‘Strange Bedfellows’ with ‘Evangelical Alliance’

  • ‘Evangelical Alliance’ and the ‘Global Day of Prayer’:
  • ‘Evangelical Alliance’, Morrris Cerullo
  • Steve Munsey,Benny Hinn and R T Kendall:
  • ‘Evangelical Alliance’ and ‘The Emerging Church’

On the Evangelical Alliance website there is a section that deals with ‘Relationships Commitment’ and it can be found by following this link – http://www.eauk.org/connect/about-us/basis-of-faith.cfm#erc

It tells of discussions between the ‘Evangelical Alliance’ and the ‘British Evangelical Council’ [BEC]. We learn that one of the aims was ‘to provide an up-dated version of the eight “general resolutions” agreed at the 1846 Assembly that launched the Evangelical Alliance’.

Earlier we read in the article ‘we seek to promote good Christian practice, as well as true Christian doctrine’. Later there is a listing of ‘the eight “general resolutions” already mentioned and they are subdivided between ‘Affirmations’ and ‘Actions’.

  • Point 1 – an ‘Affirmation’ states

We welcome as Christian brothers and sisters all who experience the grace of new birth, bringing them to that fear and knowledge of God which is expressed in a life of obedience to His word.

  • Point 3 – also an ‘Affirmation’ states

We respect the diversity of culture, experience and doctrinal understanding that God grants to His people, and acknowledge that some differences over issues not essential to salvation may well remain until the end of time.

  • Point 5 – an ‘Action’ begins with these words

We encourage all Christians earnestly to contend for biblical truth…

These ideals are commendable [1] an expectation that true believers will be ‘obedient’ to God’s word [2] that issues of ‘diversity’ that are not essential to salvation will not hinder fellowship and [3] that true believers will ‘contend’ for biblical truth.

The problem with Evangelical Alliance is that they consistently fail to honour or live up to these self-expressed high ideals and this article will highlight current examples of these failings – failings that are giving a false impression of what Evangelicalism is all about. In these examples cited, the absence of true biblical discernment on the part of Evangelical Alliance will become all too sadly and glaringly obvious.

‘Evangelical Alliance’ and the ‘Global Day of Prayer’:

In that article I identified the ‘ecumenical’ and ‘charismatic’ mix of the local [Northern Ireland] organising committee. That mix is likewise evident when it comes to support for this event in Great Britain, support that will be headed up by amongst others, Joel Edwards, General Director of Evangelical Alliance.

According to an article headed “London to Join Millions of Worldwide Christians for Global Day of Prayer 2006”, in a paper called ‘Christian Today’, [see this same mix will characterise the event in Great Britain. Part of that article reads –

‘A 21-day prayer chain of local churches, prayer networks and praying Christians from all streams (including Methodists, Baptists, Anglicans, Charismatic Catholics, Pentecostals) will precede the event and be launched on 12 May 2006 at The City Temple, Holborn Viaduct… The London Prayer Celebration takes place at Westminster Chapel in central London on 3 June 2006 at 6:30 pm’.

According to information that was confirmed to me, other groups involved in one way or another [apart from Evangelical Alliance] in promoting this ‘Global Day of Prayer’, are Holy Trinity Brompton [Home of ‘Alpha’], Westminster [Roman Catholic] Cathedral, Charismatic Catholics Network, GOD TV [Rory and Wendy Alec] and sadly Westminster Chapel [formerly pastored by Dr Martin Lloyd Jones but in more recent times ‘destroyed’ doctrinally by R T Kendall of whom more later].

In my article I gave website links to 2 very revealing articles by Sarah Leslie of the USA-based Discernment-Ministries Inc – the links to those articles are –

and again I commend them to you as they expose the political influences and agendas that are clearly manipulating initiatives like the ‘Global Day of Prayer’.

No discernment-exercising and biblically faithful ‘Evangelical’ ministry should be lending any credence or support to this event that will, according to the April 2006 newsletter promoting the event, supposedly lead to a ‘Greater Pentecost’.

Any bible student with discernment will know that Pentecost was a unique, never to be repeated action of God. His gift of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to indwell born-again believers was dependent upon the Lord Jesus Christ accomplishing His mission to save and redeem His people at Calvary and His subsequent return to glory in triumph [see John 7:39; Acts 1:5 and Acts 2:33].

Given the stated ‘Action’ quoted earlier, namely ‘We encourage all Christians earnestly to contend for biblical truth’ – it is clear that ‘Evangelical Alliance’ in this instance are failing to comply with the ideal of this ‘Action’ by their support of this ‘Global Day of Prayer’.

