Multitudes of sincere and trusting believers are caught in the virtually invisible
web of religious captivation in Charismatic and other Neo-Pentecostal churches, and
don't know it. They are unaware victims of spiritual abuse and exploitation under
the heavy-hand of hyper-authoritarianism. That is to say, the leadership of the
church-group of which they are a part is dominating, controlling, and manipulating
their followers, and exploiting them for their own personal gain and private kingdom-building.
Horror
stories of authoritarian abuse and exploitation and psychological enslavement in
certified Christian churches abound. From time to time, particular isolated incidents
have erupted in highly publicized news stories. However, those high-profile cases
really are only the tip of the iceberg. The truth of the matter is, I know from
my twenty years of ministry, ecclesiastical enslavement and exploitation is widespread
in certain sectors of Christendom in this country. And, it is vital to understand,
I am not talking about radical, fringe religious sects and cults, but well-respected
church-groups espousing orthodox Christian beliefs, whose membership is comprised
of a cross section of average Americans, individuals and families, of every race,
education level, station, and walk of life.
Though religious predomination is certainly nothing new, and hyper-authoritarianism is by no means limited to the
Neo-Pentecostal branch of the Church, it has, however, especially flourished in the
Charismatic and so-called "second, third, and fourth wave" (i.e., Neo-Pentecostal)
groups since it was infused into the very fabric, foundation, and functions of that
branch of the Church in the early- to mid-seventies. Moreover, it is the Charismatic
branch of which this ministry has been a part since its inception, which gives me
not only the "right" but also the duty to bring reproof of error and errancy
in that realm (2 Tim. 4:1-5, et al.).
This kind of "Charismatic captivation" is prevalent among Charismatic and other Neo-Pentecostal churches and groups primarily as a result of widely-taught and -accepted hyper-authoritarian doctrines and practices
first introduced in the 70’s by an alliance of five ministers who rose to prominence, and spawned what became known as the "Discipleship/Shepherdship Movement." Those doctrines and practices remain an integral part of the governmental foundation of many churches and groups yet today.
This elite ministerial Quintumverate
had somehow concluded that the newly-created and burgeoning branch of the Church
generated by the Divinely-orchestrated Charismatic Movement birthed in 1960, was
in disarray and needed to be "organized." Somehow they also determined
it was they God had appointed to accomplish the task of "organizing" the
Charismatic church. The purportedly inspired and Bible-based organizational structure
they advocated and eventually instituted was virtually identical to the modern pyramid
marketing structure so popular and prevalent today. The "Fab Five" placed
themselves at the top of the pyramid of interrelated Charismatic leaders, which quickly
expanded into a "down-line" of thousands of "submitted" ministers.
In the mid-seventies the entire matter of this "movement" erupted into a highly-publicized
international controversy. The result of the maelstrom was that the relevant doctrines
and practices were repudiated and denounced by many well-known church-leaders, and
the ministers who invented and promulgated them fell into disrepute.
However, despite the controversy and the public chastisement, those ministers and their followers
initially remained unbowed and undeterred. They defended themselves, as well as
the hyper-authoritarian teachings and practices and philosophies of church-government
they advocated. For many years afterward, they continued to teach those patently
false and unScriptural doctrines, and to develop what came to be an expansive multi-level
"network" of ministers and churches. Though, it was now done less overtly,
and there was a concerted and deliberate effort to take the whole matter underground
to lessen as much as possible the negative effects of the controversy and to give
the appearance of repentance.
The unfortunate consequence of that move toward
covertness and esotericism was that instead of being eradicated, those patently false
doctrines and Scripturally-prohibited practices were infused into the very fabric
and foundation of the Charismatic/Neo-Pentecostal Church at-large, and are still
espoused and practiced by many churches and groups in operation today. This stems
partly from the fact that many of those ministries are headed by leaders who were
a part of that network, and adopted or adapted many of the doctrines and governmental
philosophies advocated by its principals.
Many church-leaders themselves do not realize their leadership methodology is actually a hybrid form of
hyper-authoritarianism, and amounts to domination and control. The proper role of human under-shepherds
is to lead people to the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and teach them how to be His
followers, in submission to Him and His authority. Hyper-authoritarian leaders,
instead, lead people to themselves, and indoctrinate them to be their followers,
in total submission to them and their authority.
