A History of the Charismatic Movements

Transcript - CH510 A History of the Charismatic Movements © 2019 Our Daily Bread University. All rights reserved.

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LESSON 22 of 24CH510

The Vineyard Movement, Part 2

A History of the Charismatic Movements

We continue our discussion now of the Vineyard movement, sometimes called Signs and wonders, sometimes called power evangelism or power encounter, also called the third wave with its connection, as we have already articulated, between the first and second waves of classical Pentecostalism and renewalism. What we have done in our description of the Vineyard movement is first talk about the meaning of the movement in its terms. And then we cited the life of Dr. John Wimber as a background or way of describing the movement, as well as C. Peter Wagner.

At the end of our last tape, we began to cite some of the fundamental rudimentary assumptions within the movement. And we have cited two. I’d like to add a third as we begin the lecture today. The first assumption is that Western Christianity particularly and certainly evangelicalism in America today is suffering from the blight of the Enlightenment, from skepticism, from a denial of the miraculous, from a denial of the intervention of God that often leads church worship services that are more routine and bland than truly and profoundly a meeting of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The second assumption in the movement is that the kingdom of God is here today. He finds much of his data from his reading of George Ladd. Though had we time to describe how he uses Dr. Ladd, he at times says more of George Ladd than George Ladd himself says. But that’s not our point in this general survey.

And since the kingdom of God is now present, the power of the Holy Spirit in miraculous gifts, healing, signs, wonders should be normative for the church today as well. So there’s an assumption about materialism and the Enlightenment as it impacts the churches. Second, that the kingdom is present, so we are in the past. We are in the future. The signs done in the first century should be done today. And the third assumption really is an articulation of somewhat that I have said, and that is this, that as Christ performed miracles to demonstrate and authenticate His message, so Christ’s ambassadors today.

John D. Hannah, PhD Experience: Distinguished Professor of

Historical Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary

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This is the essence of power evangelism or power encounters. Hence we are living in the age of the apostles with the full and complete operation of all the spiritual gifts, all the grace gifts. Wimber says, “By its very nature and assumptions, programmatic evangelism tends to have as its goal decisions for Christ not disciples. Many people who make these decisions do not encounter God’s power, thus frequently do not move on to a mature faith.”

So power encounter facilitates coming to Christ, but it also facilitates maturity in Christ. Because there is something inadequate about their conversion experience, later growth for many is retarded. In programmatic evangelism, Christians witness to everyone they meet in obedience to the general command of Scripture to go and make disciples. In power evangelism, the same command is obeyed only differently. Each evangelism experience is initiated by the Holy Spirit for a specific place, time, people, or group. Instead of indiscriminately spreading the message and depending on a preprogrammed message, those practicing power evangelism depend on the immediate illumination of the Holy Spirit to give pertinent information for each encounter.

In programmatic evangelism, the Christian says, “In obedience I go. Holy Spirit, bless me.” In power evangelism, the Christian says “As the Holy Spirit tells me to go, I go.” In programmatic evangelism, Christians might be fearful as they speak, but they are not unsure about what they are going to say before they open their mouths. In power evangelism, Christians are unconsciously under Christ’s commission and control. Those seem to be, although you could expand it in many directions, the fundamental assumptions of the movement. One is that the church today is blighted by not entering into the power of the Spirit; two, the kingdom of God is present today; and three, we should enter into power evangelism as opposed to programmatic, rationalistic evangelism that so often takes place.

So first we have said something about the meaning of the movement, the leaders of the movement, principally Dr. Wagner and Dr. Wimber, and the three fundamental assumptions of the movement. Now what I’d like to do for a few moments before I turn to my last subtopic is to take up the issue of the distinctives of the Vineyard movement. What are the specific ecclesiastical distinctives of the Vineyard movement today? And I think there are five of them. The unfolding history of the Vineyard movement has yielded an eclectic ecclesiastical expression which reflects a theology, pastoral ministry, business experience, and personal

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The Vineyard Movement, Part 2

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instincts of John Wimber. There is also connection between the Vineyard movement and the other renewal movements within evangelicalism during the recent decade. Earlier emphases include the priority of biblical preaching, the enablement and release of lay ministry, the cultivation of body life as each believer encourages maturity in the church body by the experience of the spiritual gifts.

