sorry state of affairs when the world rebukes the church for its godlessness.
A friend brought to my attention a column from the popular British television listings magazine What's on TV (21-27 April 2001), which previewed the screening of Miracles on Sunday 22nd (more on this below). I have quoted the column without any alterations. The author, Amy Bratley, writes perceptively -- if you are not embarrassed by what you are about to read, if you are not humbled by the fact that the unregenerate media shames us, if you are not angered by the failure of the leaders of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements to discipline the likes of Hinn, then you are in serious danger of hardening your heart to cold stone: "Amendra and Mila Prakash are praying for a miracle. Their 10-year-old son, Ashnil, has two brain tumours that have left him blind, paralysed and unable to talk. Doctors say he will die, but his parents will do anything to keep him alive.
After seeing adverts for American TV evangelist Benny Hinn's `Miracle Crusades', in which he travels round the USA `healing', the couple are convinced Hinn can help. And who could blame them, when Hinn claims he's God's vehicle for saving souls?
As ITV's documentary reveals, the Prakash family are not alone in their belief. Hinn leads the charismatic Christianity Movement, which is the fastest-growing religious movement on earth, and claims to have 540 million followers. His two-day Miracle Crusades attract audiences of millions.
One such crusade is caught on film. The Prakash family join an audience in Oregon, USA, who've come in search of a miracle.
`I'm here to tell you that you will be healed tonight,' cries Hinn, as he whips the audience into a frenzy. `All you have to do is accept it.'
People weep, close their eyes, lift their hands and raise their faces skyward, praying. Hinn tells everybody to place their hands over the parts of their bodies that need healing and shouts for the `Devil to be gone'. Then he gets down to the nitty gritty: money.
`Financial disasters will hit the world soon,' booms Hinn. `Only those who've been giving to God's work will be spared. If you're ready to give to the Lord's work, say, "I am!"`
Ushers pass collection boxes along the rows of people. The donation form suggests giving from $10,000 down to $200.
In the film, Hinn claims many healing successes during his shows. But sadly, Ashnil wasn't one of them. Three weeks after the crusade, he died.
Critics say that Hinn makes money by dangling false hope in front of desperate people. He disagrees.
`I know I live comfortably and have a private plane, but I don't see any problem with fundraising. Most people give because God wants them to, not because of what I say.'"

Miracles

The documentary itself was extremely fair, giving Benny Hinn ample opportunity to justify his actions. As it happened, this just meant giving him even more rope with which to hang himself.
The following quotes are from the documentary (N = the narrator; BH = Benny Hinn; RB = Reinhard Bonke; Mr P and Mrs P = Mr and Mrs Prakash respectively; my comments in [ ] ):
N: The medical community is deeplysceptical of claims made by faith healers like RB and BH. But is this fair? We asked both preachers if they would agree to a thorough unprejudiced investigation of their methods and their claims. Eventually they promised open access to all their events.
[We are shown extensive highlights of a BH rally, with "miracles" being publicly affirmed]
N: Were we really witnessing miracles in Portland [Oregon]? We would spend the next year finding out.
[Highlights of RB rally]
N: On the first night of the [RB] crusade, fifteen people were trampled to death as they were trying to leave the ground. And the nightmare continued. On the second evening, a distraught father carried one of the victims - his dead child - to the crusade, believing that Bonke would bring her back to life. But before he could reach the stage, he was turned away. Still believing, he laid the child's body on the bonnet of Bonke's Mercedes in the hope of a miracle. [Back to BH rally] At Benny Hinn's Portland crusade, seventy-six miracles were claimed on stage. We asked for as many names and addresses as possible so we could make independent assessments. Thirteen weeks later, Benny Hinn Ministries provided five names. We followed these cases for a year.
[The narrator summarises their findings. I give below the bare bones:
Case One: Old lady with seven broken vertebrae claimed to have been healed. They were still broken.
Case Two: Middle-aged man with severe difficulties following a logging accident claimed to be healed. His condition deteriorated but, against doctors' advice, he refused medication and an essential operation. Case Three: Middle-aged lady who claimed to have been healed after fifty years of diminished hearing. Her doctor said she had only suffered slightly impaired hearing for two years, and there was no miracle.
Case Four: Young lady who claimed to have been healed from breathlessness. Her mother stopped her from seeing a doctor after the Portland crusade despite the symptoms remaining.
Case Five: Middle-aged lady claimed to have been healed of cancer. She died nine months later.
The narrator then informed us that the desperate couple, Mr and Mrs Prakash, had pledged $100 per month to BH, through his TV appeals, and had also given $2000 at the Portland crusade itself. All this was donated even though they were extremely poor immigrants. Sitting with his dying son lying behind him on a bed, Mr Prakash spoke:]
Mr P: I can stake my life on Pastor Benny Hinn's words. N: You would give your money to the ministry before you would even buy food for yourselves?
Mrs P: Oh yes.
[The narrator then interviewed BH]
N: You know that a lot of people who give [money] come from very poor parts of Amer-ica. Are you completely comfortable in your own mind that money that these people give you is being used for the very best purposes?
BH: Absolutely. The money that people give to our ministry is handled extremely carefully and wisely. Even though I am paid a handsome salary, even though I live comfortably as you say, even though I fly on a private plane - and in fact, I want to tell you why I fly on a private plane - if I did not fly privately, I would wear out very quickly. And so I see that as a benefit, as a plus, that I would last longer that way. I would be more productive for God's kingdom.
[The sad thing is, Benny Hinn actually comes across like he believes this. He really seems to believe that because of his unique calling, he has the right to live in luxury), funded by the poor of the world.]

Is this relevant to me?

Go down to your local Christian bookshop, and check out how many books by Benny Hinn, Tommy Tenney, Gerald Coates etc. are for sale. Brethren, it's relevant. These people do have a profound influence on the charismatic and Pentecostal movements.

Decade of Evangelism?

In view of all this, is it any wonder that the UK's Decade of Evangelism was such a non-event? For those of you whose memories have faded slightly, allow me to remind you. The following is a quote from a book entitled: Who is this Jesus? by the Anglican Michael Green. Writing in 1990, he stated:
"The decade 1990-2000 has been designated by many denominations, including Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican churches, as ten years when the Church is going to pay particular attention to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ among those who do not know Him "
"evangelism" as it is more technically called.
The following excerpt from the Daily Mail (28th November, 2000) speaks for itself:
"Britain is now one of the least religious countries in the world ... Only Holland among Western countries has a lower level of belief. In the early 80s, four out of ten people said they 'belonged' to the Church of England. That has now fallen to 27 per cent. Analysts said: 'We cannot expect that this trend towards secularisation will stop'." *2

Now, we know that Christianity is not a popularity contest, and that the quality of a church is not assessed on how many people attend it. But what is striking about the above quote is the drop in the number of people who are willing to identify with the church even in the loosest sense. This is not surprising really, if all we are perceived to be is a gathering of illiterates who throw their hard-earned money at some unscrupulous con-men.

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