By: Derek Owers (Guest Author)

In this article I aim to ‘catch up’ with the Charismatic Movement (CM). (Please keep in mind that I do not seek to deride those caught up in this movement; rather I wish to expose the patently false and absurd teaching. Whilst the leaders and adherents might be sincere and well-intentioned, the sad fact is that those who become ensnared in the CM are not on the road to heaven, but the wide road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13).  As such, they need our exhortations to ‘come out’, and prayers that they will be given repentance to acknowledging of the truth (2Tim.2:25).

We aim to follow two threads: 1. The Roman Catholic (RC) roots, structure, doctrine and drive of the movement and 2. The mindless, ‘we trust our leaders’ stance of adherents; combined with the unbiblical and dictatorial, ‘apostolic ministry’ of its leaders.

First, it is necessary to trace the origins and development of the movement:

The CM evolved from the Pentecostal Movement, which itself grew out of the Holiness Movement in the United States. The Holiness Movement, in turn, originated with John Wesley. (1) Adherents of the Holiness Movement accepted Wesley’s teaching of a ‘second blessing’ of complete sanctification or ‘Christian perfection’. In some circles there was a third, fourth, and fifth and even sixth ‘blessing’. (2)

With hindsight, it is not difficult to understand how teaching a second work of grace laid the foundations for the ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’ as Pentecostals and Charismatics now understand it, and that is precisely what happened.

“In 1906, Pastor William Seymour began to hold services in an abandoned warehouse on Azusa Street Los Angeles…During his services there were dramatic manifestations of the ‘charismatic gifts’. Reports of speaking in tongues, miraculous healings and people converted as the Holy Spirit ‘fell on them’ as they entered the church, spread across the USA and into Europe.” (3)

“The emphasis on holiness and the belief in ‘entire sanctification’ (or being made sinless and completely holy) which started a century earlier with Wesley and the Methodists had developed into the belief that this happened with ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit.” (4)

Seymour, and a minister working in Illinois, Charles Fox Parham, are credited with initiating the Pentecostal Movement, “but it is clear that the Americans were equally encouraged by the large number of converts in the Welsh revival (1904).” (5)

In fact, it can be argued that, far from Azusa Street being a spontaneous ‘revival’ and sovereign work of the Holy Spirit as Pentecostals now insist, it was in fact initiated by Evan Roberts in Wales, via his correspondence with Frank Bartleman in Los Angeles. Bartleman, of course, is regarded as “the primary chronicler of Pentecostal origins in Los Angeles.” (6)

In the preface to his book originally entitled, How Pentecostals Came To Los Angeles, it is stated, “pamphlets telling of the visitation of the Spirit of God in Wales in 1904 provided the spark for the great revival in Los Angeles in 1906. During 1905, as Frank Bartleman corresponded with Evan Roberts in Wales and they agreed in prayer, as he and others spread the message of the Welsh revival…the spark became a spreading flame that burst fourth into a world-wide conflagration…” (7)

Lest it be assumed this was a spontaneous, sovereign work of God, cursory investigation reveals that, like its latter day successor, the Toronto Blessing, the phenomena was passed on from person to person. Just as Folk travelled  to Toronto and Pensacola to ‘get it’; so folk back then travelled to Los Angeles, and American pastors travelled abroad, especially to the UK.

Thomas Ball Barratt, an English minister based in Norway, visited the US in 1906. He, “came into contact with the Pentecostal movement and returned to Norway an ardent proponent, becoming the founder of the Norwegian movement and a key figure in the establishment of indigenous Pentecostal churches throughout Europe and the Third World.” (8)

In March 1907, Anglican minister Alexander Boddy from Sunderland visited Barratt, followed by Jonathan Paul from Germany the following month. In this way the movement spread throughout Europe and the world. (9) Boddy’s church, All Saints, at Sunderland became a main UK centre for the movement, and many later leaders, such a Smith Wigglesworth (in 1907),received the ‘baptism of the Spirit’ there. (10)

The Welsh revival spawned the Apostolic Church and the founders of the UK’s other two Pentecostal congregations (Elim and the Assemblies of God) were also converted during the Welsh revival. By the 1920’s these three separate Pentecostal denominations had been founded in the UK, forbears of the Charismatic revival which was to start forty years later simultaneously (some would say symbolically) in the USA and UK and spread at phenomenal speed around the world.” (11) But it must be again emphasised, this was man-made.

We must now move forward in time to the 1960’s, passing over the period 1947-52, which has been termed the Latter Rain Movement or the Mid-Twentieth Century Evangelical Awakening. (12) Due to the work of men such as Smith Wigglesworth, William Branham, David du Plessis, Cecil Cousen, Oral Roberts, TL Osborn, Dennis Bennett, David Watson, Donald Gee, Michael Harper, etc. the Pentecostal movement had become established and even respectable.

