Bethel Is A Really Weird Church
I originally wrote this as a comment to this article I found about Bethel Church in Redding, California.
UPDATED JANUARY 21, 2010 TO INCLUDE LINKS TO LOCAL REDDING MEDIA COVERAGE OF BETHEL:
- Bethel Church’s Bill Johnson
- Bethel burgeons under pastor’s visions of prosperity
- Faith healings, dead raising teams part of Bethel experience
- Bethel’s ‘signs and wonders’ include angel feathers, gold dust and diamonds
Bill Johnson spoke during a service and addressed these articles – if anyone has a link to that sermon please share it with me so I can put it here too. I think it’s important to hear what he had to say.
Ah, a post on the crazy church in Redding known as Bethel… and a detailed one at that.
First of all, let me paint a little background picture for the record:
I produced porn for 9 years. For the first 3 years of that time I was married and hid it from my now ex-wife, who was devastated when she found out. She found healing at Bethel Church in Redding. She’d tell me things that happened at that church and I’d get angry because it sounded so stupid and ridiculous.
I made fun of her all the time when she’d tell me some of the things the “School of Ministry” students did (she became a 1st year school of ministry student herself). Crazy things happened, supposedly. Like feathers falling from the sky during service…. like the time when the quadriplegic she cared for had her tooth healed (“Donny, I brushed her teeth for her this morning before taking her to church… that gold tooth wasn’t there, I swear to you!”). Like all sorts of other “healings”.
People come from all over the world to attend that church.
Last year I wanted to turn my life over to God and leave porn production. I reached out to Bethel. 4 times. They wouldn’t talk to me. I don’t know why. They wouldn’t return calls. Wendy (my ex) had her sister go directly to leadership and implore them to call me. They didn’t.
I eventually surrendered my life to God on my own. And I decided to check out Bethel.
It’s weird. That’s for sure.
But I felt God there. Very strongly. I decided to follow along on a “treasure hunt” like the one of which you spoke. I was flabbergasted at what happened. I rode along with one of the church’s pastors, in his car, as we drove around Redding. He saw a group of people standing in front of Carl’s Jr and walked up to them. I followed. The people must have thought we were really odd when he said he had “a word” for one woman in the group. He told her that God knew she hadn’t been sleeping well the last few nights and that was all going to stop as of “right now”. He told her other personal things about herself. The whole group started laughing because he was RIGHT ON about everything, including her not sleeping well the last few days.
It was really weird to witness that. I didn’t want to accept it then, and I still don’t now. But I can’t deny it happened.
One night I had a very painful ear ache. In the middle of service it was called out that someone had pain in their ear and God wanted to heal them. I took the chance and stood up. Less than 10 seconds after they started praying, my ear popped and stopped hurting.
It was really weird. But it happened.
I don’t go to that church very often anymore. This past Sunday was the first time in a few months. It weirds me out. I find some of the people odd, and one of their counselors pulled some crap I don’t appreciate at all.
They go way off into la la land on some of their teachings. They talk about things I’ve never heard in church before.
I like facts and am not as into “supernatural” stuff. It doesn’t resolve for me. But after Bethel I sometimes wonder if there’s a whole lot more “supernatural” to God than most of us realize. I wonder if he really does work in more “mysterious ways” than any of us will ever know, or allow ourselves to accept…
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PHOTOS FROM BETHEL CHURCH, THIS PAST SUNDAY:
(taken with my iPhone – click any photo to enlarge it)
Flags in Church? Why not? They used to bother me. Now I really like them. If we can get wild and crazy at sporting events, why not while celebrating our creator? (sent from my iPhone)
Kris Vallotton praying for a man who has cancer.
Kris Vallotton preaching onstage.
A “Mystery Worshipper” reviews Bethel – click here.
@Dalen Muster
Hello,
Just thought I’d add our experiences. My husband and I were there for the school of ministry.We feel like the people there are very sincere and the leadership team really started off on the right track (many years ago and up until recently – listen to Bill’s and Kris’ old sermons). We went there because we were excited about what God was doing there and hungry for more of God in our lives. However, while we were there we saw some things that really disturbed us.
One thing was when one of the Heads of the 2nd year school taught the second year class that they needed to “spend less time with God.” He stated that they needed to be at Bethel, serving and using their time for that, and if they needed to cut something they should cut their time with God. He further stated that he considered his time with his family at home to be his “time with God.” We talked with a close friend and they heard the same thing. Someone confronted the teacher about it and he did not back down at all or modify his statements.
There was very little emphasis on the Bible.
We were getting uncomfortable with some things, and also we felt the Lord leading us to leave Redding and go do what we are called to do- plant a church.
We told one of the head leaders of the church, whom we trusted and whom we loved (and still love) very much. He told us ( this is a direct quote) that we should “lose our identity” and just hang out for a while at Bethel and see what happened. We had been in a lot of prayer and had fasted some because we wanted to know for sure what God’s will was for our next step. He said that we should relax and stop praying so much, stop putting forth effort, and just “go with the flow at Bethel.”
Another thing that made us concerned was the lack of emphasis on sin and repentance and over-emphasis on joy and laughing.