  • ‘Evangelical Alliance’, Morrris Cerullo,
  • Steve Munsey,Benny Hinn and R T Kendall:

The lead article on the front page of the British Church Newspaper [Issue 88: May 12 2006] was entitled “Morris Cerullo, Benny Hinn and R T Kendall in ‘Mission to London’”. This refers to the latest ‘Mission’ to be staged in London by the ‘Morris Cerullo World Evangelism’ organisation.

On the homepage http://www.missiontolondon.com/ of the ‘Mission to London’ website these details of speakers involved are given –

Speakers: Benny Hinn, Tommy Tenney, Myles Munroe, Bishop John Francis, Ayo Oritsejafor, Steve Munsey, Matthew Ashimolowo, Tayo Adeyemi, Alice Smith, Charles Blair, John Avanzini, Mahesh Chavda

However, on going to the page entitled ‘Speaker line up’ http://www.mcwe.com/mtl/speakers.htm this listing is also found –

  • R T Kendall

Dr R T Kendall, Minister of Westminster Chapel, London for 25 years now resides in Key Largo, Florida with his wife Louise. Originally from America, R T Pastored a number of Churches before coming to the UK. He is also author of many books including the Classic ‘Believing God’. Don’t miss him as he preaches his internationally acclaimed message on Total Forgiveness.

I want now to comment on the particular speakers named in the heading to this section of the article.

  • Morris Cerullo

Part of the article in the British Church Newspaper also stated –

‘Some ten years after Morris Cerullo’s organisation disaffiliated from the Evangelical Alliance [EA], it [EA] has allowed Cerullo’s forthcoming ‘Mission to London’ a FULL-PAGE advert in its magazine, IDEA’.

Prior to the Cerullo organisation ‘disaffiliating’ itself from EA it had been the subject of a 3-year investigation by EA who had as a consequence in 1995 issued a statement saying that they ‘had concerns’ about the organisation but they stopped short of ‘excommunicating’ it – however, not long after, the Morris Cerullo organisation voluntarily resigned from EA.

Just as an example of the type of information that EA might have considered when ‘weighing up’ the Morris Cerullo organisation and coming to their conclusion that they ‘had concerns’ about it let me quote extracts from a short article that appeared in the Evangelical Times of December 1992 –

  • Cerullo ‘bundled out’ of India

A front-page feature article in The Times of India [India’s largest selling newspaper] on 17 October 1992 reported that “A so-called miracle healer, Morris Cerullo, who prefers to call himself a man of God, was declared ‘persona non gratia’ and bundled out of the country by Calcutta police this morning after mass healing services on Park Circus Maidan yesterday evening turned into a fiasco when members of the crowd stormed the dais challenging the efficacy of his healing power”. The article went on to declare that “For indulging in undesirable activities Morris Cerullo was put on a plane bound for the US this morning”. It was reported that the crowd became restive as Mr Cerullo could not prove his healing power…The Indian crowd had the good sense to test the claims of Cerullo. It is a pity that British crowds seem more naïve.

Perhaps the ‘lament’ in that article that British crowds were less ready to ‘test the claims of Cerullo’ was based on events earlier that year when Cerullo had held a ‘Mission to London’. It did attract media attention and several BBC programmes [‘Heart of the matter’] showed Joan Bakewell ‘quizzing’ Mr Cerullo about his claims for ‘healing’. Dr Peter May, a member of the C of E Synod also challenged Mr Cerullo to cite his ‘best’ 3 cases of healing during the ‘Mission’ and these were analysed in the second of the TV programmes.

Herewith are extracts from ‘HealthWatch Newsletter no 15: June 1994’ that can be accessed on –

http://www.healthwatch-uk.org/newsletterarchive/nlett15.html#miracles

  • Miracles at Earls Court

This summer, American TV healer Morris Cerullo returns to London, with his claims of miracles at his meetings. Two years ago, posters showing a broken blind cane, an overturned wheel-chair and a discarded hearing-aid were displayed on bill-boards across the capital, to the anger and dismay of many disabled people.

Challenged in a live television interview to produce his three best cases from the week for public scrutiny, Cerullo found himself under an intense spotlight Joan Bakewell’s “Heart of the Matter” team presented the cases in a powerful television documentary, leaving Cerullo protesting that he needed more time. He consequently appealed to people on his mailing list to come forward with their stories and set up a medical panel to analyse them.