Dr. Wimber calls for a second reformation that recovers the works of Jesus as the first Reformation recovered the Word of God as a distinct application of his church renewal thrust that makes observable spiritual power the key dynamic while others have caused ripples in the body of Christ with their books and lectures. Dr. Wimber’s views of the church and his aggressive application of that concept through the expansion of the Association of Vineyard Churches have brought international recognition as well as intense response from those who do not share his views. What I will seek to do is accurately portray the five major elements which mark the Vineyard movement as a distinctive church movement. These characteristics form a matrix for understanding the dynamics of the Vineyard movement. They include ecumenical commitment, evangelical heritage, Pentecostal practices, episcopal structures, and church growth strategies.

First, ecumenical commitment, using it in a very positive and good sense, Dr. Wimber longs for Christian unity. He concludes the introduction of his book Power Evangelism with these words:

Though I write about power evangelism, the most powerful evangelism will come only when Jesus’ prayer for Christian unity is fulfilled. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved Me even as I have loved You. I pray that when I write about power evangelism, we will contribute to that unity.

Unity in Christ’s body is also presented as the foundational value of the Vineyard churches. He says, “We value unity. We are convinced that all who belong to Christ are one in His body, the church. We aim to maintain unity by honoring all who call on Jesus’ name by seeking reconciliation with all parts of the church.” In line with this desire for unity, Wimber has sought to develop relationships with Anglicans such as David Watson, with Roman Catholics such as Francis MacNutt, and with evangelicals such as Wayne Grudem and Jack Deere, who have subsequently identified with the Vineyard movement, that is, the latter two evangelicals.

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He also seeks to build understanding with pastors through private meetings during conferences and so forth. So there is a stress in the movement upon the unity of the church.

Dr. Wimber affirms the historic orthodox creeds in the doctrinal statements of the Vineyard movement. A recent publication of Power Points, a more recent book, reflects Wimber’s desire to affirm the deity and humanity of Christ and the authority and substitutionary atonement of Christ. Though not a theologian, Wimber’s books have drawn upon the theological expertise of others to present an essentially charismatic application of orthodoxy. While affirming the basic orthodox creed, especially in Power Points, Dr. Wimber’s more effective approach to unity has focused on developing relationships strengthened by spiritual experiences rather than doctrinal harmony. His emphasis on affirmation and love is prominent in his dealing with Roman Catholics. In addition to working closely with the Catholic healer, Francis MacNutt, Wimber is emphatic in his aversion to criticizing the Catholic Church. He built ecumenical bridges by writing articles such as “Why I Love Mary” for the Catholic charismatic renewal magazine New Covenant. His articles speak primarily of Mary’s faith and humility, avoiding any direct dealings with the Mariology that is so significant for many Catholics. So there is a stress in his movement upon broad-based theological unity within and without historic Protestant orthodoxy.

The second characteristic of the Vineyard movement is its evangelical heritage. John Wimber trusted Christ through the ministry of a small group Bible study associated with the Yorba Linda Friends Church, a Quaker church, as we have said, in 1962. This was an evangelical church with strong emphases on personal evangelism and small group ministry. Wimber’s description of his personal ministry in the first seven years as a believer is astonishing. During the early 1970s, he joined the pastoral staff of his church and graduated from Azusa Pacific University. After a spiritual burnout in parish ministry, Wimber became a consultant for the Fuller Evangelistic Association in 1975. John Wimber and the Vineyard movement have strong emphases on a personal relationship with Christ and the gospel.

A second distinctive of evangelicalism is the priority of God’s Word. Wimber’s first book and early tapes led to a controversy concerning his views of the Holy Scriptures. His attempt to express the relationship of experience and biblical revelation had been criticized.

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His interpretation of specific Scriptures to support his views has sometimes also led to strong reaction among some evangelicals. Wimber has affirmed the Scriptures as the criteria for judging our experiences. However, a wide range of evangelical writers have perceived inconsistencies between Wimber’s pronouncements and his practice, especially in his earlier books and conferences. Critical responses to Dr. Wimber’s teaching and practice, though sometimes marred by open hostility, often reflect genuine concern. They have come from Anglicans, Mennonite brethren, Baptists, and a range of other evangelicals. The polarizing effect of these criticisms has led to a vigorous defense of the Vineyard by such evangelicals as Wayne Grudem and John White. The motives of the critics are ultimately known only unto God. However, Wimber’s contention that critics are obligated to personally clarify their concerns with him before criticizing his published works seems unreasonable since the impact of his teaching ministry is public, not a private matter.

