HIDDEN AGENDAS AND AUTHORITY ABUSE

When a group or fellowship is closed to appropriate challenge within its walls, certain unethical practices develop in order to protect egos and agendas, and authority abuse becomes a matter of standard practice. Since no one wants to admit there is a problem, both the agenda and practices remain largely hidden or unspoken. Shoving things under the rug and under 'cover of darkness' only serves to strengthen the activity, since no one is called to accountability by their actions being open and known. It is only after the leader(s) become less concerned with threats to their power-base that they become more open. Even at that, they will still keep secrets.

In many 'pro-renewal' forums, it is rationalized that rejection of challenge or even mild questioning is designed to 'protect' the renewal so that God may do His thing without the interference of 'undesirable' elements. That is not true. First of all, God can stand a little questioning. Second of all, activity such as quietly moderating 'problem people' out of e-mail lists, secretly excommunicating people out of churches, or otherwise maltreating Christians is not really about 'renewal' -- any more than it is about protecting anything of God. It is wholly about rejecting appropriate challenge over truth, no matter what the cost. It is about engaging in falsehood.

Authority abuse serves to destroy any chance of revival, wherever it is. This is because abuse against other Christians involves sinning against them, and is an action of pride and presumptuousness. Carnality and sin are a stench in God's nostrils. There is no revival without conviction, repentance, and humility. Therefore it is a false revival. Even if there was a chance of revival, it is stopped dead cold at the feet of the carnal leader. There may be a lot of shaking going on, but this doesn't override the 'leaven' of pride and sin.
 

IS IT PART OF THE DENOMINATIONAL PACKAGE?

How has that occurred? Many have concluded it is just a part of the 'renewal' package. Yet I am here to tell you with all certainty that the 'renewal' did not start these practices at all. In fact, 'pro'-renewalists have also suffered inappropriate spiritual abuse.

How can that be? Didn't this all start with the 'renewal'?

No.

If you have been a part of any denomination or group that already had authority abuse practices prior to any 'renewal,' you will know that the practices and attitudes were there well before 'renewal'.

Let us go back to the 'favorable only' interpretation of spiritual phenomenon as our example. Because of the original 'positive-only' agenda of their denomination or group, this particular set of leaders and their followers are already closed to any other interpretation. They are ready to believe they have attained 'power' and 'revival' and need no other change. And if they don't have this power boost that has been rumored about, they are ready to work it up and make it man-made. If it is 'false,' they won't examine it too closely. Even if the Lord Himself is moving and is beginning revival, (as I have witnessed myself), they will quench the Spirit from fully working due to their carnality.

It is hypocrisy to say on the one hand that we must have less control so that the Spirit can 'manifest', yet on the other hand be very controlling behind the scenes, using the same old tired abusive tactics that have always been used. Whether 'pro-renewal' or not, organizations or fellowships who resist prophets and teachers who call for repentance, from within or from without, have quenched the Spirit before and will quench the Spirit again. Pray earnestly for leaders like this yet do not hold to a loyalty that supersedes your loyalty to God. Do not blindly follow the blind, so that you both end up in the pit!

I urge you not to equate true apostles or prophets with any edicts, prophecies, statements, teachings, or practices that are designed to cut short and circumvent any questioning or challenge, thus keeping the mature believer from functioning in their midst. In one breath they rail against all criticism as 'unloving' while in the next breath they themselves criticize, complete with judgments and subtle accusations couched in spiritual-speak. Or, they may give the silent treatment. If either of those fails, they engage in secret persecutions! Those who cannot even hold to their own standards of 'love' have so judged themselves by the same.

If you have suffered these things for Christ, or have suffered the knowledge or revelation of it, do not grieve for too long over what might have been. Pray for His sheep and thank Him for His mercy. God loves His sheep and in His mercy He will bless them. This depends on Him and not on any corrupt leaders. However, He also loves His sheep enough to rescue them away from these same corrupt leaders (Ezek. 34:11-12). Therefore, when these unBiblical agendas are riled up and exposed, and when there is no repentance, this only serves to rescue you by confronting you with the truth. Even by 'persecution' you are rescued, if you are faithful to Him! Certainly it is not wise to put up with these abusive leaders (2 Corinth. 11:13-20).
 

