Thank You God For 'Blessing' This Blog!

 F. Whitehead said...

I found the last four articles extremely interesting as well as well-researched with respect to Biblical backups to support your position. As I never take anything at face value, I have reviewed all of the Scripture verses mentioned and my blinders have been removed from my eyes. I know now that I am involved in a church that probably has a satanic influence and this frightens me more than I can say. I have read horror stories about people trying to leave churches like these and have actually seen some of my former friends be put out of our church for questionning what the Board and Pastors are doing and teaching. Thank you for posting.

G. Franklin said...

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an eye-opening article! I have been convinced that there has been something wrong in our church for some time but could not get anyone to listen. I have made an appointment to speak to our Pastor right after Christmas.. he needs to explain where he is getting his "spiritual" guidance. Thank you.

M. Dresdin said...

How terrible that so many can be taken in by such an evil! We as Christians need to be more vocal when these charlatans start infiltrating our churches with the hysteria and falling on the floor. In our church it started with the raising of hands and within a few months.. full blown hysteria. We left our church and have found a good Bible-believing one where these goings-on aren't there.

Herman Gregory said...

Well-put! I enjoy following your blog and I must say that your insight into this strange and weird world of charismatic pentecostals is mind-opening.

Maury Shipton said...

What a frightening thing! This means that the Pentecostal movement could be infiltrated by Satan and hypnotists. This is awful! How do we begin to bring this to an end?

S. C. Roweling said...

This phenomena of the mass hysteria has started to show up in our church here in the Jersey Island (UK). We currently attend an Anglican church but we have a new priest from the U.S. and this started with some of our young people's groups. We are sharing your blog with the Head Diocese here today! Thank you.

 

Alice & Byron White said...

We have been following your blog for over a year and really find these last two articles the most disturbing of any that we have read. Our teenage children have started attending a church (not the family one) where this is a common occurrence at every service. We do not understand how this practice has crept into the main stream churches and are at a loss at how to get our children out of this emotional experience that they seem to need.. they started going once a week and now they are involved with something almost every day of the week. Their schoolwork is suffering and all they can talk about is "pastor-says".. thanks for letting us vent!

Marissa de Long said...

Horrible, horrible, horrible! How can this be happening under our very noses. Are we so blind as to feel that we need that excitement each and every week from Church. If this continues, we are lost!

H. & D. Hirams said...

We are completely blown away by your blog. We have been deceived by our Pastor for a number of years and are appalled that this could happen to us. We got disallusioned with our former church and were befriended by some members of the local Victory Church who made us feel loved and wanted. Now, several years later, we can no longer afford our home and have it up for sale. Everything that we have read on your blog has happened to us in some form or another. Please continue writing so that others won't end up where we are now.

Otto Schriber said...

Honestly. How can people be so taken in by something that is so non-biblical in nature. I hope that you can continue to educate people in this area and that more will come to realize the errors of their ways.

Syliva & Thomas Morton said...

We are so thankful to have found your blog this week. We have read it with great interest as our children seem to think that we are "out to lunch" when it comes to what is going on in their church in California. We have sent them the link and hope that they will take the time to read some of the facts and research the verses that you quote.

Monique Drinkwater said...

What an interesting review of "Slain in the Spirit". I was quite taken aback when I looked up the verses quoted and learned that, in fact, God's people always fall forward on their faces and not backwards as goes on in the Pentecostal movements. These Charismatic churches really should get their Biblical facts straight! I had no idea and look forward to reading the next section.

Dave & Marcie Hedben said...

We had no idea that falling down backwards was not of God. Our pastor always has catchers available so that no-one bangs their heads on the ground. We have always thought that our evening services became very hysterical and once one person falls over, everyone else just follows. We have looked up all of the verses and will be discussing this with our small group this evening.

 Graydon Blume said...

Amazing! Where do you find this information? Penetcostals have been falling down on their backs for years and now it's become a "bad" thing? I am sending a link to this blog to our Board because if it is, in fact, true that only forward falling people are being influenced from God, we have a serious problem in our North American churches. I will be very interested to see what else you have to say on this subject.

H. Pathway said...

I have been saying this for years but it's like crying out in the wilderness. My children live for that explosive experience every week and nothing seems to get through to them. I am convinced more than ever that this is a satanic attack on the Christian church and more and more people will be drawn away. I am looking forward to reading the answers to the next question.

Rev. D.G. Browning said...

Great article. It's about time that someone took the time to investigate the "slain in the spirit" garbage that is pervading our church. Keep it up, Grand Poo-Bah!

Dave & Marcie Hedben said...

After having a very heated discussion with our small group, we have come to the conclusion that our church is teaching something that is not Biblical and that this practice should stop. We fully expect to be asked to leave our church as this is one of the cornerstone principles but now having this information directly from Biblical scriptures, we have no alternative but to follow it and not man's interpretation of being "slain in the spirit". We are also now looking into the tongues scriptures as well because you have made some valid points there as well.