Cerullo’s posters claimed they had 2,250 cases from which to choose. A year later, after the medical panel’s final meeting, a public statement from one of the doctors said emphatically that “there is no evidence that anything has occurred that is outside the realm of normal clinical experience”

One of the most disgraceful and heartbreaking incidents related to a time when Morris Cerullo paraded a very young [4 years old] girl called Natalia Barned around the stage at Earls Court, together with her mum and then asked the audience to give thanks to God for ‘the healing’ of little Natalia’s bone cancer. Within a matter of 2 months Natalia was dead.

You can view Cerullo’s false claim for ‘Natalia’s healing’ by clicking on this link

Please remember that Morris Cerullo has a full-page advert in IDEA, the magazine of EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

  • Steve Munsey and Benny Hinn

Listed among the speakers for ‘Mission to London’ which has been advertised [full-page] in IDEA, the magazine of EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE are the names of Steve Munsey and Benny Hinn. The very questionable antics and claims of Benny Hinn over many years now are well attested to but if you want to read about these matters of concern then this link will take you to a very helpful website –

http://www.christianresearchservice.com/

Perhaps the name of Steve Munsey is not so well known but he came to our attention as we prepared for Alan Morrison’s ministry visit here in 2005 to talk on the subject assigned to him of ‘GOD TV – Helpful or Harmful?’ Incidentally and just to remind you, ‘GOD TV’, like Evangelical Alliance are promoting the ‘Global day of Prayer’ that we considered earlier.

In 2004 GOD TV held, as usual, one of their major fund-raising sessions on TV and they ‘drafted in’ Steve Munsey to head up their ‘appeal’ for funds. Shortly you will be able to see an excerpt from this ‘appeal’ and I hope you will notice with the same alarm as I did that all that you will see took place in the presence of the young son of Wendy and Rory Alec who ‘head up’ GOD TV.

This excerpt was shown by myself by way of introduction to Alan Morrison’s talk and I also showed a short clip of Benny Hinn pronouncing ‘a curse’ upon anyone who would dare to say a word against his ministry. The DVD of Alan’s talk is still available from us – Price £7.00 [includes p&p].

If you click on the following link you will be able to view the above talk on ‘You Tube’ and clips of both Steve Munsey [3 minutes] and Benny Hinn [42 minutes].

Please remember that Steve Munsey and Benny Hinn are ‘inextricably linked’ to the Morris Cerullo full-page advert in IDEA, the magazine of EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

  • R T Kendall

Just quite how or why R T Kendall was chosen to succeed Dr Martin Lloyd Jones as Pastor of Westminster Chapel is somewhat of a mystery to me and I would venture to suggest to quite a few others as well. In his latter years there Mr Kendall certainly associated himself with some very questionable people and ‘movements’. The one that had most impact on me personally related to the so-called ‘Toronto Blessing’ of the mid 1990’s.

The main originator and dispenser of the so-called ‘Holy Laughter’ associated with this ‘Toronto Blessing’ ‘movement’ was a South African called Rodney Howard- Browne. He blasphemously labelled himself as a ‘Holy Ghost bartender’. In my research I had to suffer through hours of video footage watching this ‘evangelist’ sniggering and dissolving into laughter as he tried to read the Precious Word of God.

In the ‘Christian Herald’ of 14 January 1995 there was a report of a Rodney Howard-Browne meeting held in the Wembley Conference centre – part of that report stated

‘At 9.40pm some people [possessing discernment] began to leave. Howard-Browne turned on them. “Tonight is the first night religious dead-heads showed up. I can smell them” he shouted. “Religious people will never understand about God’s presence…It’s not understood with the mind; It’s something grasped with the heart”. Referring to their leaving as “a cleansing” he shouted offensively “Every living organism needs a bowel movement”.

Later that year Rodney Howard-Browne was ‘back in town’ for a ‘Signs and Wonders ‘95’ being held [4-7 December 1995] at the Olympia Exhibition Centre National Hall, London. On the promotional flyer they listed a number of ‘Hosting Ministers’ together with their comments. One of those listed was R T Kendall and this was his comment ‘Rodney Howard-Browne is a guileless man of God whose ministry will be a blessing to those who truly long for more of God’. Perhaps Mr Kendall should have added a PS to the effect that whatever you do don’t under any discerning circumstances walk out of the meeting!

To be ‘guileless’ is to be ‘devoid of cunning and treachery’. Having examined so much of the ‘ministry’ of Rodney Howard-Browne as it unfolded through the so-called ‘Toronto Blessing’ and Holy Laughter’ ‘movements’ I can assure you that the word ‘guileless’ would never have for one moment been considered by me as being an apt description of him. On the contrary, when his ‘teaching’ and ‘antics’ are considered in the light of God’s truth, His precious word, I believe that ‘guile’ would be a very fitting description for all that I viewed of his ‘teaching’ and ‘antics’.