So, one characteristic of the Vineyard movement and Dr. Wimber is unity of the body of the Savior. The second is attachment to historic orthodoxy which is seemingly not doubted in his belief of the Scriptures and so forth. A third characteristic of the movement as a whole is what I would call certain Pentecostal practices. The Vineyard movement candidly affirms its desire to wed evangelical theology and Pentecostal practices. The previous section that I noted, noted the mixed response of evangelicalism to Dr. Wimber’s theology. It should be noted that few have debated the reality of Pentecostal practices in the Vineyard movement. Wimber differs from many Pentecostals by affirming Spirit baptism at the moment of conversion, by denying the necessity of speaking in tongues as an evidence of Spirit baptism, and by rejecting the teaching that physical healing in this life is an essential aspect of Christ’s atoning death.

Yet there is significant evidence that the Vineyard movement’s practices are harmonious with much of what occurs in Pentecostalism. The most obvious association with Pentecostalism is Wimber’s affirmation of spiritual gifts such as tongues, healing, prophecy, and miracles as normative for believers today. Dr. Wimber’s understanding of 1 Corinthians 12 to 14 focuses on corporate purpose and distribution. While certain individuals may have specific gifts over extended periods, Wimber contends that additional gifts may be given to a person on a special occasion. The corporate theme allows Wimber to view the question, Do all speak in tongues?

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The Vineyard Movement, Part 2

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As a warning against the chaos of all speaking in tongues at once in the worship gathering. However, when he considers Paul’s exhortation to desire the greater gifts at the end of 1 Corinthians 12, Wimber focuses on individual, not corporate, fellowship desiring spiritual gifts.

While Wimber is careful to reject theological necessity of speaking in tongues, key followers are less guarded. Brent Rue, a leading Vineyard pastor and speaker, made the following statement in a workshop on prophetic gifts: “If you don’t pray in tongues, you are missing something.” Steve Sjogren, a Vineyard pastor in Cincinnati, concurs, and I quote: “If you don’t speak in tongues, then seek this practical, wonderful gift.” Tongues is clearly seen as one of the greater gifts, though Paul lists it last and warns of its limited value in 1 Corinthians 14.

A second factor that associates the Vineyard movement with Pentecostalism is the affirmation of physical phenomena as spiritually significant. Wimber is careful in his writings to caution against an absolute connection between physical sensations and healing. He acknowledges that physical manifestations such as quivering and falling are not necessarily accompaniments of the Spirit’s action. The value given to spiritual expression can be seen in a third characteristic which conforms to the Vineyard’s commitment to Pentecostal practice. The Vineyard is committed to enthusiastic worship where people are free to express their love for God with singing and physical demonstrations for a period of about forty-five minutes. There is a clear cultural connection with Pentecostalism in the Vineyard’s demonstrative style of worship. Though this style may continue to be identified with Pentecostalism, the substance of the celebration in reflection, often based directly on Scripture, may prove to be the most positive contribution of the Vineyard movement to the broader body of Christ, which is utilizing music developed from the Vineyard movement.

So the characteristics of the Vineyard movement as a whole are first, a stress on ecumenicity breaching Catholic, even Protestant barriers. Second, there is a stress on evangelical heritage that we all share. Third, there is a stress upon Pentecostal practices and assumptions. The fourth characteristic of the Vineyard movement is its episcopal or hierarchical structures. It’s very top-heavy. And what I’m trying to say at this point is that Dr. Wimber is the top of the organization.

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He is the central power figure, and power flows down from him. He’s sort of a dominant bishop, titular head, however you would call that. As a former rock and roll musician, John Wimber has been described as a rotund “lovable teddy bear with a cool, humorous, fatherly style.” Yet Wimber is the unquestioned leader of the Association of Vineyard Churches. The ecclesiastical structure of the Vineyard movement is best described as episcopal on the basis of their view of authority and their commitment to geographic organization. By episcopal, I mean simply that it’s hierarchical. It’s from the top down. It’s ruled by bishops or ruled by authority figures. And the further down you go in the administrative chart, the less authority is there.

In the early church, episcopal church government developed as the church sought to grapple with the transition of authority from the apostles to the next generation. Though the New Testament speaks of bishops and elders interchangeably, the desire for clearly defined authority led to the early and practically universal adoption of episcopal government, where the bishop exercised authority and continuity with apostolic authority. Though Wimber makes no attempt to connect the Vineyard practice to early church history, his role as the leader of the Vineyard is clear. There have been periods when other men were listed as co-pastors, but church growth studies on the Anaheim Vineyard done by students at Fuller Theological Seminary reach a consistent conclusion. Whatever the process may be or the titles given, “it is clear that John Wimber is the leader.”

