Merry Christmas, Y'All !

Davis Smith says -- What horror stories some of these people have. I am glad that you published the list of these cult leaders.

Gillian Andersen says -- Having read a lot these people's stories, it amazes me how things can get so out of hand in such a short time. At least that's what it sounds like. I am praying for all that God will restore the families.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray. Things got out of hand quickly because of the power of television. The Faith Movement owns and operates Trinity Broadcasting Network and therefore has a world-wide audience to enable them to spread the garbage that they are teaching.

Menhardt Ryker says -- I'd like to say that your blog has really opened my eyes to some of these insidious things that are going on in the so-called Christian community. The fact that these cults are on television every week is frightening. There needs to be a grass-roots revolt against these groups.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- True Christians need to be demonstrating at all of these churches with placards every week. They are on TV because they can be. Unsuspecting Christians are sending them money to supposedly spread the Gospel. This allows them to pay for television time to perpetuate their false teachings world-wide and it gives them access into millions of homes. The simple answer to this is to stop sending money.

Gayle Grisham says -- My children have been drawn deeper and deeper into one of these churches. At first, I didn't really see what was going on but I have just been uninvited for the holidays because their "new" family is coming. We always had a good relationship before they started believing that if they gave "seed" faith, they would be hugely rewarded here...there is no basis for this in anything that I have read.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- This story is a good example of how these groups, with the help of Satan, are using brainwashing and mind control to ruin families. The Grand Poo-Bah's family also refers to other members of their "church" as "mom & dad." This will be the third Christmas I haven't seen my three kids or seven grandchildren. These cults instruct their people to have nothing to do with anybody who disagrees with their teachings.

"Seed" faith appears nowhere in Scripture. This is a concept developed by the Faith Movement leaders to get people to part with large sums of their hard-earned money with the promise of a huge return on the investment. "Seed" faith has allowed these corrupt faith leaders to amass huge fortunes. It was a very clever scheme that worked. The Christian community continues to build their fortunes week after week and allows them to own cattle ranches and multiple lavish homes around the world. The answer to this problem is simple -- keep your hard-earned money!

Erika Harrison says -- I would like to add my story. Last year my fiance met a pastor at some function. He was invited to an event at this guy's church. He really liked it so decided to keep going to the men's meetings once a week. (We were new to the town and really didn't know anybody.) Within six months, he had broken up with me because I refused to go to the church with him. Now just over a year after his first meeting, he is married to someone at the church that was hand-picked by the pastor. His parents were devasted because he didn't even tell them that we had broken up.

B. & G. Adams says -- Our story is very similar to yours. Our two sons and their families have been involved with a Word of Faith church now for almost six years. We have not seen them or their families for four years. Their new spiritual family (the church) controls everything that they do...or that's how it seems to us. Please add us to your prayer list for restoration of our family. We are praying for everyone on the list.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Rest assured that we will be praying for you. My youngest son was a youth pastor for one of Bishop Keith Butler's churches in Toronto (no Bible-school training). It's a Word of Faith church. Butler has apparently raised enough money from unsuspecting Christians through his network of churches world-wide to work on running for the United States Senate. God forbid that this should ever happen.

The McIntosh Family says -- Give it up. You and these writers have no idea how wonderful it is to be part of a great community that loves and cares for us when our families have turned us away. We totally feel sorry that you all are missing the blessings of God.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- This loving and caring community you talk about is using that as a cover for their real agenda -- to get their hands on your money. You have a need to be loved and cared for. The cult knows this and is using it to take advantage of you. You need to leave this cult and go back to your family. They did not turn you away but rather you allowed the false teaching of this church to come between them and you. They are right and you are wrong. You need to ask for forgiveness for being so guillible and needy and go back home.

Terese Wyatt says -- I hope your family is reading also. Everyone who has been in any kind of contact with any of these people should read your blog.

Karl Wilson says -- Wonderful blog. We wish you all the best as you continue the fight against these cults.

Jane Teston says -- It's about time that someone took on these faith churches. They are such a crock. My daughter and her family have been in one of the churches that you have mentioned. They get more distant from us every week. They have not been involved long so I am hoping that we can get her to read this blog when we visit her at Christmas. Thank you for openly discussing your issues.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Distance between family members is a huge flag that something is very wrong. Satan is at work in their lives. He is doing some of his "best work" right under our noses inside the church (especially the Pentecostal church.)

M. Gray says -- Well, don't you think you're clever. I am sorry that you think you have the right to criticize other churches. We believe that we are being taught the whole Word of God and not just what the traditional churches teach. You really should stop writing this garbage and get yourself right with God. Then He will bless you!