St Mark’s Church, Van Nuys, California was to play an important role in the ‘cross-over’ of Pentecostalism from the Pentecostal denominations into mainstream Evangelicalsm. Its minister, Dennis Bennett, had received the ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’ and felt he had to share his experience with other believers. This he decided to do on Passion Sunday, April 3, 1960. (13)

Newsweek and Time picked up the story that Episcopalians were ‘speaking in tongues’. As with Azusa Street, the Welsh revival, and later, Toronto and Pensacola, pretty soon believers were flocking to plug into the experience, and the Bennetts developed a global ministry, exporting the phenomena into the non-Pentecostal denominations in a movement which came to be known as The Renewal.

It is interesting to note that, of the non-Pentecostal groups, it was the Catholics who were the first to realise the potential of this movement for breaking down barriers within the historic denominations, as the following alphabet, chronology of First National Charismatic Conferences illustrates: Catholic:1970, Episcopalian:1973, Lutheran:1972, Mennonite:1972, Methodist:1974, Orthodox:1973, Presbyterian:1972. (14)

However, years before the first CCC, the Vatican was involved in secret talks with the seminal ‘ Protestant’ Charismatic leadership in America. Vatican II in 1963-5 officially opened the way for Catholics to become involved with the Charismatic Movement. (15)

Two leading figures in the Catholic Renewal Movement are Ralph Martin and Stephen Clark. (16) These friends and colleagues were ‘baptised in the Spirit’ in the Spring of 1967. Ralph Martin became the first director of the International Communications Office of the Catholic Renewal.

In 1974 Martin and Clark teamed up with the ‘Fort Lauderdale Five’ (Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson, Derek Prince, Don Basham & Ern Baxter – former secretary to William Branham), who were the founders of the Shepherding Movement, which later became known as the Charismatic Movement (yes, friends, the Shepherding came first!). They were joined by John Poole, another latter Rain adherent. Together these men established a group for ecumenical renewal.

A council was elected whose existence was kept secret as it was not acceptable at the time for Protestants to ‘labour in the Gospel’ with Catholics. For the fledgling Shepherding Movement the money and power of the Vatican were attractive: for Martin and Clark it was a golden opportunity to begin implementing the ecumenical and Charismatic aspirations of Vatican II. (17)

These men (particularly Ern Baxter) were greatly influenced by William Branham and, The New Order of the Latter Rain (to give its official title). Branham taught that denominations – including Pentecostals & Catholics – were ‘Jezebel’, and that true believer had to come out and separate’.

(Branham “prophesised that by 1977 all denominations would be consumed by the World Council of Churches under the control of the Roman Catholics, that the Rapture would take place, and the world would be destroyed. He died in 1965, but many of his followers expected him to be to be resurrected, some believing him to be God, others believing him to be virgin-born” (18) They promoted his teachings that the ‘True Church’ was not to be found in any denomination. The Vatican teaches the same message. The ‘Charismata’ were to be the ‘conduit’ to unite the ‘True Church’.)

In 1977, the secret council of the (Fort Launder Five) FLF went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and met with Cardinal Suenens. They made a joint, secret, declaration to work together for the restoration of the unity of the Church. The council agreed to relate directly to Cardinal Suenens and to consult him before planning or implementing projects, evangelism, etc. (in other words, they capitulated absolutely to Vatican control). A joint statement was issued which said that Cardinal Suenens and the council were committing themselves to work together for Church unity and world evangelisation. (19)

The following year (1978), Suenen’s book, Ecumenism & Charismatic Renewal was published. In it he states that the purpose of this implementation;

Of Vatican II is, “to restore the visible unity of the Church of Jesus Christ.” (page viii). What seemed to be lost on the FLF was that this ‘visible unity’ spelt Vatican supremacy.

Hence, far from being a ‘spontaneous’ renewal movement of the Holy Spirit., the Charismatic Movement, from its very inception, was a carefully planned strategem of the Vatican, manipulating deluded Pentecostals into the implementing their millennia-old plan of world domination. As we shall see, little has changed.

 In The UK

“The Charismatic revival in the mainstream denominations [this includes Catholics—Ed] was the first to attract media attention and was called the Renewal movement because participants saw themselves as renewing the Charismatic gifts to the denominations. It was linked to the earlier Pentecostal revival by an American Pentecostal, David du Plessis and Cecil Cousen, a British Pentecostal who had spent time in the USA with leaders of the Latter Rain movement [emphasis added].18 This, especially in the case of du Plessis, meant the Catholic Church.

In 1964, Anglican clergyman, Michael Harper founded the Fountain Trust, and later, Renewal magazine. The Trust was effectively a Charismatic’s charter, which was clearly intended to work through established denominations—including Catholicism.

“Indeed, when du Plessis visited London in 1964 he spoke of the gifts of the Spirit being practised by friends of his in the Roman Catholic Church. If for most American fundamentalists the Catholic Church was a front runner for anti-Christ status, this clearly was not du Plessis’ view. The UK movement saw itself as ecumenical and as bringing the Holy Spirit to the whole church worldwide…” 20 By the 1970’s there were Charismatics throughout the denominations and they quickly became the fastest growing section of these denominations.

Another string in the UK Charismatic movement was termed the House Church or Restoration Movement from its inception in the late 60’s. “The term ‘restoration’ derives from the aim to restore God’s kingdom on earth to what members see as unsullied NT perfection.”22 This writer, from hearing many a sermon would add to this, that on the basis of Acts 3:19-21, they teach that Jesus cannot return from heaven until the Church has ‘restored’ the purity of the NT Church and ‘taken the nations for Jesus’.