Another report states, “Since the church is not congregational in government and the board of the church exists solely for legal purposes meeting once a year with John Wimber as president, the importance of the pastor to the church’s growth is maximum. In a recent positive assessment of the Vineyard movement’s growth, the following conclusion is drawn. No one doubts Wimber’s authority in this movement. Richard Calquan, pastor of the children’s ministry in Anaheim, says, “He doesn’t really have a title. But John is more like an apostle or a bishop. Wimber seems himself as the pastor’s pastor.” He has established a pattern where each Vineyard pastor is encouraged to lead with a philosophy of church administration that is primarily autocratic though relying on the Holy Spirit in a plurality of counsel and ministry. The job description of the pastor in the bylaws of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Southwest dated July 11, 1987, states that the pastor as president appoints all officers of the corporation with replacement of officers requiring ratification by the board of directors.

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Each Vineyard fellowship is self-governing with a pastor as the key authority. The need for spiritual leadership is clear. While affirming servant leadership, personal humility, and relational accountability, Wimber’s system provides little structural protection against an ego-driven pastor. The system may be efficient. It can be effective if the pastor seeks and responds to personal accountability. However, it also has sobering potential for abuse.

A second mark is seen in the commitment to regional development under the guidance of an overall leader who works with regional leaders to encourage and guide local ministries. Wimber perceives himself as a bishop to all the Vineyard churches. As an association, the AVC has spiritual authority over local fellowships. It is a voluntary relationship with a certificate of affiliation similar to a business franchise. The requirements for affiliation include acceptance of the AVC statement of faith, adoption of the standards of membership, having a minimum active adult membership of eighty, adoption of a constitution and bylaws compatible with regional and national recommendation, and financial support for a pastor credentialed by the AVC. The church is expected to support the national and regional work with their time, energy, and money, though no specifics are given.

A plan for enlarging the association has been developed according to geographic regions. The AVC grew from 55 churches in six regions in the fall of 1984 to 233 churches in seven regions in 1988, then to eight regions and approximately 290 churches in 1991. National conferences sponsored by Vineyard Ministries International and church planning seminars in each region have been viewed as context for identifying church planters. There is also a strong emphasis on adopting existing churches. The Vineyard movement has an unofficial but recognized bishop in John Wimber. It has geographic structure with clear lines of authority through regional and area directors. Though the atmosphere of Vineyard churches is informal, the structures of church government are very familiar or similar to the Anglican churches in England and Australia, where Dr. Wimber has received significant support.

A final characteristic of the Vineyard movement is its church growth strategies. One of the most formative experiences in John Wimber’s pilgrimage was the four years he worked as a church growth consultant with the Fuller Evangelistic Association. He honed his ability to develop strategies for church growth.

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He was especially impressed by the international growth of Pentecostal churches and eventually determined to apply the principles of church growth and the practices of Pentecostalism to a local church ministry in America.

One of the evidences of Wimber’s commitment to church growth strategies is a five-year plan executed from 1985 to 1990 developed by Dr. Wimber and his staff for the Anaheim Vineyard Fellowship. The plan focuses on a “select group of people that desire an alternative church style.” It openly targets believers who do not belong but who reject institutionalism. The purpose is clarified as we exist to glorify God by loving Him, worshiping Him, serving Him, and obeying Him. The plan focuses on Vineyard priorities of worship, fellowship, evangelism, social concern, training, and sending. The strategy involves utilizing the resources of the Anaheim Vineyard to grow to eight thousand adults, two thousand children, with 70 percent of the adults in kinship or Bible study groups. The plan was conceived utilizing principles of church growth such as accurate measurement, a specific focus on a clear, contextualized message, emphasis on friends winning friends and relatives, setting specific goals, and enlisting the laity in purposeful evangelism.

Last, and we may begin to do this now but continuing even into the next tape, a bit of evaluation of the assumptions of and directions of the Vineyard movement. What I have tried to do on this tape and the previous one is first talk about the meaning of the movement and its terms; second, its leader focusing on Dr. Wimber; and third, its fundamental assumptions (and there were three of them) and then the five fundamental characteristics as I see them of the Vineyard movement as a whole from unity to church growth strategies. And what I would like to do now in the few moments that I have on this tape is to think about an evaluation of the movement from those who have looked at the Vineyard movement from outside of it.