M. & G. Shipson said...

We were in a small group this week that was discussing the verses that you outlined regarding being slain in the spirit. We are so appalled that our church has been teaching something so non-biblical and that our eyes were blinded by Satan in this area. If we cannot get our Board and Pastors to see reason, we will have no alternative but to move to a more biblically-based church.

A. Smythe said...

This is incredible! I had no idea that I was involved in a church that is teaching falsehoods. Thank you.

Please feel free to share if you have any personal experiences 

regarding "SATANIC INFLUENCES" in the Penetcostal church.  

'Pentecostal' includes any church where "Speaking in Tongues" 

or being "Slain in the Spirit" is practised.  These are only two of a
long list of problems which are rampant in the Pentecostal church.

Comment Wrap-Up For Now

A & T Greene say -- Like the quotes. Really great to have you back. All the best for the New Year.

O & S Osburn say -- We will be watching your blog with some interest. Our son has just informed us that he has found his calling. He has quit his job and is going to one of the Rhema schools to become a missionary. We are distraught about this turn of events since he has also called off his engagement to a wonderful girl.


The Grand Poo-Bah says -- I am very sorry to hear about your son's foolish decisions. It is imperative that you figure out a way to keep him from attending Rhema Bible School. Rhema Bible School was founded by Kenneth Hagen who was the founder of the Faith Movement / Word of Faith churches. Rhema Bible Schools actually have their own translation of the Bible which indoctrinates the students with the Faith Movement's false teachings. Rhema students are only allowed to read this one Bible. You have good reason to be very distraught and need to do everything in your power to intervene on behalf of your son. His eternal destiny is now at risk because of this decision to become involved with the Faith Movement. We will pray for you that you will be successful in preventing him from attending the Rhema Bible School. May God be with you.


B. Martinique says -- I am utterly in shock after finding your blog. The stories of these families as well as yours just left me appalled at how these cult churches have manipulated and broken people. My husband has just left me. Not for another woman but for a new life. He went to a healing service at one of these feel-good churches, came home and said that he could stop taking his heart medication because he had enough faith for God to heal him completely. When I tried to reason with him, there was no changing his mind. I'm now waiting to get the dreaded phone call that he has had another heart attack. Thanks for giving me a place to vent.


The Grand Poo-Bah says -- This story is a good example of the power of the "evil one" to infiltrate people's minds, get control over their lives, and totally put their physical lives and spiritual lives in jeopardy. If you unsuspectingly get involved with a cult, you need to be aware that you are playing with fire and that you are in serious danger. You need to take immediate abortive action. I strongly recommend that you find a way to get your ex-husband to read "Christianity In Crisis" by Hank Hanegraaff. I hope you don't get the dreaded phone call but he wouldn't be the first to die from going down this road.


O. & M. Mitchell say -- Well, Christmas is now over. I hope that things were better for you than for our family. We went for Christmas at our son's home. To our utter amazement, there was a houseful of people that we did not know. Our son was calling them "Mum and Dad" and our grandchildren were calling them Grandma and Grandpa. These people were their new family from their church. We were introduced by our son as "his former parents." We had no idea that they had gotten involved in one of these cult churches. We have read some of the stories posted here over the last couple of days and realize that we have to do something. We are starting with reading "Christianity in Crisis". It is not just Christianity but the whole makeup of our social network of families. We stayed through the dinner but left shortly afterwards because we were totally ignored by everyone except for passing the food. They spent most of the afternoon praying and hollering. It was horrible.


The Grand Poo-Bah says -- When I recently went to my son's wedding, I overheard him calling one of the adults "mum" and didn't think anything of it at the time. I thought he was just being friendly but the more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that this was not normal behaviour. What has happened to you has also happened to me. Strangers have now become family and family have become strangers. This is how cults operate to gain control over their followers and eliminate opposition to their teachings.


Being introduced as his "former parents," must have been a terrible shock for you but it was also an indication to you that something was seriously wrong. Cults who conduct business in the way that you have described are very dangerous. You are absolutely right -- you have to do something and do it quickly. Thanks for sharing your story. We will pray for you.


D. & D. Sission -- You really are so blind as to not see what God has in store when we ask. How sad for you! We are sure that your sons are praying for you to see the light of God and the error of your ways.


The Grand Poo-Bah says -- The Grand Poo-Bah saw the light of God and the error of his ways when he was nine years old. The true teaching that we received in the Baptist Church taught that we are sinners in need of a Saviour. The Gospel is simple so that a young child can understand it. Christ died for our sins and we as sinners need to accept Him as our personal Saviour which I did. The Christian Gospel is what it is and it never changes. Scripture teaches that you are not to add to it or take away from it which the Pentecostal Church, Word of Faith Church, Faith Movement Churches, and Victory Churches are all guilty of. My sons don't need to waste time praying for me because there are more useful things they could do like reading some books about cults and how easy it is to get unwittingly drawn into them.