In essence, these dominating
shepherds teach they are the church members’ Lord, Master, and Savior. They indoctrinate
congregants to believe the spiritual leaders of the church themselves are the members’
"spiritual covering," and any member who ever leaves the church will be
"out from under" their "covering," be without any covering, and
experience terrible curses and consequences as a result. This false hypothesis of
"absolute submission," with which subjugatees are incessantly indoctrinated,
is the bedrock of such authoritarian doctrines. That, coupled with the enslaving
organizational authority structure in place in the groups where these unBiblical
doctrines are espoused, is primarily what makes these techniques and mechanisms effectual
and effective. And, it is chiefly the spiritual and psychological needs and problems
of attendees of these groups that makes them vulnerable to such unauthorized domination
and control as well as exploitation.
The mechanisms of psychological manipulation,
domination, and control employed in these groups are virtually identical, to those
employed by certified cults. Indeed, the stark truth is that many of the groups
and churches who employ these techniques and mechanisms are themselves at the very
minimum quasi-cults, and in some cases, bona fide cults.
The abuse and exploitation occurring in groups where these hyper-authoritarian systems of governance are instituted
come in various shapes and shades. In a nutshell, the "dumb sheep" are
taught they cannot trust their own judgment or ability to receive direction from
the Lord for even the most mundane decisions of their lives, but must rely instead
upon the supposed transcendent wisdom and superior spirituality of their human "Shepherds."
Typically, submitants must obtain the approval of their group-gurus regarding virtually
all domestic matters and decisions; matters of romance, such as who members date
and marry; health and insurance matters, employment and career matters, and most
of all, regarding every detail of members’ personal finances, which requires their
leaders’ approval for practically every significant expenditure.
Relentless programming with this premise along with constant bombardment with belittling derision
leads to spiritual and psychological paralysis for submissive adherents. Gradually,
as the hidden web of religious witchcraft is woven, and their natural resistance
to such domination and control is dissipated, docile submitants eventually become
the unwitting and helpless psychological slaves of self-aggrandizing church-leaders
and their grandiose plans for the building of their private, personal, earthly kingdoms.
In these groups, the "authority" of the "shepherds" is absolute,
sacrosanct, and inviolable, that is, without reprisal. Any semblance of anything
other than total and unquestioning obeisance to the desires and counsel of the chain
of leaders is considered rebellion and insubordination, and simply is not tolerated.
Members live under the constant threat of being branded with the Scarlet Letter
"R" for "rebel," openly denounced and shamed from the
(bully-)pulpit, and consequently shunned by their "covenant-community"
as well as the threat of excommunication (which is rarely exercised except in the
case of the most outspoken dissidents, because they don’t want to lose the members
and their financial support). Moreover, members are indoctrinated to accept the
leadership-set agenda and mission of the group, regarding which they have little
real say, as their personal burden and responsibility, and to commit their time,
talent, and, most importantly, their tithe to its successful completion. The
oppressive maltreatment and mistreatment to which members of these cult-like groups
are subjected seems to me to be the spiritual equivalent of the hard-taskmastery
of the Israelites during their centuries of captivity under the Egyptian Pharaohs.
So what are the consequences and effects we are talking about here, a scant few slightly
disillusioned people with their feelings a little hurt? FAR FROM IT! We are talking
about an immense number of broken and destroyed families, marriages, and friendships,
multitudes of unpretentious, formerly trusting people who are now psychologically
traumatized and marred, and spiritually shipwrecked, potentially for life. Added
to that are substantial numbers of failed businesses, bankruptcies, lost fortunes,
nervous breakdowns, contracted health maladies, suicides, and premature deaths by
various related causes, and the like, just to name some of the consequences experienced
by victims. Indeed, the details of the havoc and decimation wreaked upon victims’
lives is far too extensive and, frankly, morose to possibly be able to relate here,
but suffice it to say it is sweeping, mind-boggling, and, sadly, in some cases, barring
the miraculous, irreversible.