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- I have a serious problem with your assertion that traditional churches teach less than the whole Word of God. This attitude is elitist and a bald-faced lie from the pit of hell. Your acceptance of this statement is also appalling. You obviously have a very limited Christian background and you don't know a falsehood when you hear it.

Criticizing false teachers and their teachings is Scriptural. When someone tells you that they are the only church teaching the "whole Word of God" it marks them as a cult. To repeat myself, this is a lie direct from the lips of Satan and many people like yourself are being suckered in.

God has called me to write this blog and He is obviously blessing it and I am thankful for that. To my knowledge it has not helped my children yet but as long as it is helping someone I will continue to write it. Only God's Holy Spirit can bring about the desired result of getting people out of these cults.

The Apostolics say -- You are really testing our patience. Your comments are unfounded as we are growing healthier each day with the help of our Lord. Before He strikes you down, you should just stop this vile blog.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- For your information, I am very well-read on the subject of these Faith Movement, Word of Faith, Victory Churches International cults. You need to read some of the books I have pictured in a previous blog. The Apostolic Movement does not have even one Bible-scholar anywhere in its ranks. If you knew your Bible, your Movement would not even exist.

Don't you think if I wasn't supposed to be writing this blog He would have struck me down by now! This blog is serious business. People's eternal destinies are at stake when it comes to these cults and their false teachings. Far too many Christians are totally unaware that Christianity is in crisis due to the existence of the Faith Movement, Word of Faith and Victory Churches International. The before mentioned groups are claiming to be Christian and have no right to do so based on their teachings. The Health and Wealth Gospel simply is not true and has no basis in Scripture.

O. Talbot says -- Having just found your blog, I find it utterly unbelievable that so many people can be taken in by something that is so wrong. No-one is supposed to expect to be wealthy and healthy as a right. If God chooses that for you, fine. But we cannot tell God what to do. I will be watching and reading your blog with some interest in the future.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Appreciate your comments. Look forward to hearing from you in the future.

T.S. Callerone says -- Isn't it interesting that we are just now seeing the seriousness of these cult leaders after many, many years of watching them come along and gradually gobble up innocent and gullible people. Having watched my church lose over half our members to the local "feel good" religious leader, I am appalled at how easy it was for him to lure these people in. Keep up the work, Brother...it is not in vain.

Annie Balder says -- I guess I was fortunate. I was invited to one of these churches and from the moment I went through the door, I knew there was something evil there. It's all very nice at first but there is a lot of darkness in the one I visited. When the chanting and gibberish started, well, I picked up my purse and left. There's nothing that could convince me to ever go back.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- The same thing happened to me. I visited Barrie Victory Centre with my wife and her daughter (in the early days before brainwashing had taken hold) for a baby dedication. After about an hour of what you describe in your comments, we had to leave. On the way to the car, we were all shaking our heads, looked at each other and said, "There's something very evil going on in that place." There was this terrible awareness of evil and darkness. We all came to the conclusion that this was Satan's church. Satan is having his way with these people. What a sad situation. Good for you. Wise decision. We haven't been back either.

R. Ryler says -- We are in agreement with your assessment that the mainstream churches are not assisting those of us with family members or friends in these cult churches. It's as if they think at least they are going to church. But with a church like this, they'd be better off not going. We enjoy reading your blog and are glad that someone like you is able to take a stand and not knuckle under to keep the peace in your family.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Most churches have programs for this and for that. There is no shortage of groups for every need or interest. In these last days there needs to be a cult-awareness program in every church to protect future generations from this serious threat. There are plenty of materials on modern day cults available.

In a free society, cults will continue to grow. Guard your children and teach them well and pray hard. Satan is very busy in the church these days.

Manny Ramieras says -- Honestly, when will these people stop whining and figure out how to get their family members back on track. Or leave them alone there and move on. If they are adults, they can choose their own path.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Your seemingly total lack of concern for this issue is alarming. It's just this attitude that allows these cults to exist and run rampant over Christian churches. It's hard to imagine that if you had family members involved in a cult that you would have nothing to say. Maybe you are not a Christian and do not understand the ramifications of such an attitude. If you read some of these books, you would have a completely different understanding of the cult issues.

H. Harry says -- What awful problems these false teachers create. I am glad that I do not have any children that I have to raise in these end times.