One other equally disturbing endorsement by R T Kendall was his decision to afford Paul Cain a role at Westminster Chapel. Paul Cain was for a number of decades a devout disciple of the heretical William Branham. He then came to the attention of John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard Movement which in turn ‘birthed’ the so-called ‘Toronto Blessing’. Wimber viewed Paul Cain as a modern-day ‘prophet’ and this supposed ‘gift’ of Paul Cain certainly held a great attraction for R T Kendall and so he invited Mr Cain to ‘minister’ at Westminster Chapel. How did things turn out? Well if you follow this link http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel19.html it will take you to a revealing article on ‘the life and times’ of Paul Cain. Another report that sheds light on this ‘alliance’ between R T Kendall and Paul Cain can be accessed on http://www.intotruth.org/ms/ms193.html Part of that report reads –

This new era, the post-charismatic new man, was preached at a Conference in London in October 1992. A group of churches in north-west London organised “The Word and the Spirit” meeting at the Wembley Conference Centre. It consisted of seminars in the morning and leaders’ meetings in the afternoon, followed by an open meeting in the evening. The two main speakers were Dr. R.T. Kendall and Paul Cain, who has recently joined Westminster Chapel in London.

The title of the Conference – “The Word and The Spirit” – was explained by the speakers’ remarks that they aimed to combine these two elements, theology and power. Dr. Kendall said that he had told Paul Cain, “Paul, you need my theology and I need your power”.

Jacob Prasch of Moriel Ministries has issued an interesting challenge to R T Kendall in the light of his upcoming involvement with this ‘Mission to London’ – you can read it by following this link

http://www.moriel.org/articles/notice_board/invitation_to_rt_kendall.htm

In closing I would once more say – Please remember that R T Kendall is ‘inextricably linked’ to the Morris Cerullo full-page advert in IDEA, the magazine of EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

Perhaps Evangelical Alliance will attempt some disclaiming ‘Pontius Pilate’ act to try and distance themselves from any criticism about the content of Morris Cerullo’s advert and the ramifications of it appearing in IDEA – well, to continue my ‘Pontius Pilate’ analogy – ‘I’m afraid that won’t wash with me’ – they must shoulder the culpable responsibility for allowing that advert to be published without any clear ‘spiritual health warning’.

  • ‘Evangelical Alliance’ and ‘The Emerging Church’

On 16 May 2006 I visited the Evangelical Alliance website on this link http://www.eauk.org/events/ and downloaded the following from their ‘events’ page

What Kind of Church? – Serving God in Postmodern Culture

24 May 2006 – Waverley Abbey House, Farnham, Surrey

A CWR [Crusade for World Revivlal – Selwyn Hughes] one-day workshop for those involved in church leadership. The workshop will explore the role of the church in contemporary culture and how we reach people today without assimilating the culture. Hosted by Philip Greenslade with guest speaker Brian McLaren, a leading writer in the field of emerging church and founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in the USA. For more information or to book visit www.cwr.org.uk or phone 01252 784731.

So, on the website of Evangelical Alliance they are displaying an advert for a meeting involving Brian McLaren who in language very similar to his ‘penal-substitution-denying’ friend Steve Chalke, describes such an idea about that glorious truth of Christ’s atonement for sinners at Calvary as being ‘divine child abuse’.

For a clear exposition of the gospel-denying teachings of Brian McLaren let me recommend the DVD of Pastor Gary Gilley’s talk that he gave during his recent ministry visit here. Details of the DVD and how to obtain it are available on this link.

  • CONCLUDING COMMENTS

Much more by way of warning could have been said about other names mentioned in this article, names like Tommy Tenney and John Avanzini, but a search of ‘the web’ under these names will provide links to much helpful information on their false teachings. Earlier in this article I quoted how in an article Evangelical Alliance stated – ‘we seek to promote good Christian practice, as well as true Christian doctrine’. Having listed the connections, direct or indirect between Evangelical Alliance the ‘Global Day of Prayer’, ‘Morris Cerullo, Steve Munsey, Benny Hinn, R T Kendall’ and the ‘Emerging church’ I leave it to you the reader to decide whether or not that stated aim is being achieved. I also hope that the title of this document, namely ‘Strange Bedfellows’ will now make much clearer sense and also serve as a matter for serious reconsideration by any who read this document and who may in any way be supportive of today’s Evangelical Alliance.

Cecil Andrews – ‘Take Heed’ Ministries – 22 May 2006