PREACHING IN ABILENE TX
I live in Abilene, TX, and I am the pastor of Victory Baptist Church which is located about 20 minutes south of Abilene. I listen to a lot of preaching from local churches so that I can see what is happening and what theological trends may be developing. My I-Pod is filled with sermons from churches located in Abilene. Over the years I have noticed the following:
The Charismatic movement has had a major influence on local churches.
Everyone claims God is speaking to them outside of the scriptures.
Careful verse-by-verse expositional preaching is absent in most churches here.
Doctrine and theology is rarely taught from the pulpit.
Church history is ignored and if it is mentioned, it seems people are unaware that important things happened before the 1800's.
Today I was listening to a sermon that was preached at New Hope Church.
Here is the link to the church:
New Hope
The Name of the Sermon was:
Possessing The Promise
During the sermon, the pastor clearly shows that he believes God speaks to him outside of the Bible. Please take a few moments to think about that claim. One would think that if the all-knowing and omnipresent God speaks to us outside of the Scriptures, He could tell us when we are believing and promoting things that are false.
During the sermon, he spoke about how great the Brownsville Revival was in the 1990's.
For those who may not know anything about that revival, let me provide some information:
The Brownsville Revival (also known as The Pensacola Outpouring) was a widely-reported religious event that began within the Pentecostal movement in 1995. The revival began unexpectedly at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida on Father's Day. Evangelist Steve Hill was the guest speaker for that day, having been invited by Pastor John Kilpatrick. It was claimed that hundreds of those who attended services that day were moved to renew their faith during Hill's sermon, said to be moved by the Holy Spirit. Characteristics of the Brownsville Revival movement, as with other Christian religious revivals, included acts of repentance by parishioners and a call to holiness, said to be inspired by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Some of the occurrences in this revival fit the description of moments of religious ecstasy.
Though the primary part of the revival ended in 2000 when Hill relocated his ministry to Dallas, Texas to resume evangelistic crusades, the church continued to hold special Friday-night services until 2006 that were a continuation of the event. More than three million people from nearly every continent are reported to have attended the meetings since their inception.
SOURCE: Wikipedia
Now here is what's important:
The Pensacola News Journal did a four-month investigation and here is what they found:
Money is flowing, information is not. Brownsville leaders refuse to disclose revenue and spending details, beyond an abbreviated, generalized financial statement that shows the church taking in $6.6 million in 1996. Not even members of the congregation are allowed to look at the books.
Revival leaders are generating fortunes. The top four ministers have set up their own nonprofit corporations selling their own revival-related merchandise, such as books, tapes, T-shirts and bumper stickers. The merchandise is sold both inside the church and via mail order. Only one of the corporations is paying sales tax.
Hill's autobiography and oft-told stories about his outlaw past are contradicted by facts and by police records. He admitted to the News Journal that he fictionalized parts of his book for "impact."
Hill's claims that most of his ministry's revenue from the revival goes to missions and charities is contradicted in his ministry's financial statement and Internal Revenue Service return. His assertions that his financial books are open are untrue; he would not share key information with the News Journal and sought to discourage questions.
Kilpatrick has retreated from close contact with his flock while rapidly moving up into a luxurious lifestyle outside Pensacola. His new home, at an Alabama location he tried to keep secret, has barbed wire, a security guard and a metal gate. Months before an injury that kept him at home for weeks, Kilpatrick had ceased to keep office hours and had delegated his pastoring duties to assistants.
Hill and Kilpatrick both have taken advantage of opportunities to conceal financial information. Both put "$10 and other good and valuable consideration" on their deeds as the price they paid for their new properties; Alabama allows people to do that if they wish to avoid public disclosure of the purchase price.
The revival service's spiritual messages and methods have distressed many devout Pentecostals and given rise to much criticism among theologians and Bible scholars.
Kilpatrick has sought to silence dissent and criticism by prophesying -- announcing he is voicing God's own predictions -- that the critics would die or suffer.
The revival's benefits to the Pensacola community are either overstated or untrue. For example: Top law enforcement officers cite data disputing the revival leaders' statements that the revival has reduced crime. Social service agencies report having to serve a large influx of impoverished people who were drawn to Pensacola for the revival but who have been turned away by the church. Drug treatment centers report drug problems are on the rise, not dropping. Mental health centers report treating more out-of-town people than ever before, and most of them are people who came to Pensacola for the revival. Residents and businesses in the impoverished parts of the Brownsville community report that the church has done nothing for the area and refuses requests for help.
The revival's claims about healing are unsubstantiated by medical documentation. The revival touts cases in general but does not provide names or specifics. The News Journal found people who said they had been cured and healed, but none had medical proof from doctors.
You can read the entire report at this link:
News Journal
My question is simple, why is the Pastor of New Hope Church speaking about how great the revival was when there are serious questions about the credibility of the entire movement?