Bonita Inks says -- We have several of these cultic churches in our town and have watched with great concern as they have grown at an alarming rate. They started small, in people's homes, and have now moved into other churches (renting) or store-front facilities. One of our friends has had her niece start attending and she has undergone a personality change that is frightening. Your blog has provided a lot of information that I can share with my friend.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Personality change is one of the marks of a cult. My three children have all undergone personality changes. They are not the children I used to know. Please pray for Jason, Darren and Glenn and their families.

N. Boisvert says -- I was amazed at some of the stories that people are willing to share about their personal lives. Guess they have to get things off their chests but surely they see how pathetic they look when they cannot control their own wives and children. What is wrong with these people?

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- What is wrong with these people is that they are needy and cults are in the business of "meeting needs." That's how they get their converts and also how they hold on to them.

D. Grey says -- I have lost my wife to these charlatans. Her pastor has gotten involved with a number of the wives and they are now moving to another state where they can "feel the Lord" without outside influences.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Charlatans" is a good word to describe Faith Movement, Word of Faith, Victory Churches International leaders.

"Feel the Lord" Key word here is "feel." A belief system that is rooted in feelings will eventually let you down. You will become disallusioned, walk away from the church and never return. I am very sorry to hear about your wife.

Words of Wisdom for the New Year:

Zig Ziglar says: "Truth is true even if nobody believes it and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it."

Sign Seen on a Billboard: If you find yourself going in the wrong direction, always remember, Christ accepts U turns.

New blogs will be posted in the New Year.

Hope My Family Are Reading!

Grace Donner says - The more I read about what is going on with different families, the more worried I am about my children. They are involved in different churches in different parts of the world but all seem to have a similar slant on Biblical truth. They can tell God what to do and expect Him to provide exactly what they ask. They can all be healthy (fortunately, none of my family has any illnesses) and that they will have little or no opposition to becoming wealthy or whatever else they desire. This is so non-Scriptural. Christians are supposed to have trials. We do not get our reward until heaven and material blessings have never been part of the Apostles or Jesus' life. Bless you for sharing your story and the stories of your readers. I have noted some of the books from the photo and will try to purchase them so that I can read for myself. Thank you.

B. & R. Post says - These stories are almost beyond belief except for the fact that we are in the midst of a similar situation. Our grandchildren were invited to one of these "cults" by some friends. Our children had not gone to church in years and all of a sudden, the family means nothing and their church family is everything. We are beside ourselves about how this could have happened that we have now been told that we are not welcome in their homes at Christmas because their spiritual moms and dads are going to be there and we would be out of place. How did this happen? We know that you don't have the answer but please print our story so that others can be aware of how easy it is for children to be duped by these cults. We did not realize that they were involved in a cult til we started reading your blog. Thank you. We hope you can stay strong so that your family will eventually see the light.

Nance Smith says - It is nice to see that you are able to be objective and allow people to have their say. I enjoy reading your blog and look forward to many more informative and insightful comments from you.

Mitchell Graeffe says - Given all of the stuff going on with these fringe churches or cults, why aren't the main-stream churches doing something? Aren't they interested in protecting people from this type of influence? I guess as Canadians we are too "polite" to interfere but what does that say about our Christianity? My rant for the day.

The Grand Poo-Bah says - The mainstream churches are failing miserably in this area. When you talk to anyone in the mainstream churches about cults, they look at you kind of funny. The truth is they are not knowledgeable about the huge threat that cults represent in modern-day society. It requires reading to be knowledgeable on this subject. My experience on trying to find information about cults since I realized my children were in one is that many of the Christian bookstores are not carrying books on cults because these books implicate the Pentecostal church directly or indirectly. Many of the Christian bookstores are owned and operated by members of the Pentecostal church and they do not want these books on their shelves. I had to go to www.amazon.com, Chapters and websites to get most of my books on the subject. Sorry, I really don't have an answer to your question. Maybe somebody else can send in an answer.

D. Dee says - Well.. how do you manage to attract all of these individuals who are so misguided? Our pastor only wants what is best for us based on God's Word. Why would we read any books that are not divinely inspired by God? You really should take a good look at God's book and concentrate on it instead of reading works of man.

The Grand Poo-Bah says - Cults put blinders on people so that they can be controlled and manipulated by the leader. This is what your pastor has done to you. You need to read these books to make your pastor accountable for what he is teaching. What can possibly be wrong with reading books written by world-renowned Bible scholars? Your pastor is not God; he is just a man. After you read the books, I'm sure you will have a number of questions for your pastor to answer. You need to understand that he will not tolerate you questioning him. Then you will know for sure that you are in a cult and you need to get out ASAP. I hope this is helpful to you and any other readers.