SPIRITUAL PRIDE AND EXCLUSIVISM

Any individual, 'movement', organization, or fellowship can fall into spiritual pride. And how is spiritual pride incubated? By refusing loving concern and appropriate Christian challenge, and by refusing to compare oneself (judge oneself) or answer to the Biblical standard. There is nothing productive about either pridefully shutting out challenge or engaging in unfounded counterattacks. Either one will defeat the best of intentions.

IAs one begins to define themselves by their group and not as simply brothers and sisters in Christ, it is so easy for spiritual pride to be found under the new 'banner.'  This is because any group definition other than being in Christ makes it easy to presume those in the group are at least a little more superior than those outside of it. Outsiders then become less 'qualified' to render evaluation, which leads to an inability to accept examination from these same outsiders. It always easier to spend more time examining others on the 'outside' of the group, then to spend time examining themselves as either an individual or a group. Also, hyper-defensiveness against 'outside' evaluation defines the group more tightly and gives a sense of unity. Those who grow comfortable in this protective shell of group beliefs become less and less discerning, even as the group beliefs begin to change into something foreign to them. Anyone or any work that comes under their 'banner' becomes acceptable, merely because they belong to the right label. Conversely, those on the 'outside' become unacceptable, merely because they are on the outside. This occurs under the 'renewalist' banner as well as under the 'anti-renewalist' banner, as each group defines and resists the other.

Since denominations are the unfortunate results of group divisions, we have proven to ourselves how much we can define and function on the basis of opposition to anything 'outside' of ourselves. For instance, anti-Charismatics might object to anything that reminds them in the least of Pentecostalism or healing evangelists, even if it is just a style of worship; Cessationalists might find cause to reject over half the 'equippers' mentioned in Eph. 4: 11 (i.e., evangelism and teacher/pastors are accepted for today, but prophecy and apostolic-type gifts would not be)

Granted, the reader may think that I am slanted toward tolerance of Pentecostals because they as well as the Southern Baptists ministered to me in very important ways while I was young (talk about 'opposite' ends of the continuum!). Go ahead and say I am too tolerant, but at least admit that some 'critics,' due to their own biases, are more intolerant than I could ever be tolerant. Prejudices can and do influence actions, and is a fruit of pride too. We are foolish to think that everyone is above that.

"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us." (Mark 9:38-40)

We can sometimes object because someone is 'not one of us,' and really for no other reason than that. That is why Jesus brought the disciples up short for opposing what they should have left alone. If they had not remained peaceable toward the man driving out demons in His name, they could resist God's will in the matter.

On the other hand, the most ugly of 'Charismatic' or 'Pentecostal' pride is this: A little power means we are blessed by God, which means we are doing something more right than you. Furthermore, what we are doing and believing is okay and our power is pure and OF GOD, which means (by golly) if you dare question us, you resist and oppose GOD HIMSELF. Now, don't you know we are better than all those Bible-thumping Pharisees, for we have the WHOLE (full) gospel AND God's favor besides?

Whenever anyone has decided that they or their organizations are somehow 'superior' because of 'manifestations,' spiritual gifts, powerful meetings, or prophetic prowess –either one, they are in a rerun of the same power-based Pentecostal-type arrogance that turned off many conservative believers decades ago. In the end, they are not listening because of their arrogance, and the offended are not listening because of the arrogance held up against them. Indeed, with this type of spiritual pride we could argue all day about how much of the 'renewal' was truly of God and how much wasn't, but what does it matter if no one is listening except those who agree with us?

Those who believe in the spiritual gifts or spiritual power are not doomed to spiritual pride, however. A little listening to the people God sends to us—even our 'critics'--- could go a long way toward establishing for us that we do not have a corner on Truth. Retrenching into various defense mechanisms will not help us stay in humility. If we cannot concede some ground to our 'critics,' we can agree to disagree peaceably. If we must reprove or rebuke because of the Word of God, we could do so accurately.

© Copyright 2000  by Teri Lee Earl All Rights Reserved