First, let’s go back to Dr. Wimber’s three basic assumptions and look at what he says and then try to determine how people have evaluated what his basic assumptions are. The first of his basic assumptions was that Christians have bought into an Enlightenment worldview. I find personally that this thesis is quite valid, though sometimes the deductions derived from this proposition are invalid. For instance, while the discussion is interesting, Dr. Wimber does not define the term “rationalism.” As Grant Wacker says in an article in Reformed Journal,

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“Wimber’s claims about the usefulness of signs and wonders is so raw, so unvarnished, one can hardly tell where pragmatism ends and manipulation begins.” Not only does he fail to take pragmatism into account in defining our current worldview, but also he fails to take into account another factor of it, existentialism. He seems to have a manipulated, sometimes truncated, definition of the constituents of our worldview. In other words, he tends to say that the Christian churches have bought into a mechanical barrenness. But he doesn’t seem to take into account the fact that the Vineyard movement seems to be characterized by other features of the Enlightenment such as rationalism and existentialism, which seem to be just as potentially dangerous as barren rationalism. So it would seem to me that perhaps it’s not either or, but there are insights to be gained more broadly.

Third, related to this is an apparent contradiction in the argument of Power Evangelism. if miracles destroy unbelief, why change one world’s view? Grant Wacker, commentating on an evaluation of Power Evangelism, says this:

The book is rooted in a contradiction. On the one hand, Dr. Wimber insists that we must strip away our modern, secular assumptions about what is possible and not possible so that we may be able to recognize God’s wonder-working power when we see it. On the other hand, Dr. Wimber repeatedly asserts that the purpose of signs and wonders is to remove any system or force that must be overcome for the gospel to be believed. Either of these assertions is arguable I suppose if taken by itself. But it is difficult to see how they can be defended at the same time. Why try to change our own or another’s worldview if miracles automatically destroy unbelief? Differently stated, are miracles dependent upon having the right kind of worldview?

In that sense, I would agree with Dr. Wacker. It would seem to me that God performs miracles regardless of one’s worldview. And while I would grant that many in Christianity have bought into a precarious, barren rationalism, it’s not true of the entire church. And I don’t think of course that Dr. Wimber would have us say that. So when I look at his first assumption, meaning that the Christian church has entered into a barren rationalism, I find it to contain partially helpful information but partially distorted information. Rationalism to me is dangerous when left alone, but so is pragmatism and so is existentialism when separated from a careful study of the Holy Scriptures.

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The second assumption that he has within his movement is this assumption, as we have already said, that the kingdom is present today, that Christ’s ministry was the power evangelism, and that we are living in the age of the apostles, meaning that we are living in the day of the continuation of all the grace gifts. In other words, Dr. Wimber believes that there is a now and not yet emphasis concerning the kingdom which I don’t think most evangelicals who are non-charismatic would disagree with. I think where the point of disagreement would come perhaps would be in his application of the present form of the kingdom. What he is saying, I think, is that as Christ performed miracles, as the apostles performed miracles, as this century is the same as the first century, we should be in a very active ministry of miracle working. My response to that second assumption goes something like this, and to it I have several points.

First, Christ’s ministry seems to me that it was not one of confirmation or demonstration but of self-revelation. Fuller Seminary, after discontinuing MC510, defended their actions by stating in a book edited by Lewis Smedes called Miracles and the Miraculous:

Miracles do not occur evenly throughout the course of salvation history as recounted in Scripture. They come in batches at times selected by God: the exodus, the wilderness wanderings, the crucial days of Elijah and Elisha when the purity of Israel’s worship was at stake, the introduction of the kingdom in the life and ministry of Jesus, and the expansion of the church and the stories of Acts. The theological conclusion to be drawn from the Bible’s use of the miraculous seems clear. The primary motive for divine healing is not compassion. It’s not encounter but revelation. It’s disclosure.

Or again, the Smedes report notes,

We should note first that in the biblical context, signs and wonders have a specific connotation. There is a categorical uniqueness about them. They have a narrow though radically important function within a narrow though redemptively crucial history. They signal not just anything that surprises and awes us but God’s decisive actions for the salvation of the world. They are signals that the kingdom is drawing near. They are harbingers of the advent of Christ. The phrase “signs and wonders” is biblical language for the

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revelatory events of a salvation history that had its climax in the incarnation, death, resurrection and advent of the Spirit leading to the birth of the Christian church. Second, after the resurrection, Jesus gave no mandate to undertake a healing ministry, though in His ministry He was critical of people hankering for signs and wonders.