I believe that there are legitimate things (healings, etc) going on there, but that now there is a mixture of “real God stuff” and other stuff – I am concerned for their future. We still love them and still have dear friends there, but we could never recommmend their school of ministry. We feel like they have shifted to the point that there is some danger of going “off”. It was very, very hard to find a forum where one felt comfortable disagreeing with the leaders or sharing an alternate point of view. There was a lot of “groupthink” going on – a lot of pressure to conform.
One time a close friend shared with me that she had visited a party where many of the main “women leaders” were there. The host of the party gave out these huge fake diamonds to everyone, and said that these fake diamonds “put out vibrations that draw angels to you.” My friend was totally enamoured with the whole thing. I have serious concerns about this, for many reasons.
I don’t want to hurt Bethel, but it would be nice if someone there would consider the idea that they need to adjust some things, so that they can keep on track…
We do still love them very much and have prayed for them for hours and hours.
I am very familiar with the pastors, people, and ministries of Bethel. I want to encourage you to search the Word of God and see what it says about how a church should function and the teaching of pastors and elders. Titus, Galatians, 1 & 2 Timothy, etc. I think you will find that the pastors at Bethel do indeed preach “a different Christ” and “a different Gospel” than “the one we have received.” It also tells us that in the last days Satan himself will perform works of great power, signs and wonders, to deceive and to keep people running after the very things that will lead them to destruction.
The Bible never says that false teachers will go about with devilish horns and a sinister sneer on their faces. They will appear as angels of light. People we love and who genuinely care for others. This is what makes following Christ so difficult sometimes, but those who are in Christ have no real choice in the matter. We must choose the true God, the true Gospel. We must RUN AWAY from what is false.
@M
@Susu
Hi Susu,
I am not sure if you were commenting directly on our experiences. I am very familiar with the scriptures and the warnings about false teachers are very serious.
If you actually read the entire new Testament, the Bible is clear that miracles, signs and wonders are great things from God. Yes, there are also false signs and wonders. However you cannot label someone a false teacher just because they happen to believe that God does miracles in the present day. Millions and millions of Christians all over the world believe this, and experience it. For example, the millions of Christians in China need miracles frequently just to live.They are persecuted and many of them give their lives for the gospel. God does miracles for them.
I think you should be careful before labeling someone a “false teacher.” I think some of the leaders (and followers) at Bethel may be going off course into error, but that is not because they believe that Jesus wants to heal people’s bodies. The issues I have are about other beliefs and emphases in their ministry that have slowly crept in. Although I would not label them “false teachers”, I would say that there is a lack of emphasis on the Bible that is getting worse, and some teachings that are not Biblical. There is a big difference.
I wish people would give a little more grace to brothers and sisters in the Lord who may be becoming misled. If you are a Christian you should be praying for this church and its members, not accusing them of being the antichrist!
@Dalen Muster
I felt that way too.
@M
By best man at my wedding and friend since middle school, a brother to me has moved to redding to be at this church. I am concerned not because of his love for Christ, but because he says things like, “I healed this girl this weekend”. I’m drunk, parties that are strange. I may not understand everything, but legitimate faith based churches do not have tons of negative stuff pop up when you type it in google. I’m really praying for him to stay focused on Jesus as he has a very addictive personality. He also does not come see me anymore and I live 2 hours away??? troubling
This has been one of the most interesting discussions. I recently visited Bethel (three day visit) and participated in 4 of their ministries (including Sunday worship), and feel drawn there for a few reasons. 1) People in ministry are trying to restore broken people with damaged connections to God. 2) When I left their encounter room, I felt led to go home and spend more time with God and in the Word. 3) I have a lot of things to work thru (damage from my childhood), and I prefer not to do it by means of the flesh (traditional counseling). Can anyone give me some insight (based on what I'm looking for). Thanks -
Donny! WOW. I am bawling right now….you are sooo great. I have always struggled with the WEIRDNESS…and definitely don't want to be weird myself. But, you're right — God is weird — weirdly mysterious.
I looked up 'weird' it says, suggesting something supernatural; uncanny , informal very strange; bizarre.
I agree…Bethel is a weird church….but I love it. It's not some magic show…it's God showing himself in weird supernatural…very strange bizarre ways!
THANKS For your post.
YOU are amazing…and I bet a little weird – just like me.
don't be afraid or judge the supernatural. just ask God to show you. it's hard to talk to people about something they can't see. i promise you he won't disappoint, and if he doesnt than oh well… we were floating off into a land of strangeness and partaking in weirdness. but remember, God wants to show you how alive he really is, ok?
I have been reading a book called Jesus Culture by Banning Liebscher… Everything that I've ready thus far lines up with scripture… Yes the bible warns us of false prophets and such. And the “signs and wonders” you speak of that seem weird are things that happened in Jesus' day. The “supernatural” is a very real thing. Just people today are scared that there might actually be a God up there. These supernatural things prove that… I firmly believe that God is in the process of showing himself in a very real way through supernatural healing and things of this nature… He is doing this, to show people that he is very real. And to give them no reason to doubt him. This will in turn, will require of man kind to make a decision to either live for God or not… And then very shortly after he will come back to take those who chose him home. Don't be weirded out… It's all in the bible! God is moving in a major way, and there is no greater time than this… This is called the Great Awakening! Revival is going to sweep the land! All will see God as who he says he is… God bless!
We always loved Banning.
We actually love the emphasis on miracles and the supernatural that Bethel has. There is nothing unbiblical about that. Our concerns are with some other aspects of the ministry.