Name Witheld says - I am very interested in this subject. We have had one of these "cult" churches open in our small town and they have been actively recruiting at our local high school by inviting the teenagers to "fun nights". My daughter went to one because her friends were going and when she came home, she was very concerned about what she had heard at this "fun" night - that this was the only place in town where the Spirit of the Lord was at work and that all other churches are dying. She was also assigned a "buddy" who has not stopped phoning her for weeks. We are going to have to change our phone number because they just won't quit. We are now reading Christianity in Crisis -- thanks to the Grand Poo-Bah. Forewarned is forearmed! Thank you.

Amiee Thornton says - Yes. John McArthur is a wonderful author and very knowledgable about this frightening phenomenon that is sweeping the world today. The sad part is the people get caught up in wanting everything now and not having to wait for anything. This puts them as prime candidates for this false Christianity like "health and wealth" theology. We as Christians need to pray that God will open the eyes of the foolish to where they are going to end up if they continue to follow this path.

Mariessa Browne says - My parents are involved in one of these places. I didn't know it until I was researching a paper on Joel Osteen and your blog came up. After reading some of the stories, I am very frightened for my parents' financial future. Thank you.

The Grand Poo-Bah says - I am also concerned for the financial future of my children. The pastor is the owner of their church/business. Health and wealth churches don't stop at 10% giving. There are numerous on-going opportunities for followers to part with their hard-earned money to various "worthy" causes on a weekly basis. Faith Movement churches are like big money-sucking machines with only one purpose in mind; making their pastor rich. You will soon discover that the Health and Wealth gospel is mostly about making the pastor rich while keeping the followers hoping for riches.

S. Shears says - Keep plugging on. Eventually, your sons will become disallusioned with the lack of fulfilled promises and get out.

D & D. Sisson says - We are very tired of you continuing to debase our church. You are just making us more determined to wait for God's blessings in health and wealth.

The Grand Poo-Bah says - You are the one being debased here. Your pastor is getting rich and guess who's contributing to his riches every week? You are. How long are you willing to wait for your riches -- a day, a month, a year, five years, ten years? Some people spend a decade in one of these false churches before they realize it's all a crock and that they're never going to be wealthy and finally get out. I just hope you are not willing to wait too long.

Read Any Good Books Lately?

These books can be obtained at various sources. Some can be purchased at your local Christian bookstore, amazon.com, Chapters Bookstore, or the ministry website of the author. The Grand Poo-Bah will be publishing the websites of the various authors in the near future. There is lots of information available on false teaching and it's easier than you think to know for certain that you are not in a true Christian church but you must do some research.

More Comments From Our Readers:

Corine McIntosh says -- Boy, I am really glad that I have found your blog. The comments and the research that you have done make me realize how easy it is to get taken in by the "health and wealth" gospel teachers. I am sure that God will touch your boys and that they will see the hidden agenda of their pastor.

Tammy Smith-Redmond says -- Some of these stories are tragic. So is mine.. I lost my sister to these "Pastors" and I use the term loosely. I haven't seen her for over 9 years. Please pray for a safe return of Donna Smith.

Andrea Boisvert says -- It is sad to read some of these people's stories. My husband was dabbling in the "health & wealth" gospel (as a lay preacher) when God opened his eyes to what he was doing. Taking offerings from people who could ill afford to feed their families. He has now stopped doing any preaching but we are finding it very difficult to get out of our church without losing all of our friends.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- I know for a fact my son Glenn gave $1,000 "seed faith" offering to Barrie Victory Centre at a time when I know, he did not have a pot to p_ _ _ _ in. Instead of saying I'm sorry, we cannot take this money from you, you need it more than we do, they took it! These churches have no shame when it comes to money. Fear of losing all your friends is what the cult leader is counting on. This is how cults function to hold onto their people. It will take a lot of courage but you must get out of the cult ASAP.

Brian Campbell says -- What a terrible time to be in such a mess with your family. Our prayers will be with you. Do not lose hope.

Robert & Maisie Kennelley says -- We are very thankful that such a Godly man as you is fighting on behalf of those who are so taken in by these "cults." In our state, there are new ones springing up every month. Our children have gone from one bad one to another -- now it's the trust God for everything. They no longer go to doctors (prayer over the sick person only is allowed); and so on. Our children were raised in a Methodist Bible-believing church -- where did we go wrong?