The rejection of denominationalism, ritualism, formal institutions etc. was attractive to many—particularly the young. There was a rejection of everything ‘churchy’, which was seen as legalism. However, “The freedom and anarchy were short-lived as the influence of a group of non-denominational Americans known as the Fort Lauderdale Five began to be felt. 

The Americans who visited and corresponded over a number of years were involved in a similar movement in Florida. They had also developed a controversial theology known as ‘shepherding’, in which Church leaders [known as ‘apostles’] developed a rigid hierarchy which placed people under someone else’s authority and spiritual direction to the extent that they had to confess their sins to them and consult them over decisions.” 23

Stop for a moment and consider the similarity between this teaching and that of popery. A strict hierarchy, being under authority, confessing sins to a man? Are we to believe that all of this is purely coincidental, or is it in some way connected to the secret meetings between the FLF, Martin & Clark, and later, Cardinal Suenens?

By the 70’s, the House Churches had outgrown their houses and began hiring halls and holding Bible Weeks, such as Stoneleigh and Malvern. Many from the mainstream denominations attended these weeks and were encouraged to leave the ‘dead wood’ of their dry and lifeless Churches. Not a few did.

“It was at this point of burgeoning growth and confidence that the first signs of division among Restoration leaders occurred. Bryn Jones, one of the more forceful ‘apostles’, who led a network of Churches mainly in the north of England, felt that the leadership of some of the southern churches was too liberal, too equivocal about ‘the world’, too vague about what constituted sinful behaviour. There were a number of issues, but Gerald Coates, one of the more flamboyant, southern ‘apostles’ brought things to a head by stating that masturbation was not a sin.” 24 

Here we must be clear the way the structure of the movement works. The leaders [apostles] meet together to discuss matters of doctrine and practice. They then meet with Church leaders/pastors under their covering, and pass on what has been decided. The pastors, in turn, pass on to their flocks the movement’s teaching. 

As for the rank and file believers...During the Toronto Blessing, whilst earnestly seeking to warn a friend of many years, she answered, “we trust our leaders.” This answer left me bereft. Individual Biblical discernment is not an option. Yet another similarity with the ‘church’ of Rome.

George Tarleton & The ‘New Churches’

One of the ‘apostles’ at the meeting described above was George Tarleton. He became disaffected with the movement and disappeared from view for a few years before re-appearing as a Gnostic, New-Ager. He wrote an autobiography entitled Birth Of A Christian Anarchist which is very revealing about the way the leadership of the Restoration Movement works—and the way they all came together, then split.

He takes up the story: “The Charismatic Movement gave birth to an anarchic animal...About twenty people followed me out of the local church...Meeting in someone’s front room seemed the obvious thing to do...Little did we realise we were in at the start of the ‘house church movement’.

This was later to develop into what the media now calls, ‘the new churches’, because we moved away from the simplicity of the church in the house. Now some of the pioneers thousands of pounds buying old church buildings or building new ones.” 25 This nucleus became a flourishing fellowship, and George became its leader.

He pinpoints The Festival of Light, 1971, as the launching pad of the New Churches. “The rally in Trafalgar Square on Saturday September 25th 1971 was massive to me...I was overwhelmed at the sight of so many Christians gathered in one place. As a large proportion of the crowd were from the new house churches, there was a lot of singing and dancing.” 26 He quotes Dr. Andrew Walker [whose book, Restoring The Kingdom, Tarleton regards as ‘a most accurate account of the birth of these new churches.’], “The Festival of Light did not give birth to Restoration, but it did confirm that ‘something’ was emerging.” 27

“Clusters of these new churches began to come together for communal worship. These gatherings were not confined to those who shared the same doctrines, although they were all loosely evangelical...Out of these times a common vision was born. We dreamt of being united by a variety of relationships, instead of being divided by dogma.” [my emphasis]28

“To begin to make the dream reality, a handful of us began to call the representatives from these house churches in and around London together. The handful of hopefuls was Gerald Coates, David Mansell, John Noble, Maurice Smith and myself. This core group became known as the ’London Brothers’…

By the time our numbers had reached 500, we had moved to the London School of Economics...When the numbers reached 1000, Maurice Smith suggested we hire the Friends Meeting House in London. Once again, the name seemed fitting...Maurice Smith suggested we should hire the Royal Albert Hall as our next venue...Somehow the 6000 seats in the Albert Hall were filled with joy-filled worshippers from all denominations. 9000 actually turned up.” 29 

By now Nick Butterworth had joined the ‘London Brothers’, and they were becoming ’famous’. As the story unfolds, the names will become increasingly familiar, and the beginnings of Christian Institutions and figureheads that are now regarded as ’mainstream’ shall be revealed, raising a few eyebrows.

