“When we discover that our admired leaders have been covering for abusers (or have been abusers themselves), here’s the question we face: Shouldn’t we be more concerned about the sheep who’ve been wounded than with the shepherds who let the wolves in—or worse, who are wolves themselves? It appears that the “culture of honor” functionally means that every leader has so much potential good in them that they can never be held accountable or face any significant consequences for sin, no matter how reprehensible.”
(Susanne Maynes – Voices) I’ve never attended Bethel Church or their school of ministry, and I’ve only listened to a handful of sermons by Bill Johnson. However, as a lifelong Pentecostal/charismatic, I’m aware that Bethel’s influence has saturated charismatic culture for decades.
One concept Bethel promotes is creating and maintaining a “culture of honor.” This sounds like a beautiful and biblical idea, since human beings should honor one another as image bearers of God — but what does it really mean?
In Bethel’s view, current forms of church leadership should be discarded, and five-fold ministers (based on Ephesians 4:11) should be placed in charge. While the notion of five-fold ministry is a theologically complex issue, suffice it to say this reconsideration of leadership structure offers an alternative to top-heavy, authoritarian, pastor-led churches.
DISCLAIMER – CRN does not recommend The Christian Post
Background on Bethel Redding and why it’s so dangerous
Bethel Church’s “apostle” Bill Johnson: a comedy of errors, part 1 & part 2 By Marsha West
Research: New Apostolic Reformation
CRN has compiled a list of false teachers and several other professing Christians we’ve warned you about over the years. The list also contains those we must keep an eye on plus movements, organizations and “frauds, phonies and money-grubbing religious quacks” to mark and avoid as per Romans 16:17-18 such as Bill Johnson & Kris Vallotton.