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Writer Discussion on Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry

May 6th, 2015

Justin Tilghman

May 6, 2015

Sort of tagging on Ed Chait‘s question: does anyone here have any experience or thoughts on Bethel Church’s School of Supernatural Ministry? Does GQ have a particular opinion on it? We have several people in our area attending a local campus and some of the things I read on their website give me pause. It seems VERY heavy on signs and wonders and Christ dying to make his people “a new race of beings on the planet who [are] naturally supernatural.”

They have a prayer room that looks very much like some sort of New Age meditation room and a church local to me has set up a prayer/healing room in which individuals can come to present their prayer requests and receive prophetic prayer from God’s “Princess Warriors.”

I certainly don’t want to quench the Spirit but this all seems a bit odd to me. Would love to hear any thoughts from others.

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  • Wendyl Leslie Yeah, I took a quick glance at their website. Sounds a little “goofy” to me.
    2 hrs · Like · 1
  • MeLissa LeFleur Houdmann This sounds kind of similar to IHOP in Kansas City. http://www.gotquestions.org/International-House-of-Prayer…

    What is the International House of Prayer (IHOP)?
    What is the International House of Prayer? Is the…
    GOTQUESTIONS.ORG
    2 hrs · Like · 3 · Remove Preview
  • Gina Cook I have cousins who had attended there and from what I gather they are heavy into having experiences and depending on physical signs like speaking in tongues and even desiring “words of prophecy” and casting out demons supposedly. They shared a few stories with us on what happens there and none of it was really edifying or biblically sound. It’s clear that most of what they do is apart from scripture.
    1 hr · Like
  • Sarah Van Baale Having lived about 10 years in the pentecostal/charismatic “community” these schools are becoming more and more popular. Churches have been holding their own versions of spiritual gift classes for many years. The Bethel school may seem a rather new idea to people outside of the charismatic community, but it is really just a large gathering/school of what has been going on for quite some time. Nearly all of these schools will affirm the idea that all prophecy and gifts should align with the Bible. However, the manner in which they rationalize their alignment becomes very tricky and complicated.

    I know many people who are genuine in their faith and love the Lord deeply, but fall ‘prey’ to people who abuse the idea that God still appoints prophets and apostles to reveal new revelation to His people. Ironically, I’m not a cessationist, not because of experience, but rather because I simply cannot find Scripture which points to cessationism. Even so, the idea that people can teach others how to prophesy, heal, speak in tongues, etc, seems to be in direct contradiction with the concept of the Holy Spirit imparting these gifts himself.

    Truly, these schools attract people who want to know God on a deeper level. I love all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, whether they be charismatic or not. But there is a certain naivety that accompanies “good followers” of the charismatic movement. Instead of focusing on the authority of Scripture, the shift is to focus on what thoughts God is imparting to you in your head or to a person prophesying directly from God. As a general rule, you find a lot of good hearted people attending these schools, but many are not well versed in the Bible – except for those scriptures that seem to support what they are learning to do.

    As a side note, I’d caution people to be careful not to confuse spiritual gifts with the charismatic movement as if they are one in the same. They simply are not. People can, and have had (as evidenced in the Bible) gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit and not participated in the charismatic movement. They are not one in the same. People don’t own these gifts and they don’t get to dictate to whom God gives them. God has all authority over true gifts of all kinds regardless of humanity’s desire to try to commander them or control them.
    47 mins · Like
  • Joe Maxey Don’t walk…run away!

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