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- If you think we are living in the latter days, and many people do, including Dr. David Jeremiah. He did a series of sermons on this recently and has written two books on the subject. I relate to this situation but I don't think we should blame ourselves. We taught our children the truth and we raised them in a Bible-believing church. The thing that this generation is dealing with that previous generations did not have to deal with is the huge proliferation of cults around the world including cults claiming to be Christian. The number of new cults rising up is astronomical. The largest and the easiest ones to get involved with are the ones that come into your home every week or some of them every day on television. When people see large crowds coming to hear a certain individual or a massively huge church filled with people, it tends to give the message credibility so people are drawn to it. Most of the people who get involved with these modern-day Christian cults are unsuspecting Christians who likely are lacking knowledge about the cult problem. Scripture teaches that we are to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. You and I have to trust that this Scripture is true and that our children will all return to the fold; hopefully sooner rather than later. We have personal experience with a friend of ours, who attended an extreme Pentecostal church, who's wife passed away at age 40 simply because she would not take the cancer treatment the doctors were offering. Instead they were expecting a healing miracle from God which never came. Also, this current generation doesn't seem to have any understanding of the concept of "common sense."

Maurey Davis says -- How did Christianity become so perverted as being taught by the list of those pastors? We should be praying for all of them to see the light; even though some of them are unknown to us. The scariest one of all is Joel Osteen -- no Bible-training whatsoever -- and have your best life now? Where does it say that in Scripture? IT DOESN'T! Keep pressing on, Brother, keep pressing on.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- You are definitely right about Joel Osteen. It is frightening to realize that so many people are sitting under the weekly tutelage of someone who has no Bible-training whatsoever. Most of what Joel Osteen says is not in Scripture. It is just more "possibility thinking" which Robert Schuller is well-known for. A non-Christian could write most of his sermons. We need to pray for all those people sitting in the pews at Lakewood Church in Florida with those blank looks on their faces because they are being sold a "bill of goods" and what he is teaching is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sadie Krostolous says -- Have been following your blog for some time, I find it refreshing that you are prepared to publish comments of all sorts. It makes you look like a very objective person which makes some of the things you say more believable to someone who might be mixed up in one of these "churches." Some of the stories are heartbreaking like the man who lost his wife. I don't have any such stories to share but I enjoy reading someone else's. God bless you for trying to make a difference.

R.W. Abbotteye says -- Having accidently found your blog when I was looking up one of your "false" teachers, it was interesting to see the different perspectives from both you and your readers. I have huge concerns about the teachings of these people and was amazed to see how many of these TV evangelists are involved. Then I did some further investigation and learned about some of the lavish lifestyles. Appalling. Keep it up as sometimes it is the squeeky wheel that gets results.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- The Copelands, Benny Hinn, T.D. Jakes, Oral & Richard Roberts, Joyce Meyers and others -- it is a well-known fact that they all have amassed huge fortunes from their "ministries." People think they are sending money to help spread the Gospel but a large portion of their giving ends up in the pockets of the leaders. To my knowledge, Billy Graham never took more than $70,000 in salary out of his ministry. These people are not accountable to anybody and therein lies a serious problem with TV evangelists.

Sherry Tamblyn says -- Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is an amazing resource for our family. We have two nephews and their families who have gotten involved in one of these. We would not have known where to start getting information without the Grand Poo-Bah blog. We are starting with Christianity in Crisis. Thank you.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- You made a very wise choice. Christianity in Crisis is the absolutely best place to start for information about the Faith Movement or Word of Faith teachings.

Graydon & Ruby Pount say -- We wish you all the best at this Christmas time. It took us many many years and thousands of dollars to have an intervention done which only lasted less than six months. We wish we had found you earlier.

Pat & Pearl Poppins say -- Our daughter thought she was going to be given the husband of her dreams after attending a Joyce Meyer Christian Women's Conference. She didn't think anything through but went blindly down a bad road (in the name of Christianity). The first guy she met at church -- that was it! Needless to say, it has been a disaster. Somebody ought to get these people off TV because that's how Dora found her [Joyce Meyers]. We now have not seen our daugher for over five years but we understand that she has no mind of her own anymore. As others are adding their names for prayer, please add ours. Thank You.

Melanie Hopwood says -- I hope that your sons read some of the horror stories here. I could not even imagine some of these things happening inside a church. I guess I was lucky. I started attending a Word of Faith church in BC and the kicker for me was when everyone would go down to the front and end up flat on their backs moaning because the pastor touched them. I now know it was mass hysteria because we sang the same monotone songs over and over again until we lost touch with reality. If you didn't go to the front and fall down (they had catcher people), you were brought up on stage and ridiculed for not having enough faith. I never fell down and after the 2nd bout on stage, I walked and never went back. I guess God had other plans for me and I am now attending a Bible-preaching church in Washington. Keep praying and remember that God is in control.

