Media

Toronto, in the early 90′s, was pre-internet, and in the UK at least, pre-Christian TV.  News spread of something that God seemed to be doing by word of mouth, and eventually Christian magazines.  There were no blogs to read of people’s experience or questions.  It wasn’t screened nightly into our living rooms from day 1.  I don’t think I heard about anything until probably around May time in 1994, and the first meeting with Randy Clark in Toronto was Jan 20th that year.  Even then reports were sketchy – something about a meeting at Holy Trinity Brompton, people lying on the floor for ages, people "drunk" in the Spirit.  During a week of mission in August in our church, in the morning prayer times, the Holy Spirit moved powerfully amongst us.  This wasn’t transferred, but broke out spontaneously.

This time allowed people to process what they were hearing over time, assess without being told by one source what to think of it.  It was much more organic.  It gave time for the leaders in the church in Toronto to learn, to have a little theology for what was going on, to get a little more wisdom on how to deflect criticism, steer a middle path between emotionalism and allowing God to move.  Even then there were excesses and mistakes.  My experience of Toronto was still too focused around the manifestations: even though it was said that wasn’t the deal, when people were "zapped in the Spirit" it was still celebrated, betraying what people really thought.

Lakeland, on the other hand, was virtually instantaneous, screened live by God TV and on the internet.  In my opinion, God TV have a lot to answer for, as they effectively became the ones who proclaimed this from the rooftops: this is God – jump in.  It didn’t allow time for people, or for questions, or for process.  They were forcing people to make a choice: are you for this or not?

I can’t imagine the pressures that suddenly hit Todd Bentley and his Fresh Fire ministry.  In the matter of a few days, he was catapulted from a somewhat known itinerant preacher to global superstar in the Christian world.  Just look at these charts.  The first one shows Google searches on "Todd Bentley" over the last few years, and you can clearly see two clear spikes: one when Lakeland was growing in prominence, the other when news hit about his moral failure.  They show that searches were 14 times the average over the last 5 years.

This chart  (on the left) shows the increase of blogs about Todd Bentley as recorded by Technorati.  Again it is easy to see the huge spike in interest and attention in Todd.

In the end, the failing of Todd to live faithfully to his wife, has had a greater impact on the body of Christ due to the prominence he had ‘achieved’ over the last few months.  If Lakeland hadn’t happened, I doubt it would have registered a hit on Christian radar.

For that, I think that GodTV do have real responsibility.  Not for Todd choices.  But for the pressure that he was put under.  For not allowing Lakeland to grow slowly or fizzle out.  For promoting something, and then not taking responsibility for the leadership they brought to the worldwide body of Christ.

What would have happened if Lakeland hadn’t been broadcast on the internet and TV’s?  Is it possible that some help could have been brought to Todd without such a public failure?  Could some of the theology been sorted?  Might there have been a greater discernment about what God was doing, and what was excess?

We will never know.  All I know is that wouldn’t want to have been put in the place that Todd found himself.  And if I found myself in the midst of a move of God, I wouldn’t be getting in contact with GodTV.   Unless my flesh had its own way…

Wham, Bam or Rising Tide

Todd Bentley’s trademark cry of "Bam" was the phrase of Lakeland.  But it also probably symbolises Lakeland for me. Loud, quickly here, in our lives, on our screens, in our faces.  Then suddenly gone, dropped by the TV schedulers, quicker than you can say ‘thank you ma’am’!  From what I have heard, in both Lakeland, and the UK hot-spot of Dudley, people were prayed for, many fell over, were allowed to stay on the floor for a few seconds, and then were hauled to their feet, so someone else could have their floor space.

Toronto on the other hand, actively encouraged people to stay on the floor.  For the leaders of that movement, it was what the Holy Spirit did while you lying on the floor, soaking in His presence, that was more important.  In some meetings, they even started with people lying down, bringing cushions to make themselves comfortable, to spend a couple of hours "soaking".  There were phrases such as "marinating" in the Spirit, an expectation that we could receive more, as we lingered.  Although, I think there was sometimes too much made of the manifestations, there was an emphasis on the internal, a renovation and healing of the heart.

All of this could simply be stylistic differences, but I would suggest there is something more fundamental at work here.  Toronto was a renewal, reviving the church, back to a love and intimacy with God.  There was impartation and physical healing, but these were always secondary.  Ezekiel 47, the rising river of God, was a key passage.  The need for individuals to keep coming back to that river, to be refreshed and healed, enabled Toronto to have a longevity, that Lakeland hasn’t had.

And there is the rub.  I am in this for the long haul.  I am not interested in burning bright for a while, and then burning out.  I want to run the whole race, not a 100m dash.  There are moments, of course, where we powerfully encounter God.  But they are in the context of a lifetime journey of walking with God.  Character & renovation of the heart don’t come in a few seconds on the floor, but as we live our lives with God; as we work and live with people who are different to us; as we learn to love and be loved.  Wham, Bam might be exciting, but it is hardly ever sustained.

Next time:

Media

Toronto, in the early 90′s, was pre-internet, and in the UK at least, pre-Christian TV…

There has been much written about Lakeland. In the UK there has been a lot of stuff said, much of it either uncritically positive or critically negative.  There have been a few articles that I have read (and many I am sure I haven’t) that offer something a little more reflective and nuanced.  Two reviews, from people that I respect are  Terry Virgo’s review and Part 2 (NFI) and Billy Kennedy’s thoughts (New Community, Southampton).  Another highly respected church leader, Paul Reid from CFC in Belfast, has weighed in recently with a more negative slant in a couple of posts here and here.  One of the UK bloggers who has made the most sense is Peter Kirk, of Gentle Wisdom.  He has been pretty positive, but thoughtfully so, and his posts are really well researched.  In addition, Joel Edwards the then General Director of the Evangelical Alliance has some helpful principles to evaluate any move of God.

Many of the big names in the US charismatic scene have all made statements: Peter & Doris Wagner (as quoted on Gentle Wisdom), Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson, John Arnott, & Che Ahn.  I have linked before to Lee Grady’s (editor of Charisma) response.

When looking back at a positive event, it is easy to forget some of the negative aspects.  However, as I recall Toronto I found it a predominantly positive experience.  I know there were some problems (which I hope to come to and the end of the series), but through that "move of the Spirit" I had some profound encounters with God.  Personal emotional healing, refreshing and a profound sense of calling with continues to today.  I didn’t rush off to Toronto itself, but went there twice in 2001 & 2003  (the first visit in particular, came a particularly difficult time in my life, and was a life saver) but in the Summer & Autumn of 1994 I was enthusiastically embracing the "river" that was flowing here in Edinburgh.

The Lakeland outpouring, on the other hand, I found much harder to evaluate.  I didn’t have a personal experience of Lakeland, except what I saw on GodTV.  It also seemed to divide Christian opinion even more than Toronto.  It appeared that lots of people rushed to proclaim this was a significant move of God (or not) and a call to others to come out in favour or against it.  I believe in a God who hates suffering, and loves to heal (while I acknowledge that He often (mostly?) doesn’t insulate or deliver us from suffering), but found myself unconvinced by much of what I saw.  I didn’t think it was evil or bad, I just wasn’t convinced about all the hype surrounding it.

So what was the difference between the two?

Wham, Bam or Rising Tide

Bentley’s trademark cry of "Bam" was the phrase of Lakeland…

…and for the rest, you will have to wait for the next post…!