The London Brothers were visited by a team of Restorationists from Argentina who had been working with Juan Carlos Ortiz. They explained the logistics of ’Discipleship’ [networking—’pyramid selling’]. “No sooner had they left than the Americans came bearing a similar message. Unknown to us they had also met up with Juan Carlos Ortiz and developed their own blend of this teaching. ’Shepherding is the answer’, said Ern Baxter. He was the elder statesman of the Fort Lauderdale thousands of pounds buying old church buildings or building new ones.” 25 This nucleus became a flourishing fellowship, and George became its leader.

He pinpoints The Festival of Light, 1971, as the launching pad of the New Churches. “The rally in Trafalgar Square on Saturday September 25th 1971 was massive to me...I was overwhelmed at the sight of so many Christians gathered in one place. As a large proportion of the crowd were from the new house churches, there was a lot of singing and dancing.” 26 He quotes Dr. Andrew Walker [whose book, Restoring The Kingdom, Tarleton regards as ‘a most accurate account of the birth of these new churches.’], “The Festival of Light did not give birth to Restoration, but it did confirm that ‘something’ was emerging.” 27

“Clusters of these new churches began to come together for communal worship. These gatherings were not confined to those who shared the same doctrines, although they were all loosely evangelical...Out of these times a common vision was born. We dreamt of being united by a variety of relationships, instead of being divided by dogma.” [my emphasis]28

 The Fabulous Fourteen

“...I was invited to join with thirteen other men who travelled around the country preaching. We jokingly called ourselves the, ’Fabulous Fourteen’...After a few months it became clear that while we were all equal, some were more equal than others. Graham Perrins and Bryn Jones began to compete to be the first among equals.

Both men published rival magazines. ’Fullness’ was the more radical of the two, but it bore the marks of Graham’s roots in the Open Brethren. ’Restoration’ had a wider appeal as it was closer to conventional Christianity. Bryn’s classic Pentecostal background gave it an unmistakable flavour. I occasionally wrote articles for Graham’s magazine, never for Bryn’s.” 33

“Bryn Jones would have made it to the top of any business. Adept at manipulating people, he always made sure he got what he wanted. He not only had clear vision, but the ruthless resolve to turn that vision into reality. If you wanted to be on the winning team, you would have joined Bryn’s side. Unconsciously, we were beginning to take sides.” 34

David Mansell, one of the Fabulous Fourteen as well as the London Brothers moved into George Tarleton’s area. George asked Dave to join him and he did, but Dave still felt an outsider and asked to be officially ’recognised’. An ’official’ ceremony was arranged. Dave called in Bryn Jones for moral support; George called in John Noble. It was a tense affair, exposing the cracks that had began to appear in the movement.

“Imagine my surprise when Bryn started to prophesy about me. Our prophesy rarely contained a predictive element, but this did. First he said that I had been called to be an ’apostle...Then he went on in his flowery Pentecostal way to explain that the Lord would show me why ’the green mountain of the Lord’ would be burned black. In simple English this meant I would discover what ruined this growing work of God. I did. It was submission.” 35

“Submission was the unseen backbone of our new commitment concept. People had to submit themselves to God first, then to the leaders he placed over them...But something died, because submission kills communication. Feedback was missing. Being an authority, or obeying one, cuts out real learning. Everything was now second hand. The green mountain was turning black.” 36

As Rome has discovered over millennia, submission may be desirable to tyrants, but in practice, it is highly problematic. It is Biblical for us to submit to God [Jas.4:7]; and one to another [i.e.reciprocally] in the fear of God [Eph.5:21]; it is unBiblical to submit to a despotic, apostate system, such as Rome, or to false apostles.37 As to the Restoration Movement itself, as Roland Howard put it, “The problem was that shepherding produces sheep, not leaders.” 38

Towards the end of 1976 [others say 1974]39 the northern leaders sent a letter to their southern ‘brothers’ suggesting that they were falling into license and hinting that they might be being deceived by demons. A split occurred which remains to this day.” 40 It is revealing that, although the reason for the split is recorded as being due to practical antinomianism, or license; masturbation being the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’, George Tarleton freely admits that, by this time, he had concluded that the Holy Scriptures were not the Word of God.41 Yet this astonishing fact is simply glossed over.

Instead, Tarleton describes things this way, “After Bryn Jones took David Mansell under his wing the cracks began to appear. Although we all agreed that we were free from the demands of living our lives by the rule book, to some it was merely a technicality. ‘Although I am free to buy an ice-cream on a Sunday, I will not do it in case it causes my weaker brother to stumble.’...Someone actually said that to me.”

“Seven of the fourteen believed this ‘weaker brother’ clause virtually cancelled any freedom. The rest of us decided to explore our new found freedom….Take alcohol. Most of us drank it, but only half openly confessed to it….Funny how little things should cause big problems. The other half felt we were flaunting our liberty, we felt they were being hypocritical.

Matters came to a head when the issue of masturbation of all things, was raised. Gerald Coates and John Noble felt it was a natural act and the freedom-seekers agreed...Half of us wanted to go public and declare it was not a sin, setting people free from unnecessary guilt. The rest were outraged. To the outsider, this may seem trivial, but to those from a biblical culture, it was serious.” 42

Take a pause here. We trust readers will agree why the inclusion of this issue is justified. The more prurient details have been excluded. Any rational Christian can understand a movement splitting over a total rejection of the Word of God. But here, such a serious matter is swept aside. Instead, the focus is upon a shameful, unedifying subject.