The Grand Poo-Bah says --Thank you for your comments and I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to my lovely wife, Gail, who has spent hours and hours with me working on this blog. Thanks, Honey!

Jason, Darren, Glenn....Please Read...

O. Davies says - I found the comments very interesting because I thought I was alone dealing with this. The health and wealth people are destroying my family. I am very glad that I found your blog. Keep up the fight, Brother.

R.G. Bastido says - I will be looking forward to seeing where you found your information. Being well-read about this subject means being able to see clearly when things don't seem right.

M.J. deLuca says- I don't know where you are getting your information but it cannot possibly be correct. I know that our pastor isn't out to take our money but rather we have the responsibility to make sure that he and his family have enough to live on. It is our duty as Christians to make sure that he has what he needs. You have no right to assume that they are not interested in saving souls.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: Having enough to live on is a far cry from living in the lap of luxury with multiple homes all around the world. If your pastor is preaching the "health and wealth" gospel to his congregants on a regular basis, he has a secret agenda of gaining personal wealth through the mininstry. Appearing to be interested in saving souls is an excellent cover for this agenda.

Carina Landis says - Thank you for sharing your story (Grand Poo-Bah). My husband and I have just realized that we are in a fringe church after finding out that our pastor is expecting a brand new high-end car for Christmas from our congregation and we were all asked to contribute $500 each for his gift. Our pastor doesn't teach all of the things that you have outlined in your blog; however, he does think that the Copelands are great spiritual leaders.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: Some churches do get together and buy their pastors a new car. There is nothing wrong with that in itself but the red flag had to go up when your pastor "asked" for the $500 gift. This is not done in regular churches. The other red flag is the Copelands or anybody on my list in the previous blog.

David Miller says - Well, it's great to see you are finally back. It is great to read the excerpts from the research that you are doing for this worthwhile cause. I am looking forward to hearing your insight into these charlatans.

B. Smith says - Having stumbled onto this blog, I am amazed at your insight. Hang in there. Your children will eventually see the error of their ways and get out of the Barrie Victory Centre. We got out of the one in Owen Sound and it was the best thing that we ever did.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: Good for you for seeing the light and getting out of Crossroads Victory Church in Owen Sound. I praise God for your freedom from the cult. If you attend Centre of Hope Victory Church in Kincardine, Gateway Victory Church in Wiarton, Mount Forest Victory Church or Victory Impact Centre in Newmarket; you need to exit these churches ASAP because they are all cults. Victory Churches International is a cult because they are involved in false teachings. The "health and wealth" gospel is false doctrine.

Douglas Brennan says - I think that you should leave your adult children to their own devices. All you can really do is pray and let God take care of it.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: So what you are saying is that if you knew for a fact, based on your research, that your adult children were involved in a cult, you would have nothing to say to them. It would be just fine with you. Praying and letting God take care of it is good but we, as Christians and parents, have a responsibility that we cannot set aside.

L. & C. Campbell says - I truly hope that your family sees the errors of their ways. What a disgusting and vile bunch of children you have; however, we will be praying that their eyes will be opened before it is too late as it was for our daughter. She committed suicide after realizing that she had given everything to this "health and wealth" garbage and ended up broke, alone and not able to see any way out. We wish we had found your information earlier. God Bless.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: I am sorry to hear of the death of your daughter. The things you talk about in your comments are the very things that I am concerned about for my own children. Thanks for sharing your story. Hopefully it will help someone else.

J. Ridgeway says - You have an interesting take on something that means so much to so many. I do not think that all of the people on your list are leading people astray. I think people make their own judgments based on experience and we can determine our own futures.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: They all teach the "health and wealth" gospel and therefore, they are all false teachers who are leading people astray -- no doubt about it.

Meghan McPhail says - Doesn't this cartoon just say it all! Have really enjoyed reading your blog. Hope your family soon sees the errors of their ways before it is too late and we are raptured away without them.

Lorianne del Guzman says -Thank you for taking the time. I know you are doing it for your family but it is helping mine.

Terry Greene says - None of these people know anything about the wonderful gifts of God that we receive from our pastors. They deserve to have the best of everything.. that's our responsibility as their followers.. to ensure that they have all that they need and desire. You really need to stop posting this drivel.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: Your comments make it very obvious that you have not read any books about what is wrong with the Faith Movement. There are many books available on the subject. I will be publishing a list of some of these books in the near future. You need to avail yourself of some of these materials so that you can speak from a position of knowledge rather than ignorance.