"What God has in store when we ask" is an interesting expression. To me, this statement is an expression used by someone who is not satisfied with just victory over sin and death and hell and still has their hand out asking for more. Since you are likely attending a health and wealth church, I see you standing at the foot of the cross looking up into the face of Jesus and saying FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS NOT ENOUGH. I WANT MORE! What a slap in the face of Jesus after experiencing such horrible excruciating pain on the cross. His pain purchased our redemption. Question - how will you explain your self-centredness and personal interests? To sum up, all I can say is, that in the two line comment that you sent to the Grand Poo-Bah, you have demonstrated that you are totally lacking in knowledge about Christianity and what it is all about.


You may be thinking that God up in heaven has a dilemma in front of Him because my sons are praying for me and I am praying for them. Rest assured that God has no dilemma. He is fully aware of who needs prayer and who will be asked to explain their beliefs when they get to heaven. The Grand Poo-Bah will have no "splainin to do."


Name Withheld says -- It's your perception that there has been a personality change. Don't you get it! Your family wants NOTHING to do with you!!


The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Hey Darren! Haven't you heard, "perception is everything." If you don't think there's been a change, consider this. On Father's Day in 2006, I received a ball cap from you which said "Greatest Dad" on the front. At that point in time, you had just begun your fall away from true Christianity. You were becoming more and more involved with Barrie Victory Centre and by Christmastime of that year, Barrie Victory Centre had convinced you that you had been lied to and not told the whole truth about the Gospel. That's because Barrie Victory Centre teaches a much different gospel. One of the books that I have highlighted in the picture in a previous blog is titled "A Different Gospel." You need to read it.




Since Christmas of 2006, I have not seen my three sons, their wives or any of my seven grandchildren except for a couple of hours at my youngest son's wedding recently. Very few words were exchanged. I likely wouldn't have been invited to that wedding except for my new daughter-in-law putting her foot down. We have been totally estranged since Christmas of 2006. If that doesn't represent a change, I don't know what does.

Since my family wants nothing to do with me, that means I now have total freedom to continue to write this blog in the hopes that it will help somebody even if my children and their families are beyond help or at least it would seem so. If you don't perceive that as a change there's something wrong with you. Barrie Victory Centre has succeeded in severing ties with family members who oppose the teachings of their church and I vehemently oppose the teachings of Barrie Victory Centre. Their teachings are not based on Scripture. There is not one Bible scholar connected with Victory Churches International including the Hills. So there is nobody in the movement that knows what they are talking about when it comes to true Christianity.

M. Mayhew says -- It absolutely astounds me that I am one of those people who got taken in by one of these cults. I somehow ended up in a Word of Faith church in B.C. It was all very nice and pleasant until I was called out on not giving enough money for tithing. I later found out that someone from the church worked for Revenue Canada and was (sneaking) looks at the income tax reports of members of our church. Although I cannot prove it, I am sure he was giving this information to our Deacons Board because they knew exactly what my net income was for last year. I walked away, have lost all my family and friends. I am also now being audited by Revenue Canada over questionable donations. Just wanted to share and make people aware of what might be going on behind the scenes at some of these cults.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Cults exist for only one reason -- to make their leaders rich. It's all about money. For Pete's sake, the pastors of Victory Churches International own their churches. ( Scripture teaches that Christ is the Head of the Church.) They function primarily as business owners and call it "church." The people who attend Victory Churches International are nothing more than customers coming to the door of his business. Not much different from people going to Wal-Mart. The only difference is the product they are selling is false Christianity.

You'll never give enough money to a cult. No matter how much you give them, they will want more for one reason or another. Tithing is not a Scriptural principle. Tithing as referred to in Bible times was in an agrarian society. Farmers tithed a portion of their harvest to supply the needs of the priests. The principle of tithing does not apply in a society where people earn money and salaries. If everyone gave 10 percent of their income, every church would be filthy rich and that goes way beyond meeting the needs of the pastor.

From personal experience, I have found that people are more willing to give when it is not required. I used to attend a church where the pastor never mentioned tithing and more than enough money used to come in to meet all the needs of the church and their missionary endeavours. They were always over-budget!

Thank you for your personal insights into what might be going on in many of these cult churches.

M. Patel says --You really have some nerve publishing some of these fantasies. No church could possibly do some of the things that you claim.

The Grand Poo-Bah says -- Gullible is a good word to describe the person who wrote this comment. I am sure the people who wrote these stories would not have bothered to take the time to write them or send them if they were not true. The fact that you do not believe that they could possibly be true only means that you are currently in a very vulnerable position. You are the perfect candidate to be unwittingly duped by a very clever and charismatic cult-leader. You are exactly the type of person that cult operators are on the lookout for. You need to be very careful, ask a lot of questions and I hope you have a better knowledge of your Bible than I think you do. I hope you will continue to read as more horror stories come in.

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.