The real significance of this issue, however, is that a group of ‘all-powerful’ leaders, representing tens of thousands of professing believers, believe they have the authority to sit round a table and declare what is and what is not sinful, then go back to their under-shepherds and Churches and pass this diktat on to their followers as official doctrine. In the Restoration Movement, that is the way that it works.

Believers are not taught to be Bereans and to search the Scriptures daily, to see if what their leaders taught were so [Acts 17:11]; rather, they are to be in submission. “We trust our leaders”, is turned into a virtue. But it is a recipe for shipwreck and sure disaster. Which is why, as George Tarleton now readily admits, there have been so many ‘casualties’ in the ‘new churches’.

“Bryn Jones left to further the movement’s work in the USA, and the more authoritarian arm of the Restoration movement seems to have since foundered. They are no longer growing in numbers. Dr. Andrew Walker of King’s College, London, said, ‘Restoration as a movement is finished. No second generation leaders emerged to take up the mantle.”

Evangelical Alliance & Spring Harvest

“However, the more liberal southerners, after a period in limbo, have continued to grow and prosper...Basically, the Restoration movement has merged with the Renewal movement into a powerful, burgeoning movement promoting Charismatic gifts. 

This was due to the rise of the Evangelical Alliance and an annual interdenominational worship and teaching conference, Spring Harvest. Although the Evangelical Alliance had existed for over 150 years, both the EA and Spring Harvest took off on the crest of the Charismatic wave.”

“Spring Harvest was founded in 1979 by Clive Calver, then National Director of British Youth for Christ [until recently the General Director of the Evangelical Alliance], and Peter Meadows, a Charismatic Communications guru who edited Buzz magazine. Its aim was to bring together Charismatic Christians from all and no denominations to worship and learn together. They deliberately avoided sectarianism by ensuring that key teaching seminars were led by two or more speakers from different church backgrounds.”43

The Muswell Hill Mob

Arthur Wallis had been chosen as chairman of the Fabulous Fourteen. The final nail in the coffin was when he sent them a letter saying they were all deceived by the devil. This caused much hurt among the group.44 George Tarleton was invited to lead a house church in Muswell Hill, London. An examination of this period reveals that George Tarleton was in a position of influence over men who have become household names in mainstream Evangelicalism.

“Settling in with the Muswell Hill mob was easy. It was invigorating being in the midst of people so open to change. Also, no one else could have coped with my family at that time. Laurie Young, one of the Muswell mob, was very helpful to us in this area. In his younger days he had been quite a tearaway himself. I first met him when he was a teenager and later when  I was spiritual adviser to an evangelistic team he had joined.

After a few years, when the team had served its purpose, I suggested they call it a day. Clive Calver went on to head up the Evangelical Alliance, Graham Kendrick to write more hymns than Charles Wesley, but Laurie outshone them all.” [A demagogue in British Telecom]. 45

“Leaders of large house churches such as Coates and Roger Forster [who leads London’s Icthus Fellowship], deepened friendships with denominational leaders and both groups realised that they were in essence doing the same thing, and would benefit from one another.”

The Charismatic Evangelical Alliance

“The massive growth of the Evangelical Alliance during the 1980’s was both a symptom of the success of the Charismatic renewal as well as a unifying factor in the Charismatic movement. Although not all evangelicals [who define themselves as Bible-believing] are Charismatic, the vast majority are [note that, dear reader! - Ed]. This was largely due to the effect of Spring Harvest and other Charismatic rallies and conferences, which spread the message [and experience] of Charismatic gifts to a wider audience.”

“The effect of Clive Calver [a non-practising Baptist minister], then the Evangelical Alliance’s General Director, is hard to overestimate...As a committed Charismatic who clearly values the evangelical tradition, he commands respect from a broad constituency of Charismatics and evangelicals.” 46

“Calver has also helped to transform British Charismatics from a defensive constituency...into a group with a mission which goes beyond winning souls and into social action as a worthwhile act in itself. While remaining a convinced Charismatic who attends Icthus fellowship house church, he has placed social justice, unemployment and Third World and environmental issues at the heart of the Charismatic agenda [is this not the Vatican agenda?]. Tearfund, a relief and development agency started by the Evangelical Alliance, experienced a massive increase in donations in the 1980’s and is now the sixth largest relief and development group in the UK.” 47

[Interestingly, a couple of years ago, Kensington Temple withdrew from the EA complaining that Pentecostals were under-represented! The opposite is true.]

Wimber & The Kansas City Prophets

“At face value, 1984 was not an auspicious time for Wimber to take the UK Charismatics by storm. A couple of years earlier David Watson, one of Britain’s most prominent Anglican Charismatics, had died of cancer despite the fact that Watson had spent considerable time being prayed for by Wimber, or Mr Miracle, as some called him.”