The two greatest problems with deception is
that the deceived are deceived about being deceived, and their ego and pride make
it difficult for them to accept the fact they are in deception. In the case of many
of those who do finally accept the fact they have been duped, for years afterward
they reel in varied degrees of anger, embarrassment, resentment, disillusionment,
and distrust.
No one wants to be a "sucker." Indeed, the sad and
unfortunate experience of this ministry in attempting to rescue victims of authoritarian
abuse and exploitation is that most simply don’t want to hear about anything suggesting
they may be deceived, or that their "beloved" church and its leaders to
which they have become so dependent could possibly be involved in any kind of deception
or error. Even when confronted with proof-positive these unScriptural and cult-like
teachings and practices are an integral, albeit covert, part of their own church’s
operations, many indoctrinated adherents react with angry and vehement denial, staunchly
refusing to accept even the remotest possibility such a thing could be so.
Moreover, astoundingly, instead of desiring liberation, such "deniers" opt to remain
captive in what has become to them the familiar and "friendly confines"
of the institution of which they are a member. This sad scenario is strikingly similar
to that of many "career criminals" who prefer and choose institutional
incarceration over the liberties and latitudes of a normal life of freedom. The
constant and abiding prayer of all believers should be that God may grant the captives
of all these groups the "repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having
been held captive by him to do his will" (2 Tim. 2:26).
Fortunately, though, there are those who despite their considerable chagrin and pain, do
want to be liberated from the witchcraft of domination and control, regardless of
the cost. Somewhere in the psyche of most sound-thinking humans is an intense desire
to be free, along with an utter disdain for any form or degree of illegitimate predomination
and exploitation. For those people, there are signs of hyper-authoritarianism that
are readily detectable when you know what they are. That is to say, there are a
number of common psychological control mechanisms employed within groups in which
hyper-authoritarian doctrines and practices are espoused and implemented. Unfortunately,
they aren’t always simple, overt, and obvious, but are often sophisticated, covert,
and hidden. They are, however, identifiable by those who are informed about them
and know what to look for. In both my book, Charismatic Captivation, I delineated
the common control mechanisms employed by hyper-authoritarian groups, and how to
recognize them. The one thing that book simply cannot supply, though, is the objectivity
required to analyze the church or group of which one is a part to determine if these
mechanisms are being employed there.
As I close, I want to state categorically as I have repeatedly in many ways throughout my writings on this matter,
that I myself am a bona fide Charismatic believer and minister, in the sense that I wholly believe in, teach,
and personally operate in the "charismata," i.e., the manifestation
gifts of the spirit. Thus, by no means am I engaging in any form or degree of Charismatic-bashing
here or in any of my writings. Nor am I denigrating in any form or fashion the Charismatic
experience or Biblical teachings restored during the Charismatic Movement.
Rather, I am proffering what I am fully convinced is valid and very much needed, God-inspired
reproof and correction of patently unScriptural doctrines and practices which unfortunately
are being practiced within much of the Charismatic and Neo-Pentecostal Church. That
does not mean I am anti-Charismatic or anti-Pentecostal, as some spiritually immature
Charismatics are want to allege at the mere hint of criticism of anything relevant
to the Charismatic realm or experience. I am neither anti-Charismatic nor anti-Pentecostal,
but rather pro both. My analysis, conclusions, and commentary here or in any of
my writings and speaking is not sheer criticism for the purpose of pillorying
the Charismatic/ Pentecostal church, but rather reproof for its perfection.
I am also quite aware these doctrines and practices are being espoused and employed
in other segments and streams of the Church of Jesus as well. However, it is of
the Neo-Pentecostal branch of the Church I am a part, and as such, have a particular
"right," yea, even duty, to confront that branch with needed reproof.
It is my deepest desire and heartfelt prayer that all those who name themselves among
the Brotherhood of Christ will give heed to the reproof and admonitions presented
herein, and take the actions necessary to liberate the Children of God from the oppressive
captivation of men, for they are called to be SONS of God, not SLAVES
of men (1 Cor. 7:23).
Remember the call of Christ Himself, "If
therefore the Son shall make you FREE, you shall be FREE indeed!"
(Jn. 8:36); as well as Paul’s echo of Christ’s call, "It was for
FREEDOM that Christ set us FREE; therefore keep standing firm and do
not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1).