Martyn Wendell Jones: Inside the Popular, Controversial Bethel Church

Martyn Wendell Jones, “Kingdom Come in California?” Christianity Today (May 2016).

Describing himself as a curious skeptic, Martyn Wendell Jones set out to find out for himself if what was happening in Redding, California at Bethel Church was indeed a move of God and that revival was taking place.

Jones who attends a Presbyterian (PCA) church in Toronto admits that he has never heard anyone speak or pray in tongues. He also declined prayer for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit when asked by some members of Bethel.

In spite of his background Jones provides a balanced assessment on the ministries of Bethel. He writes that he half-expected to find an organization of hucksters or a community of believers devoted to God. Neither fit his expectations.

In this in-depth article Jones describes in detail the ministries of the church and the people who attend Bethel. Because of this, I believe that readers of his article will have a good idea of what to expect should they decide to visit Bethel.

Bethel was at one time an Assembly of God church affiliating in1954. In 2006, the church voted to become independent. Today, Bethel boasts of a weekly attendance averaging over 8,600 and an operating budget of over $9 million dollars.

Four ministries make-up Bethel: the church itself, iBethel, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM), and Bethel music.

The more than 2,000 students from 57 countries and 45 states at BSSM are trained to become “revivalists”. A description of the courses and interviews with the teachers would have been helpful for the reader of his article to perhaps get a better idea as to what is being taught at BSSM and of the attendees of Bethel.

Jones states that the unifying theme at Bethel is revival.  In fact the walls above the auditorium floor have banners with images of people holding signs that say “I am revival”.

Critics such as evangelical Bart McCurdy of Redding say that at Bethel there is never a call for repentance or faith in Christ. According to him, “It is all about experience and signs and wonders”.

McCurdy says that some Bethel students have been kicked out of some of the local stores for their “erratic behavior”, including a BSSM student who had been trying to prophesy to a customer through their dog.

Phil Johnson, who spoke at a John MacArthur Strange Fire conference, says that Bethel “constitutes a whole different message from biblical Christianity” and that it is “totally devoid of any true and consistent proclamation of the gospel.”

On a positive note, the mayor of Redding estimates that Bethel’s members have saved the city the cost of five full-time jobs annually as a result of their pro bono work. Jones does not elaborate on what those jobs entailed.

Outside of the Bethel community Jones does not comment or interview anyone with a positive word about Bethel.

During his time at Bethel, Jones was able to interview Lead Pastor Bill Johnson and BSSM Dean Dann Farrelly.

Johnson came to Bethel in 1996 to accept the lead pastor position provided that the church support his vision of revival.

Jones’ conversation with Johnson centered on revival, on the five-fold offices of the church found in Ephesians 4:11-12, and the gift of prophecy. The complaint by critics relating to the lack of teachings on repentance was justified. The names of Christ, faith, and repentance were noticeably absent from Johnson’s words.

Farrelly pointed out that the medical community “is also a source of God’s healing grace and is not inferior to a supernatural miracle”.

In spite of this positive statement, Jones also notes some serious abuses such as efforts to raise the dead and “grave sucking”.

Jones writes about an incident that took place in 2008. A hiker had fallen off of a 200-foot cliff. Two BSSM students thought that the man had died and for several hours they tried to reach him in order to pray him back to life. They didn’t call emergency services until the next day. The man was rescued but is now paralyzed.

He also speaks of a disturbing practice that Bill Johnson’s wife Beni, and other Bethel leaders participated in, a practice known as “grave sucking” or “grave soaking”. A person would lie atop the grave of a Christian in the hope of receiving their spiritual anointing.

Although the environment at Bethel was foreign to Jones he did allow members to pray and prophesy over him. And he prayed over people, which showed his openness to the people and their beliefs.

I thought that Jones, although perhaps negative, was fair in his assessment of Bethel. He goes into great detail as to what happens during a typical service: praying and prophesying over one another, both during and after the service, as well as the excitement that takes place during worship.

Yet, Jones was relieved when his visit came to a close. He writes, “When I am halfway to Sacramento in the middle of the night, I realize that I am excited to get home, because I can’t wait to go to church.”

Reviewed by Larry Russi

 

Read the full article: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/may/cover-story-inside-popular-controversial-bethel-church.html