“At one of his preparatory meetings in London’s Holy Trinity, Brompton, Wimber was asked what had gone wrong. In view of the fact that he was a close friend of Watson, his answer was a testament to insensitivity and glibness: ‘The devil won that battle but we’re gonna make him pay.” 48 Such banal remarks typify the Arminian and deluded approach of Charismatics. That adherents are not alerted by such reveals the power of the “strong delusion” the Most High God has sent upon them for their folly [2 Thess.2:11,12].

Space precludes a recap of the activities of the Kansas City Prophets (KCP). Suffice to say they were instrumental in converting RT Kendall and Westminster Chapel to the Charismatic cause; to prophesying [falsely], that by October 1994 a massive revival would begin in the UK. That this false prophecy did nothing to alert Charismatics to the patent falseness of their movement, is yet another indicator of the depth of the deception.

Name It & Claim It; Prosperity Gospel & False, ‘Ye Are Little Gods’ Theology

Another American import into the UK was the Word-Faith movement. This was received equally as enthusiastically as all of the above. Morris Cerullo, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn and co, “could still attract tens of thousands at venues like Earls Court, Westminster Central Hall and the National Exhibition Centre.” 49 

Like the other strands of the CM, these men regard RC Charismatics as brethren. Benny Hinn proudly displays a photo of his meeting with the pope in a place of prominence on the wall behind his desk.

The aberrant theology of the Word-Faith movement is so well documented as to require no elucidation here. Suffice to say, they teach that believers are ‘gods’ [as does the RC Catechism] 50, that God the Father is “the biggest failure in the Bible” and that Jesus was an, “emaciated, poured out, little, wormy spirit”.50

The Toronto Blessing & Pensacola

As these phenomena are still in evidence and are well known, we must pass over these with the briefest of comment. Even the secular media has highlighted the blasphemous manifestations of animal noises, uproar during communion services, sexual impropriety, and ‘conversions’ without any semblance of the Gospel being preached. It has been dubbed, ‘The Laughing Revival’. Sadly, the laughable aspect is that any credence whatsoever has been given to this abomination.

Up To Date

The deciding factor for writing this article at this particular time was a feature in Jesus Life magazine.51 In it, John Noble, mentioned above, is approvingly described as, “deeply involved in the early roots of the ‘New Church’ movement. With Christine, his wife, they planted their first church in the Romford area in 1967 and from this the ‘Team Spirit’ network of churches evolved.”

“Some years later, prophecies from Dale Gentry and Paul Cain [KCP & RT Kendall fame] brought John and Gerald Coates together. Their teams and churches for the most part were integrated into ‘Pioneer’. John is also Chairman of ‘Charismata’, a conference for National Charismatic Leaders which draws itinerant ministries from all denominations together.”

After telling how his work continues to be with ‘historic relationships’ [denominations], and ‘international ministry’, he was asked by Huw Lewis of the Jesus Fellowship, whom the most significant influences on his faith have been. “I have to say Billy Graham!...I was very involved with the ‘fathers’ of the Charismatic and New Church movements in the early days. Michael Harper, Cecil Cousen, Arthur Wallis and Campbell McAlpine—those men had great input into my life.”

“Gerald Coates obviously has been a great influence and I hope I’ve influenced him a little as well! I have also been affected by the humility of Sandy Millar of Holy Trinity, Brompton with Alpha. He and Nicky Gumbel have helped shape my understanding of what an apostle is.” 

The Way Forward

Lewis then called him ‘one of the founding fathers of the CM’ and asked him the way forward? “The CM and the NC’s have had a tremendous impact on the Church generally over the last 30-40 years. Years ago, Clive Calver said that the divisions in the church are increasingly becoming horizontal as opposed to vertical. 

In other words, there will be those that hide away in their Anglican box or Baptist box or New Church box but more and more Christians are opening up so that the differences between our churches are insignificant and our ability to cooperate greater.”

To illustrate the continuing collaboration between the CM and the Vatican, Noble spoke of the ‘reconciliation walk’ undertaken by Lynn Green, over the crusades route from Cologne to Jerusalem, and how he repented to Muslims for the actions of ‘Christians’! “After Lynn had done his walk, the Pope called for a paper to be written about the Catholic attitude towards the Crusades. He speaks now of ‘purifying the memories’ of peoplehoods and nations, as a means of healing our divisions.”

Appendix: 

Evidence Of Rome’s Collusion With The Charismatic Movement

Despite the clear statement of the pope on page 1 that the CM was born of the [Catholic] Church, and the evidence given in the main article here, there are many Charismatics who deny any involvement whatsoever with Rome. Rev. Mike Frisby, an ‘apostle’ with Restoration outfit New Frontiers told the writer that his movement had no involvement with Catholics. And this, despite the fact that New Frontiers have the same doctrine and practice as the other Restoration streams, which was imported directly from the FLF.

