Posted on 02/20/2014 5:24:30 PM PST by Gamecock
A baptism manual produced by Pastor Steven Furtick's popular Elevation Church in North Carolina, which teaches people how to produce "spontaneous" baptisms among the repentant, is being criticized as "emotional manipulation."
The manual, Spontaneous Baptism How-To Guide, was produced by Elevation Church in 2011 and received its first critique in November from James Duncan, a Christian blogger and associate professor of communication at Anderson University who lives in South Carolina.
"As a church we pray Sun Stand Still prayers all the time. We are constantly asking God to do something that seems impossible and then believing that He is going to pull through," explains the introduction to the guide.
"Most recently we prayed and asked God to lead thousands of people to take a public stand in their faith in Christ through baptism. God blew our minds and in two weekends we saw 2,158 respond and be baptized," it continued.
It then explains in very detailed and strategic terms how the church was able to get "this amazing, Sun Stand Still, only-God-can-get-the-glory miracle."
Among the strategies, according to the manual, is to strategically place people in the worship service who will pretend to respond when pastor Furtick gives the call for baptism approximately one hour into the service.
"Fifteen people will sit in the worship experience and be the first ones to move when pastor gives the call. Sit in the auditorium and begin moving forward when pastor Steven says go. Move intentionally through the highest visibility areas and the longest walk," the manual advises.
In a WCNC report on Tuesday Duncan claims that the tactic as dishonest.
"They had people in the crowd stand up who never intended to be baptized," said Duncan. "They were shilling for Steven and the intent was these shills stand up and everybody else follows."
Duncan highlights one of Furtick's baptism calls in his November critique in which Furtick dismisses the notion that his tactics are "emotional manipulation."
"You know God is calling you, and if you feel that in your heart, let me assure you that is the Holy Spirit of God calling you. It is not emotional manipulation. It's the presence of God drawing you and calling you. So in just a moment, I'm going to count to three. When I say 'three,' at every campus I want you to move into the aisles and go to the exit where the ushers are stationed at your campus," said Furtick.
Duncan, however, argued that it is emotional manipulation.
"Perhaps you could classify this as encouragement for a decision already made, not manipulation. You could, though if this were a decision made with confidence and determination, there would be no need to constantly reinforce that decision. Why I classify these as manipulative comes from the very first action, performed just seconds after Furtick's assurance that he wasn't manipulating them," said Duncan, who claims that people are being used as "shills" to start moving toward the front of the church.
Blogger Christopher Smith noted in his recent critique that the tactics being employed in the manual are a reflection of the McDonaldized Christianity many churches are now driving toward.
"Elevation has almost gone so far as to make themselves a caricature of McDonaldized faith, but I hope that – like all good caricatures – we don't just dismiss them as extreme, but rather, see through their story the desires in our own hearts and congregations that are driving us in a similar direction, even if we are not so ridiculous and extreme," said Smith.
The Christian Post reached out to Elevation Church for further comment on this story Thursday but a response was not provided at the time of publication.
What it gets down to is the purity of motive of the pastor. If the pastor’s motive is pure, mistakes will cause little or no harm.
For example, one very powerful mind control technique is to split the males and females into two separate sides of the church. It is done in many religions including Buddhist, Jewish Christian, Hindu, and I am sure many others. Just as Paul mentions that husband and wife become one, the group consciousness becomes one and forces conformity to all who enter the group. The group becomes “One.” The group is then focused upon the leader who steers them in any direction. The direction could be good or bad. The technique works in both directions just as a surgical knife can save lives or take them.
“That’s why the issue for me is dealing honestly and honorably with the inquirers.”
So very true. I prefer to work with people one on one and not in front of a group. I usually know their sin by reading their soul, often when they don’t even know it them-self. The first thing I always say is, “I do not judge you. I am here to help you as your self judgement is already destroying you.” I’m here to help you be free...
Even when in front of a group, I do not disclose what I know. I will often allude to the event by how old they were when it happened in order to help them recover it, but the worst thing I could ever do is to shame them.
The process is one of removing the obstacles to God’s Love in their souls.
It doesn't seem as if "coming forward" is a commitment, but rather only a step toward a confession of faith, baptism, or membership in a church. From that point, it's up to the leadership of the congregation to exercise good will and good judgment.