Lew Thomas says - How I wish that I had paid more attention to what was going on with my wife. Now it is much too late and she has passed away because she stopped taking her medication for diabetes. Her "minister" told her that God would heal her if she only stopped taking her insulin and had enough faith. Needless to say, between that and "The Master's Diet," she fell into a coma while I was at work. By the time I got home, it was too late. And I have no recourse against this minister. He and his family packed up and moved to another state where they have started another "cult" even more nutty than the last one.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: I was very sorry to hear about the passing of your wife. I was very disturbed to hear about the reasons that she passed. I have a diabetic son who attends Barrie Victory Centre and I am always concerned that they will encourage him to stop taking his insulin because having diabetes does not fit in with the "health and wealth" gospel. Please pray that my son, Glenn, will not do the same thing as your wife. I have limited knowledge about The Master's Diet but I have heard that it is dangerous.

C. & C. Blackweild says - After reading the comments, it is apparent that my family was not the only ones taken in by these charlatans. The $500 gift for the pastor must be a common thread in these organizations because we have been asked twice this year to "celebrate" something with the pastor. My husband wrote the first cheque and we found your blog very shortly thereafter. After reading a lot of the blog, we have sadly come to the realization that we are in a cult and are in the process of trying to extract ourselves. My husband is on the Board but it is a straw organization because nobody can question any decision our pastor makes. Please pray for us.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: These comments should sound familiar to my son, Darren, who is on the Board at the straw organization called Barrie Victory Centre. I hope, Darren, that you read this comment over a number of times and really absorb what the writer is saying. Oh, by the way, how much are all of you at Barrie Victory Centre donating to Pastor McCullough's Christmas gift?

K. Hicks says - This is a sad fact with what is going on out there. Those TV evangelists have ruined many lives.

M. Whyteside says - Don't you think it's time you stopped this vile blog; you are attacking all the crazies who don't believe what God really wants for his people.

Stan Byrd says - Given how passionate you seem to be about this issue, maybe you should become a "travelling" preacher. You certainly couldn't do any worse than these nutbars like Benny Hinn.

Rob Richards says -It is so sad to read some of these stories. My granddaughter and her family have moved into a compound in Texas where their "cult leader" has insisted that the men live in one part and he lives with the women and children. Now what does that tell you! We are distraught and the worst part is that they started out in a seemingly normal church and ended up there because the emotional high needed to be fed. Keep up the work, Brother Pooh-Bah.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: Any church where an emotional high needs to be fed is not a normal church. The type of cult you describe in your comments can develop when a leader has complete control over all of his followers with no checks and balances in place. Sounds a lot like Barrie Victory Centre, don't you think, Jason, Darren & Glenn?

M & T. Way says - Grand perspective. Have really enjoyed reading your stuff over the last year or so. It is stunning to read what has happened to other families who have been suckered into these cults. We hope your family will see the error of their ways sooner rather than later.

Heather McKye says - WOW!! I am sad to read some of the comments. It's heartbreaking to the families and to you. My group will pray for all of you.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: Thank you for your prayers.

Anonymous says - When are you going to stop this drivel! Nobody in their right mind would believe any of this stuff. You cannot win.

The Grand Poo-Bah says: It's not about me. Truth always wins in the end. God gets the final word. If drivel is the only word you have at your disposal to describe these world-renowned Bible scholars, then you need to do a reality check. If you haven't read any good books lately, there are many available on what is wrong with the Faith Movement. Leaving the Faith Movement or Victory Churches International would make you a winner!

What Our Readers Have To Say...

"I have been following your blog for almost the whole time. You have taken a stand which most people would just say "so what" and tolerate this situation with your boys. I wish that I had been able to do that instead of going along and ending up losing my entire family and nearly my soul as well. Thank you. (Martin O'Keefe)

It is hard to stand by and watch your family fall apart. I'm sure if I knew then what I know now, I would have put up more of a fight for my wife. Instead, I watched her slip away because I thought it was just another Pentecostal church and now am grieving her loss to the wiles of her pastor. (David Miller - South Africa)

You actually had one of your children say to you, we are "only interested in you, Dad, we have no interest in having anything to do with your wife." How disgusting! I hope that you sent them packing with a firm kick in the behind and a "don't darken my door again until you apologize to my wife." Anything else is simply not acceptable and if one of my kids had said that to me about my lovely and kind 2nd wife, it would have been the last thing that they ever said to me. (Alf Ormont)