Remember this Pastor claims God speaks to him, you would think God may tell him to refrain from promoting a revival that is surrounded with claims of fraud, deceit and lies!
The Charismatic movement has had a major influence on local churches.
Everyone claims God is speaking to them outside of the scriptures.
Careful verse-by-verse expositional preaching is absent in most churches here.
Doctrine and theology is rarely taught from the pulpit.
Church history is ignored and if it is mentioned, it seems people are unaware that important things happened before the 1800's.
Today I was listening to a sermon that was preached at New Hope Church.
Here is the link to the church:
New Hope
The Name of the Sermon was:
Possessing The Promise
During the sermon, the pastor clearly shows that he believes God speaks to him outside of the Bible. Please take a few moments to think about that claim. One would think that if the all-knowing and omnipresent God speaks to us outside of the Scriptures, He could tell us when we are believing and promoting things that are false.
During the sermon, he spoke about how great the Brownsville Revival was in the 1990's.
For those who may not know anything about that revival, let me provide some information:
The Brownsville Revival (also known as The Pensacola Outpouring) was a widely-reported religious event that began within the Pentecostal movement in 1995. The revival began unexpectedly at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida on Father's Day. Evangelist Steve Hill was the guest speaker for that day, having been invited by Pastor John Kilpatrick. It was claimed that hundreds of those who attended services that day were moved to renew their faith during Hill's sermon, said to be moved by the Holy Spirit. Characteristics of the Brownsville Revival movement, as with other Christian religious revivals, included acts of repentance by parishioners and a call to holiness, said to be inspired by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Some of the occurrences in this revival fit the description of moments of religious ecstasy.
Though the primary part of the revival ended in 2000 when Hill relocated his ministry to Dallas, Texas to resume evangelistic crusades, the church continued to hold special Friday-night services until 2006 that were a continuation of the event. More than three million people from nearly every continent are reported to have attended the meetings since their inception.
SOURCE: Wikipedia
Now here is what's important:
The Pensacola News Journal did a four-month investigation and here is what they found:
Money is flowing, information is not. Brownsville leaders refuse to disclose revenue and spending details, beyond an abbreviated, generalized financial statement that shows the church taking in $6.6 million in 1996. Not even members of the congregation are allowed to look at the books.
Revival leaders are generating fortunes. The top four ministers have set up their own nonprofit corporations selling their own revival-related merchandise, such as books, tapes, T-shirts and bumper stickers. The merchandise is sold both inside the church and via mail order. Only one of the corporations is paying sales tax.
Hill's autobiography and oft-told stories about his outlaw past are contradicted by facts and by police records. He admitted to the News Journal that he fictionalized parts of his book for "impact."
Hill's claims that most of his ministry's revenue from the revival goes to missions and charities is contradicted in his ministry's financial statement and Internal Revenue Service return. His assertions that his financial books are open are untrue; he would not share key information with the News Journal and sought to discourage questions.
Kilpatrick has retreated from close contact with his flock while rapidly moving up into a luxurious lifestyle outside Pensacola. His new home, at an Alabama location he tried to keep secret, has barbed wire, a security guard and a metal gate. Months before an injury that kept him at home for weeks, Kilpatrick had ceased to keep office hours and had delegated his pastoring duties to assistants.
Hill and Kilpatrick both have taken advantage of opportunities to conceal financial information. Both put "$10 and other good and valuable consideration" on their deeds as the price they paid for their new properties; Alabama allows people to do that if they wish to avoid public disclosure of the purchase price.
The revival service's spiritual messages and methods have distressed many devout Pentecostals and given rise to much criticism among theologians and Bible scholars.
Kilpatrick has sought to silence dissent and criticism by prophesying -- announcing he is voicing God's own predictions -- that the critics would die or suffer.
The revival's benefits to the Pensacola community are either overstated or untrue. For example: Top law enforcement officers cite data disputing the revival leaders' statements that the revival has reduced crime. Social service agencies report having to serve a large influx of impoverished people who were drawn to Pensacola for the revival but who have been turned away by the church. Drug treatment centers report drug problems are on the rise, not dropping. Mental health centers report treating more out-of-town people than ever before, and most of them are people who came to Pensacola for the revival. Residents and businesses in the impoverished parts of the Brownsville community report that the church has done nothing for the area and refuses requests for help.
The revival's claims about healing are unsubstantiated by medical documentation. The revival touts cases in general but does not provide names or specifics. The News Journal found people who said they had been cured and healed, but none had medical proof from doctors.
You can read the entire report at this link:
News Journal
My question is simple, why is the Pastor of New Hope Church speaking about how great the revival was when there are serious questions about the credibility of the entire movement?
Remember this Pastor claims God speaks to him, you would think God may tell him to refrain from promoting a revival that is surrounded with claims of fraud, deceit and lies!
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