I think that's what you were saying ...
Yes. The counselor/pastor who receives any person must be sensitive to the words of the person who has come forward. If it's the jailer saying "What must I do to be saved?", then that's one thing. If it's "I want to know more.", then that's another. If it's, "I don't know why I'm here.", then we have a third.
Be honest and honorable. Those should be dealt with differently.
My favorite setting was the "Operation Appreciation" program for Ft Knox basic training soldiers who were invited to Louisville Kentucky. They had an inquirers room separate from the sanctuary. The counselors had time to talk to each of those who had come forward. Sometimes it was about salvation, but a lot of the time it was about lonliness, girlfriends, drill sergeants, or other needs that we'd pray for.
It would have been a lie to pretend all were there for "salvation".
I think many participants in a big event would be looking more for caring than for conversion, at least to begin with.
That was actually his second arrest. He got nailed, also in the UK, for the same thing, but that time the authorities didn’t have the guts to keep him, and just released him after awhile.
Miano also used to work with Ray Comfort of Living Waters ministries, though I think their theology differs a bit. (Comfort might be an Arminian, while Tony is a Calvinist). He’s a retired sheriff and used to preach to the guys in the backseat.
He’s a fantastic preacher, I respect him a lot.
I would not have an issue with it if this was done with full disclosre to the rest of the congregation.
You know, this can also work the other way. Some times in these situation when people see others move forward, they feel pressured to do the same without any sincere motivation to do it. Again, I have seen this happen to people who don’t feel lead to go down to the altar. They are even looked down on for not joining in.
That's a good point, and I need to think about it.
” I usually know their sin by reading their soul, often when they don’t even know it them-self.”
What do you mean by “reading their soul”?
???
Reminds me of the faith healers “healing” those pretending to be sick.
They need to make it plain that these are not people standing to be Baptised but people who are there to make you more comfortable about going forward.
color your pastor wow
When I walk up to total strangers, quite often the Holy Spirit allows me to read their soul in detail from conception on. It’s one of the attributes of being “Born of the Spirit.” It varies quite a bit on clarity between individuals as I try not to ever invade their privacy. But everyone’s thoughts and stored memories are out there like billboards around their physical body. Their thoughts and memories are just there; both physical and tangible just like the human soul. When I walk into their memories, I feel in my body what ever the individual felt when they experienced the original event related to the stored memory. If I allow myself to actually enter the memory, it is as though it is my memory retrieved and experienced. It is as much a curse as a blessing as my sensation includes feeling both physical and emotional pain of others. It must be that the times referred to in Acts 2 by Peter when he quoted the prophet Joel are happening!
Let’s just say, I know “stuff” especially the ballast and anchors that are the obstacles to Love in a person’s soul (sin). If I say a prayer as I reach into the memory it often removes the blockage and sets people free. (It’s not me but my Father working through me.)
These are the same memories that flash before a person and are referred to as the life review when they die (in reverse sequence of life as the human soul spins and acts as a centrifuge storing early childhood memories furthest from the physical body) as consciousness awareness is no longer limited to the physical body. Consciousness expands outward through the same memories that I read. This is what Paul referred to in Hebrews 9:27 as the judgement.
I also feel people’s prayers for me in my body. It’s a warm fuzzy feeling of Love that is unmistakable. One morning I felt this profound prayer and had no idea who was praying for me. When I pulled into the Carmelite Monastery later that morning an old nun whom I had never met greeted me at my car. I immediately recognized her soul as the source of the prayer and thanked her for the prayers she said for me that morning at 7:15 am. She looked at me surprised as she said, “That’s exactly when I said my prayers.” I replied, “Thank you. They were heard.” Out thoughts are real physical objects and we must be careful what we think.
When Jesus sent out the disciples He stated, “The things that I do and more you too shall do in my name.” The Bible is a very true and accurate. Most people just don’t realize it.
That page seems to be at least several years old, someone should update it
counselors, yes. Does the Elevation Church call them that or do they want people to think these are people going forward to be Baptised?
bump
There's your problem right there.
Matthew 12:39
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Sorry, didn’t see your question, but answered the same question for Paulist...
I won't expect a public reply on this forum, but could you respond on Private Message?
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