For this reason it is necessary to spell out the evidence linking the CM with Rome for, as Michael de Semlyen has well said, “Not to speak out is to deny the truth to all those in the Anglican and Catholic churches still entangled in the man-made bondage of ritualism, and depending on the sacraments and the Priesthood [or ‘apostles’ - Ed] for the grace of God. In appearing alongside prominent Roman Catholics at conferences and in ecumenical enterprises, even merely as names on the notepaper, evangelical leaders are effectively endorsing unscriptural beliefs.” 53

1 Vatican II

As noted, the Second Vatican Council, in 1965, paved the way and gave the official blessing for RC backing for the CM—in cooperation with Protestants and Orthodox. It is most telling that David du Plessis [alias ‘Mr Pentecost’], a South African minister with the Apostolic Faith Mission, in an unprecedented step, was invited along to Vatican II as an observer.54

2 Smith Wigglesworth’s ‘Prophecy’

It was 1936 when Wigglesworth visited S. Africa. “...an event that occurred then is still having an effect on the Roman Catholic Church over fifty [now over 65] years later.”  Wigglesworth marched into du Plessis’ office at 6 a.m. “ ‘I have been sent by the Lord to tell you what he has shown me this morning,’ Smith said, ‘Through the old-line denominations will come revival that will eclipse anything we have known through history...It will eclipse the twentieth century Pentecostal revival that already is a marvel to the world with its strong opposition from the established church. But this same blessing will become acceptable to the churches and they will go on with this message and this experience beyond what the Pentecostals have achieved.’ “55

After informing du Plessis that he would live to see  the prophecy fulfilled he reflected with astonishment: “‘Come out from among them’ was the typical cry of the Pentecostals [e.g. Branham]...but here he [Wigglesworth] was telling a young Pentecostal minister that he had to ‘go in among them’.” 56

The Pentecostal-Roman Catholic Dialogue began in 1971; in 1976, du Plessis believes Wigglesworth’s prophecy was fulfilled—40 years later. He was in Rome for the fifth and final session of the Dialogue. He had earlier advised  Cardinal Bea that the way to renew the Catholic Church was through the ‘charismata’. ‘That’s what the Holy Father wants to know!’ Bea had exclaimed, and he duly passed the message on. The 1976 meeting was, “ between three classic Pentecostals, three main-line Protestants and three Roman Catholics.”

“ ‘So you are Mr Pentecost?’ the man completely clothed in a white cassock said. ‘That’s what they call me,’ replied David du Plessis. It was the Pope!” 57 Wigglesworth’s biography closes with the following: “Cardinal Suenens had been in Rome for some renewal meetings along with some other Catholic charismatics. During their visit they were given an audience by the Pope. They happened to have with them a video of one of their charismatic meetings, and the Pope expressed a desire to see it. It was arranged. 

The Pope watched with rapt attention as priests and lay people danced in the Spirit and spoke in tongues to the glory of God...At the conclusion, the Pope rose from his seat and began rearranging the chairs in a circle. When someone dared to ask him what he was doing he replied that he would like them to repeat in his presence what they did in their own meeting, just like that on the video. And Wigglesworth? That would have brought a smile to his face.” 58

3 Doctrine

As indicated in the main article, Restoration ‘doctrine’ is essentially the same as Rome’s. “As with Roman Catholic and cult activity, Shepherding/Discipleship leaders take the role of mediator away from Jesus...the pastoral ministry is to be marked by a servant’s attitude and exemplary character, not by an emphasis on authority and submission.” 59

Consider the other similarities: confession of sins, centralised dogma or diktats [e.g. During the TB, Terry Virgo, leader of New Frontiers, instructed his ‘apostles’ and pastors to unquestioningly accept it, nip dissent in the bud, avoid preaching and concentrate on testimonies. [Source: NFI Leaders Conference, Stoneleigh, 1995, audio tape], networking or pyramid structure/hierarchy and eschatology.

Classic Pentecostalism was Pre-Millennial: since the advent of the FLF, Charismaticism, in line with Rome, has become either A-millennial or Post-Millennial. The emphasis is on Kingdom Now and ‘taking the nations for Jesus’. It is taught that Christ must remain in heaven until the Church brings in the fullness of the kingdom of God. Evangelism, as with Rome, is territorial.

The ‘March For Jesus’, as with ‘prayer walks’, is about defeating ‘territorial spirits’; it is ‘spiritual warfare’ rather than evangelism. Even so, both Rome and Charismatics declared the nineties as the ‘Decade of Evangelism’. But as we saw from John Noble in the main article, they now concede that it was a failure.

Both Rome and the CM are Arminian [or semi-Pelagian] in their soteriology. Despite a catalogue of dismal failure, they both persist in man-centred schemes and campaigns which are bound to fail, because they are unbiblical and deny the sovereignty of God. World-wide revival is another emphasis shared by both the CM and Rome, which leads us to the next head.

4 The Ecumenical Movement

Rome understood very early in the development of the Pentecostal Movement that the ‘charismata’ were the bridge between the denominations and traditions it had been seeking for 1000 years with the Eastern Orthodox [schismatics] and 450 years with the Protestants [heretics]. As its goal has always been world domination and ecclesiastical supremacy, the CM must have seemed like a ‘God-send’ to Rome. The Global superchurch foretold in Scripture is no longer a remote possibility but an imminent probability.

The Ecumenical Movement precedes the CM by decades but it took on a major, fresh, impetus with E&CT [Evangelicals & Catholics Together], The Gift of Authority and Dominus Iesus documents, which have been published in the past 7 years; which effectively reverse the Reformation and acknowledge the Romish Church as supreme.

