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.
“When the head of a household led in conversion, it was genuine.”
Many heads of households are deceived by satan. I can take these same men who feel in control of their lives and lead them through the false experience. The only way a person is not vulnerable is if they have already surrendered to God and hold on tight to their relationship.
Sometimes satan will use the Light of God to deceive folks by getting so close to God that people cannot tell the two apart and they end up following the wrong path, while the entire time they think that they are following God.
So Billy Graham was a faker, too?
That’s sad to hear.
“Baptism is not to be trifled with.”
Very true. But so often we wash the dirt off ourselves only to become dirty again. We must constantly wash ourselves again and again, daily until we are “Baptized by the Spirit.” Only that baptism will clean the soul as the water is somewhat limited to cleaning the flesh.
I Googled the name Rodney Howard Browne and found this interesting site:
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wolves/greedy.htm
I don’t think he was a faker. I think it was just the obvious time to have the counselors from all the area churches to come forward.
In any group of respondents, you’re going to have some that are real and some that are simply inquiring, and some that aren’t real. The inquirers are probably the biggest group. They are the ones you have to be careful with. Twisting their arms into “praying the sinners prayer” will be pointless without faith and the repentance that comes from actually being confronted by a perfectly holy Jesus.
In this instance, they have to be using counselors, too, and if it’s a “get dunked and get saved”, then they’re misleading inquirers.
That’s the point in the process at which I would have a complaint.
So Billy Graham was a faker, too?
That’s sad to hear.
We all make mistakes and justify them as tools for leading people to God. I’ve been in front of groups when things are not working the way I am expecting them to and feel as though I am going to look like a fool and failure. It is at that time that I explain that if things are not going well it is me in God’s way, if they are going well, it is God. The temptation to imitate the process and fool people in order to save face is a constant threat to following the path.
God likes a flat organizational chart. Everyone is to have their own direct connection to the boss through His Son and never through another human being. Just as death is an individual experience, so is “Being born of the Spirit.”
In a similar vein, I hesitate to respond or even form an opinion on stories like this, until I see what FRiend xzins has to say.
Thank you for your kind words. Please see #25 also.
I think those are excellent observations in #25. This type of church - and Billy Graham crusades, for that matter - are not my religious milieu. (Except when I get with the Mexican Charismatics, I’m quite stodgy ;-).
I can confidently expect that your comments will be well-thought-out, informative, and show respect for others.
Oh come now Chappy!
Conversions in the Book of Acts were brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit. If you go to the original source of this article you will see documents that quite clearly explain how to manipulate people.
Apples vs. Oranges
See #25.
Definite sign of a CULT.
Indeed. I wouldn’t even be aware of Steven Furtick if it weren’t for Chris Rosebrough at piratechristianradio.com. He’s had Furtick’s number for a while. Chris sent out a tweet about the coloring book a few days ago. I’m continually shocked that people allow themselves to sit under the ministries of men like Furtick, Perry Noble, and Ed Young. Where’s the discernment?
Seems dishonest to me.
Excellent response. These techniques are pretty obvious in the penecostal, slain in the spirit scenarios. I have seen people go down just by being pointed at. Then I’ve seen people who won’t go down at all when they are nearly forced by the Pastor. Very embarassing.
This is as bad as the “snake pastor” who died from a snake bite.
See #25. I don’t think the point at which they come forward is the point at which any dishonesty happens. If someone else moving forward helps them overcome embarrassment or stubbornness or whatever, that is pretty much OK by me.
I don’t really see how it’s different than my encouraging them not to be embarrassed.
And of course as a Reformed Christian we don’t put much stock in walking the aisle to make a profession. Nor are we aline in that. Why? For the very reasons we see in this thread. Sure there are some number of true converts, but those who are coming forward our of peer pressure may be coming down the aisle for that reason alone.
That's why the issue for me is dealing honestly and honorably with the inquirers.
I purposely do not mention specific denominations as I do not want to create an adversary relationship where people’s minds become closed and discount what I say as attacking them or their faith. I would much sooner they learn the concept and then apply it to where ever they are at and grow individually.
These techniques happen in virtually every denomination as it is more based upon the individual skills of the pastor than the belief system. However some denominations have built their beliefs around the techniques.
Note: Being legalistic in our beliefs does not protect us from being vulnerable. Only our Loving relationship with God protects us.
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