Just a heads up about some posts that are coming up in the mix. I’m going to be doing a deep dive into the theology of Bethel, Redding CA and the wider movement.
Bethel have been in the Christian news over the past few weeks as particular people and the culture have been criticized following some shocking and disturbing revelations. Whilst I’ve picked up on some of those issues in a couple of scheduled posts, that isn’t my focus or the reason for writing. If you are here for an expose of a scandal you’ve come to the wrong place. Indeed if you have come here for any kind of expose, I’m afraid that’s not my gig.
I began doing deeper research info the theology of Bethel last year as I was looking at Christian Nationalism. Bethel are part of the New Apostolic Reformation which is one of the strands influencing that movement. So my first reason has been to flesh out some of that area of thinking. I’m hoping to pull the Christian Nationalism stuff into something book length a bit later on.
However, the other factor is the extent to which Bethel’s thinking and culture influences much of the wider Evangelical world in different ways, directly and indirectly. We sing their songs and read their books but we also see aspects of their thinking shaping wider culture and approaches and not just among charismatics. Whether that’s because non charismatics have picked up things directly from Bethel or because there are different but similar roots I’m not sure.
This becomes important for church planters because as you plant, you will be bombarded by different models and approaches. You will be told how to make your church a success. So for church planters it will be helpful to understand the theology behind different approaches.
There have been all kinds of rumours and criticisms concerning Bethel over the years. Generally, they have come from the cessationist end of the spectrum and so it is easy to think of the church as being just an extreme charismatic church with some wacky practices. However, what I’ve found is a distinctive, though related theology that stands on its own. It’s related because of the overlaps especially around the gifts , worship music and terminology (though sometimes as with the concept of apostles words mean subtly or wildly different things). It’s also related because if hoe thinking and practice has been influenced in the charismatic context and that is particularly on us charismatics to pay attention to. We will see though how it differs.
my methodology has been to watch a ton of talks and read books including from Bill Johnson, Danny Silk and Banning Leibscher (Jesus Culture). Primarily it’s the written sources I cite.
i hope that you will find these articles helpful. By this I mean not an opportunity to gossip or gloat at others within God’s family but to learn lessons about our own contexts both in terms of where some of the Bethel theology filters through but also about how our own theology shapes our cultures.
Please feel free to drop any comments or questions below.
Faithroots 