Finally, The New World Order. I have reported elsewhere on Chiara Lubich, on behalf of Rome, speaking of its contribution to the creation of ‘a new world order, a new economic order and globalizing solidarity’ [page 13]. In the main article here, we quote John Noble, Restoration ‘apostle’ advocating the embracing of a new world order and of ‘global apostles from all streams...evangelising and discipling nations together.’ The reader is left with the question: are these matters ‘coincidental’, or is there a hidden hand at work orchestrating the whole enterprise?

Footnotes

1. The Holiness-Pentecostal Movement In The United States, Vinson Synan, H. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1992, p.13

2. Ibid, pp.63,65,& footnote 21,66

3. Charismania: When Christian Fundamentalism Goes Wrong, Howard, R. Mowbray, Herndon, 1997, p. 8

4. Ibid

5. Ibid, p.9

6.Dictionary Of Pentecostal & Charismatic Movements, Burgess & McGee, Eds. Zondervan,  Grand Rapids, 1993, p. 50

7. What Really Happened At Azusa St.? Bartleman, F. Voice Christian Pub. Northridge, 1962, Preface

8. Burgess & McGee, Opp. Cit

9. Ibid, pp. 268

I10. bid, p. 884

11. Howard, Opp. Cit, p. 9

12. Vide: Latter Rain,  Riss, R.M. Kingdom Flagships Foundation, Ontario, 1987 

13. Burgess & McGee, Opp. Cit, p. 132

14. Ibid, p. 136

15. Ibid, p, 111 & Vatican II Documents, Lumem Gentium

16. Ibid, pp. 42, 43

17. Audio Tape, Restoration, Toronto & The Latter Rain, Tillin, T. Banner Minsitries, Belper.  c.f. Derek Prince, FLF member, 1972: “'The beginning of an awakening has happened, and we can rejoice in it... It is God's purpose to form bodies, local manifestations of the Body of Christ. When they have been formed he will send forth his Spirit again, and they will rise up a mighty army, covering the whole earth... One of the corroborations of my conviction that it is God's purpose to form bodies is the entry of so many Roman Catholics into the charismatic renewal... They are way ahead of many Protestants in this regard; we Protestants are learning much from them.” Source: Diakrisis website. Art. Attraction to Mysticism

18. Burgess & McGee, Opp. Cit, pp. 42, 43

19. WWW.Banner.Org. Art. The New Thing, Appendix 1, A Special Footnote. Statement read: “"We, the Council, are committing ourselves to work together with the Cardinal for the restoration and unity of Christian people and world evangelisation in projects to be mutually agreed upon."

20. Howard, Opp. Cit, p. 12

21. Ibid, p. 13

22. Ibid, p. 14

23. Ibid, p. 15

24. Ibid, p. 16

25. Birth Of A Christian Anarchist, Tarleton, G. Pendragon Press, Pennington, 1993, p. 57

26. Ibid, p. 59

27. Ibid

28. Ibid

29. Ibid, p. 61

30. Ibid, pp. 69, 70

31. Burgess & McGee, Opp. Cit, pp. 654, 55, 875, 879; + Charismatic Chaos, MacArthur, J.F. Jnr. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1992, pp. 172, 179, 180

32. Tarleton, Opp. Cit, p. 70

33. Ibid, p. 71

34. Ibid

35. Ibid, pp. 71, 72

36. Ibid

37. Vide: NIV Concordance, Submission. This subject demands a separate article in itself, viz a viz RC input [Cardinal Martini] into NIV

38. Howard, Opp. Cit, p. 16

39. Tarleton, Opp. Cit, p. 81, says 1976; Tillin, Opp. Cit,  says 1974

40. Howard, Opp. Cit, p. 16

41. Tarleton, Opp. Cit, p. 79

42. Ibid, p. 80

43. Howard, Opp. Cit, pp. 16, 17

44. Tarleton, Opp. Cit, p. 82

45. Ibid, p.85

46. Howard, Opp. Cit, p. 17

47. Ibid, p. 18

48. Ibid, p. 19

49. Ibid, p. 21

50. Christianity In Crisis, A Different Gospel, The Agony Of Deceit. See short piece on RC Catechism, p.2

51. Jesus Life magazine, #52, Jan-March 2002, pp. 13, 14

52. Tarleton, Opp. Cit, p. 98

53. All Roads Lead To Rome? de Semlyen, M. Dorchester House Publications, Gerrards Cross, 1993. P.204

54. Vatican II Documents: Lumem Gentium, c.f. Flannery, A. Vatican Council II, Dominican Publications, Dublin, 1992, Vol. 1 p. 685; Vol. 2, pp. 611-623 + Burgess & McGee, Opp. Cit, p.253

55. Baptised By Fire,, The Story Of Smith Wigglesworth, Hywell-Daview, J. Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1988, pp. 152, 153

56. Ibid, p. 153

57. Ibid, pp. 156, 157

58. Ibid, p. 171

59. Understanding Deception, Livesey, R. New Wine Press, Chichester, 1990, p.171