The Smedes report continues,

Second, after His resurrection, Jesus, according to the most ancient Greek texts, gave no mandate to undertake a healing ministry. He does tell His disciples to teach all nations and to baptize in His name. He does speak of repentance and forgiveness being preached to all nations. He does promise the authority of the Spirit to forgive and retain sins. But He does not reinvest his disciples with a commission to do miraculous healing and resuscitation.

The disciples, as we have noted, performed signs and wonders immediately after Pentecost. They witnessed no doubt to the advent of the Spirit of Christ just as they had witnessed the advent of the Savior. And though as time went on, gifts of healing became subordinate to moral and spiritual transformation, the apostle Paul still mentions them with thanksgiving. True, he stresses even more the sufficiency of grace to bear redemptively with one’s thorns and crosses, but he continues to acknowledge the gifts of healing and prophecy. Indications are then that Jesus’ instructions to His disciples to prepare His way to the lost sheep of the house of Israel are not the same as the instructions to His universal church. The disciples’ mandate to heal the sick and raise the dead is not necessarily equivalent to the church’s mandate.

Third, the New Testament is silent on the issue of public healing services. A miracle is not a sign that God, who is usually absent, is for the moment present. It is only a sign that God, who is always present in creative power, is working here and now in unusual or unfamiliar style. Fourth, the practice of grace gifts today needs qualification. Since all the gifts are for today, Dr. Wimber says,

Once I accepted the fact that all the spiritual gifts are for today, I found a key for effective evangelism combining the proclamation with the demonstration of the gospel. So I say, since all the gifts are for today, there is a potential problem. What about apostleship and revelation?

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If all are operative, where’s the raising of the dead? Are tongues linguistically definable?

We will say more about this in our next tape when we get into the prophets’ ministry. In part they have answered this criticism that I am raising. But again, the Fuller report’s conclusion, and they have five conclusions:

The ministry of the church is continuous with but not identical to the ministry of Jesus and the disciples. Certain parts of the disciples’ work were focused specifically on the coming of Jesus and His Spirit. Two, the power within the church to perform its ministry is the same power given to the disciples in the times of Jesus and the early church. Three, there is reason to doubt that the temporary commission that Jesus gave His disciples in Matthew 10 is a permanent mandate for the churches.

My insight there is to read all the qualifications. And I don’t think we really follow them.

Fourth, prayers for healing are essential to the church’s ministry, though miraculous healing of the sick and the raising of the dead are not indicated as primary features of the church’s public ministry. Fifth, gifts of healing and miracles just as signs of healing and prophecy are part of the life of the body of Christ today and should be used under the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the instruction of Scriptures.

The Smedes report says,

In sum, the church fathers of the second and third century give a clear witness to the early church’s faith in the healing power of the Spirit, in the healing gifts enjoyed by some Christians. There is evidence that though the early church did on occasion sensationalize the miraculous, it did not see it as the central or climactic evidence of the power of God in human life. The miraculous was subordinate to the moral and the healing of bodies to the renewing of lives. And the gift of healing for the moment was accepted in awareness that the follower of the cross might suffer and die as a Christian.

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The Vineyard Movement, Part 2Lesson 22 of 24

And finally, Chantry’s criticism in his article “Powerfully Misleading” is that in Wimber’s movement, the power of the gospel lies in demonstration, not in the gospel itself. That is, that charismatic practices seem to have toppled preaching from its central role in worship. Dr. Chantry says, “Anti-intellectualism is no antidote for cold orthodoxy.” The Fuller report concludes,

The full power of the gospel, said Justin Martyr, was seen in the willingness of Christians to die for Christ. And as for verification of the gospel, the Father saw it in the suffering of Christians more than in physical healing. Church growth, said Tertullian, came from the blood of martyrs as well as the miraculous healings. Pagans could and did compete with Christian miracles. They could not compete with their readiness to die for their faith.

I have been reacting in evaluation of some of the insights and assumptions of the Vineyard movement. In the next tape, for a few moments we will continue this and then go on to the Kansas City Prophets, the prophets’ ministry generally today, and the Toronto revival of laughter.