Going along with such treatment of your wife is absolutely unacceptable. She must be a saint to have put up with this. I will be praying for strength and protection for you both during this trying time. I have been following your blog and it has been most helpful in clarifying some things that concerned me with Victory Churches as I have family members in this cult in Alabama. Keep up the writing. Thank you. (M.B. Browne)

And these relatives are Christian? How awful for you and your wife. My family will be praying for all of you during such a Satanic attack as this. (Sandra DeVilbiss)

You and your wife must be beside yourselves over these ungrateful offspring (they don't deserve to be called your children); however, it is apparent that you love them and want what's best for them so we will add all of you to our prayer chain at our church. (Bruce & Jane Ashford)

It must be difficult to have such a situation as you describe. Keep pressing on. (Ryan Davis)

Thank you for this blog. We have read all of the articles and will be purchasing a copy of the book. We found your blog when searching for information on the "health and wealth" gospel as our adult children and their families have been taken in by the Copelands. Please pray for our children as we go through this. We also have not seen our grandchildren for some years and it is most difficult. Our prayers are with you and please keep us in yours. Thank you. (Denis & Debra Lezzard)

What a great post. We also feel like we are crying in the wilderness about this subject. At least our children are out now after six years of following that false prophet, Benny Hinn. The unfortunate part is that they no longer see any value in the Christian life. We would ask that you pray for Joelene, Adam, Michael, Brenda and their families as we will pray for you and yours. (Charlotte Wu)

I have just finished reading the book. I am giving copies of this to my girls for Christmas. I had no idea they were being drawn in under Joel Osteen's milarky. (Matthew T. Grey)

Yes, it is in crisis. When are you coming back to writing? (T.S. Smith)

The Grand Poo-Bah says:

I would like to thank all of the above readers for their comments. I have printed these comments all together in a single blog for a couple of reasons.

1. You are not alone in the fight against false teaching.
2. Your comments can have an incredible influence for the cause of Christ.

If you have personal experience in dealing with Victory Churches International or any of the other false teachers of the "Faith Movement," I would urge you to share your story. You never know who you may be helping along the way -- as you can see from the above comments.

I first realized that my children were all involved in a modern day Christian cult when, one day out of the blue, one of my sons said to me, "Dad, you didn't teach us the whole gospel." Since they were raised in an evangelical Baptist church from the time they were small children, I was shocked to hear this statement out of the mouth of one of my children. I was immediately suspicious that something was wrong at the new church they were currently attending. I wondered what this church had told my children to convince them that their father, who loved and cared about them, had basically lied to them their whole lives about the truth of the gospel. Convinced that something was very very wrong at Barrie Victory Centre, I proceeded to do some research and was shocked at what I discovered.

If you attend a church which promotes any of the people on the following list, you are likely involved in a cult and need to get out ASAP and stop sending them money. The only way to stop these people is to cut them off at the knees. They have no interest in your eternal soul; they are only after one thing -- your money. Many have amassed huge fortunes by promoting a "different" gospel. People from all over the world have become caught in their web of lies and don't even know it.

Here is the list of false teachers that I have found (in no particular order):

Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, E.W. Kenyon (founder of the Faith Movement), Frederick K.C. Price, George & Hazel Hill (Victory Churches International Founders), Jerry Savelle, Joel Osteen.

John Avanzini,John Hagee, John Paul Jackson, Joyce Meyers, Kenneth "Dad" Hagan (Rhema), Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Marilyn Hickey, Morris Cerullo, Oral & Richard Roberts.

Pat Robertson, Paul & Jan Crouch (founders of Trinity Broadcasting Network), Paula White, Peter Marshall (kingpin for Victory Churches International), Peter Popoff, Peter Youngren.

Reinhardt Bonnke, Robert Schuller, Robert Tilton, Rod Parsley, Rodney Howard-Browne, Smith Wigglesworth, T.D. Jakes, T.L. Osborn, Todd Bentley, Andrew Prince and Paul & Debbie McCullough (false teachers at Barrie Victory Centre where my children attend.)

All of the above are members of the Faith Movement and promote the "health and wealth" gospel which has made the majority of them all very very rich. This list is likely incomplete due to the fact that new cult leaders are popping up every week wanting to get in on the "money feast" which is taking place at the expense of unsuspecting Christians around the world. We need to stop doing this immediately.

The next blog which I post will be a bibliography of the books I have read and that you may be interested in reading as well if you have family members involved in Victory Churches International or any other arm of the Faith Movement.

Look forward to hearing your comments. Thanks for reading.